Whitehaven - Workington Guide
The town and port of Whitehaven allows you to recapture the atmosphere of the 18th century, as you explore its unique and original streets. Known as the "Georgian Port", Whitehaven was once the third largest port in the country, trading rum, sugar and coal throughout the world. Today the town is in the process of reinventing itself as a seaside resort - with some success.
For details of Whitehaven Hotels and Holidays, Guest Houses,
Cottages and
Attractions. Go to Whitehaven Hotels Guest Houses and Cottages
There are many good examples of Georgian architecture within the town and there are around 250 listed buildings. The town is laid out in a grid plan designed by Sir john Lowther on the same principals as used by Christopher Wren when he planned to rebuild London after the great fire. A recently opened exhibition centre, The Beacon, tells the story of Whitehaven's past and recent developments.
Whitehaven is at the western end of the Coast to Coast cycle route that crosses England, to end at Robin Hood Bay on the North Seas coast. The route which is 140 miles in length is the most popular of the UK's cycle routes.
There are several
good beaches in the area, such as St Bee's to the south and at Maryport to the
north. Further south is the small Victoria fishing village of Seascale, just
outside the village is Sellafield the site of Britain's first commercial nuclear
power station. Here also is the Sellafield Reprocessing Plant - which converts the spent fuel from nuclear reactors worldwide into re-useable uranium,
plutonium, and other reactive products that require long term storage. There is
a new visitor centre at the site, which is well worth visiting to get the facts
about nuclear power.
Workington
Workington is a small fishing port where cod, mackerel, whiting and prawns are landed on a regular basis. However the town was originally involved in the production of iron and steel, being the home of Henry Bessemer whose Bessemer Converter transformed the production of steel in the eighteenth century. Workington is also a port which handles bulk cargoes such as stone, steel and forest products. There up to 300 ship movements per year and they carry around 500,000 tons of cargo each year.
What to see around Whitehaven
Lake District Coast Aquarium - South Quay, Maryport, Cumbria CA15 8AB Telephone: 01900 817760
Haig Colliery Mining Museum - Solway Road, Kells Whitehaven Cumbria CA28 9BG England Phone: 01946 599949
The Beacon - Visitor Centre with exhibits related to Whitehaven's past, gallery and cafe - West Strand - Whitehaven - Cumbria - CA28 7LY Tel: 01946 592302
Senhouse Roman Museum - Exhibits from the Roman fort at Maryport - The Battery The Promenade Maryport Cumbria CA15 6JD Tel: 01900 816 168
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Other sections of the guide you might also enjoy - see below.
Whether your idea of an ideal activity is sunbathing or you prefer something more strenuous, the chances are that you will be able to pursue this at the coast.
Attractions - see listings pages
A huge selection of attractions are available within the coastal area and this section will have details of many of them - from piers and harbours to fun fairs and roller coasters,
Pubs, restaurants and shopping guide
The listings section will also have details of pubs, restaurants, nightclubs and shops available in the locality. Restaurants and shops coming soon.....
We will bring you feature articles about the coastline and news items about life in the coastal area. contributions to this section are welcome.
A great selection of photos from the Southwest region.
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