Under the Influence

' Drunkenness . . . was doing more damage in the War than all the German submarines put together!'
Lloyd George, 1916
Carlisle has a unique story to tell with regards to drinking and getting drunk. During the First World War, a vast ammunitions factory lay to the north - its thirsty workers besieging the pubs of Carlisle every night. In 1916, the Government took action and bought up all of the city's pubs, off-licences and breweries, and the so-called 'Carlisle Experiment' began as an attempt to discourage people from excessive boozing. Find out more about this fascinating era of Carlisle's history on a guided walking tour around our local alehouses.