i have bought lots of shoes from Clarks over the years but the quality has dropped a lot of the shoes are made abroad and are not as good, they aren't the prestige shoe shop they used to be

I am really sad to hear this news. I worked in this store for 5 years (2003-8, a while ago I know) and we always had 'regulars' who prefered to use the English Street store to the Lanes becuase it was less cluttered and only had adult shoes. I understand Clarks' choice to close this store due to expensive rent but will be sad to see it go. Good Luck to all the team from the English Street store.

I am sure the comment posted that there is no need for 2 Clarks shops in Carlisle will really help the staff to be made redundant feel better.

Good luck to staff. My last purchase at Clarks was two pairs of sandals. I went into the then newly opened Brantano in St Nicholas and found the two pairs on sale at £20 cheaper each. It made me very careful about my impulse purchasing long term. I have seen their lovely shoes at K Shoes at Kendal before they later closed down. I never ever went back to Clarks or shopped at their Carlisle K' Shoes shop. My mother worked in the Carlisle Tylers shoe shop and it was always stressed what bad shoes can do for feet. but for fine shoes I regard McGrath's as the last quality shoe shop for my regular purchase of fine 'shoes' that once in the city had shops with British Made shoes such as the former Northampton Shoe shop and now such similar quality surviving only with the fine shoe-maker in Abbet street. Sadly McGrath's Lowther (Previously in Bank St) street shoe shop do not always stock Rohde label branded German 'boots' and I was informed as I knew the styles I could buy them on the web at a more competititve price. It is a brand which I have stayed with. I now tick size and knowing fit is perfect, comfortable (non-plastically) they arrive post free. Often with free return label. Some shoe/boot brands are however Ideal for Cumbrian (non-fell) walking our dogs etc. Some designer brands with the boot welt splitting don't last our rugged countryside.

There was no need for two Clarks shops in Carlisle. If I remember correctly, one used to be K-Shoes and the other Clarks, until the K-Shoes brand was done away with.

At least now you won't need to visit two shops to see the full range. The English Street store had a better range. The one in the Lanes only seems to have about six different shoes...

If the Kendal 'oultet' shop is anything to go by these days, there won't be many bargains at Gretna. Before they re-built, there were bargains. Not any more.

I had got so used to using the branch in The Lanes that I had no idea there was still a branch in English Street. Two branches so close together inthe same town - one should have been closed years ago.

Everyone going on about car parking charges etc etc, you go yo any major city in this country and tell me they have free parking, I don't think so, shop closures have nothing to do with parking and bringing people into the city, as an example the viaduct car park 2 minutes from the city centre is £1.50 all day, shops close because nobody has surplus money anymore, the economy has been on its feet for some time, jobs are sparse, its good to know Clark isn't closing all together and that jobs are actually being created, those few redundancies are probably staff who don't want to transfer to Gretna I assume, only the Clarks workforce and confirm this.

I doubt it is the cost of parking that is causing the problem. I once looked at opening a small shop near to the city centre and the rental lease was extortionate, I would have been working 7 days a week just to pay the landlord. Parking charges are also part of the councils income so if they were free then savings would have to be made elsewhere or council tax put up. Would people pay higher council tax to get free parking? Probably not, they would just complain about not being able to go shopping because of their council tax.

There is plenty of free 2 hour disc parking in Carlisle,you shouldnt need any more time than that unless you want to sit in the numerous coffee bars sprouting up, there must be plenty money about if you can pay 3 quid fo a coffee

Anon. Next time you're in a council meeting could you please bring up the subject of the motorcycle parking bay at the northern end of Castle St. The council have done an excellent job installing ground anchors on the kerb, but could they please sign and mark the bay as there are always cars parked in it!