'End of era' as newspaper building demolished

Newspaper House was home to Cumbrian Newspapers, publishers of the Cumberland News and the News & Star

A newspaper office building has been demolished, marking the "end of an era" for a city, former staff have said.

Newspaper House, in Dalston Road, Carlisle, had been the home of Cumbrian Newspapers and its subsequent owner Newsquest, the publishers of the Cumberland News and News & Star, among others.

Towards the end of 2021, the press hall, which was situated at the rear of Newspaper House, was also demolished.

Jenny Barwise, who worked for the publisher for 13 years, said: "It was a real hub of activity in its day and there was a real buzz in the newsroom, especially when a story broke - it's the end of an era."

Miss Barwise started work with the company first as a reporter and then as audience and content editor, leaving in 2020.

She said she had "lots of memories" working at the site and it was a shame to see it gone.

Demolition work started in November

Melissa Major said Newspaper House was the place she really came into her own as a journalist, having worked there from 2017 to 2021.

She said driving past the site and seeing how the demolition progressed made her feel sad.

"I remember as a child being shown round the printing press, then doing work experience and then working there.

"It was a huge place for so long and now it's gone."

Cumbrian Newspapers, later known as CN Group, also published the Times & Star, The Whitehaven News, the Evening Mail in Barrow and several magazines.

The company had been owned by the Burgess family, with chairman Robin Burgess overseeing its sale to US-owned media giant Newsquest in 2018.

'Final full stop'

Viv Paterson worked as a reporter for the company from 2001 until her retirement about a year ago.

She moved to the UK from New Zealand, where she had worked for another family-owned newspaper - the Otago Daily Times.

"Robin told me he'd met the owners of my old paper in New Zealand frequently and he'd even sold a printing press to them," she said.

"Newspaper House was the home of this family business for so many years and it's sad this demolition has put a final full stop to that history."

It is not known what the site will be used for once demolition is completed

Work began on the building's demolition in November.

A part-retrospective planning application for the work was approved by Cumberland Council on Monday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting service.

The site was sold at auction in June, but no details have been provided as to what is planned for the site once demolition has been completed.

Printing was moved to Newsquest's print centre in Cambuslang, Glasgow, when the site's press hall closed.

The News & Star and The Cumberland News editorial and commercial teams now operate out of LocaliQ House, near the Newspaper House.