A Fishy Tale

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The Lake District is synonymous with Cumbria and most think of the two, as one. The reality is that a mere 39% of the modern day Cumbria is in fact part of the Lake District National Park, which means there is an awful lot more to explore beyond the boundaries. I think it is fair to say, the majority don't bother. A boat trip on Windemere, a thought or two about Beatrix Potter and a quick wander round Keswick and the car is pointed back in the direction of the M6. We set off in the direction of the Cumbria less visited.

The rain lashed against the windscreen on a bleak March morning. The weather was to put it mildly, less than promising. The North West of England is not known for a lack of rainfall and there is a reason why the region has the lakes in the first place. We carried on towards the coast. The Victorian tourists helped to popularise the mainstream Lake District towns inland, but they also had their eyes on the coastal region too. Industry was the draw there and the desire to extract the raw materials that fueled the industrial revolution were to be found. The main Cumbrian coalfield stretched up the coast from the Whitehaven area in the south to Maryport and Aspatria in north. Iron ore too was in plentiful supply in the Whitehaven and Cleator Moor areas. The industrial fathers of Carlisle also had their eyes on access to a deep water port and after they abandoned their initial project to develop the unlikely hamlet of Port Carlisle, they turned their attentions to Silloth.

We turned our attention to Silloth too. The rain continued to fall, as we approached the southern end of town. The expansive Stanwix Holiday Camp was more substantial than I had anticipated and gave a first glimpse of the other string to Silloth's bow. Stanwix developed in the 1940s and now occupies an extensive site with a range of accommodation, centred around a leisure complex. It seems to have survived and prospered in its one unlikely location and adopted innovative ways to get the punters to come out of peak season - you have to offer more than the the sunshine total in this part of the world.

The key to the development of Silloth was the coming of the railways. The railways that would serve the port would also bring in the tourists and day trippers from further afield. The line from Carlisle opened in 1854 and reached the height of their popularity in the 1880s - a return daytrip ticket from Carlisle was yours for a shilling. A second line came from the north to link up with the Carlisle tracks. A viaduct was built across the Solway at a narrow point near Bowness. It would export raw materials from the coal and iron ore mines to Scotland. In return, the Scots deprived of an alcoholic tipple on a Sunday would cross the border in search of seaside fun and a few pints. It would also put a halt to wandering over at low tide ..... judgement was perhaps a little lacking on the return journey, after a few pints. The two way trade worked well until the outbreak of the First World War. Passenger traffic across the viaduct ceased in 1914 and by 1921, the freight trains had stopped too. The viaduct is now no longer.

We parked up in the town centre on Criffel Street, beside grassland separating the sea from the town. As no stranger to the world of a planned Victorian seaside resort, I felt a strange instant affinity to the place. The street was wide and palatial, giving the prestige premises views out to sea and across the Solway to Scotland. Well that would be the plan on a good weather day, but not today. Criffel Street seemed disproportionate to the size of the town, but I guess it came in handy for any large vehicle movements in and out of the port at the end. It reminded me in a strange way way of streets in gold and iron ore mining towns in Western Australia .... where they would boast, streets wide enough so you can still turn a camel train .... except that they haven't seen one in the last 100 years. As far as I'm aware, camels were never the excuse for the width of streets in Silloth. We put our waterproof trousers on and headed north, following The Green. There are apparently 3 individual parts - Skinburness Green, Harbour Green and the other known simply as The Green.

The RAF Club was tucked away at the top end. The town once boasted a RAF base - part of the Coastal Command defence of the Western Approaches in World War 2. It might have closed in 1960, but the Club still lingers. The bus shelter across the street was painted with a RAF scene. It was one of many similar I noted in the nearby towns - they love a decorated bus shelter in this part of Cumbria it seems. We walked on to see the Big Fella. A local chap, Peter Richardson, had the idea of leaving the town a sculpture to make them smile as his legacy. He therefore approached Ray Lonsdale, who has been behind some of the thought provoking steel sculptures that have cropped up in the North East in the last few years. The most famous is the giant Tommy overlooking Seaham Harbour. The Silloth Big Fella sits on his bench with his dog .... looking out to sea and enjoying the view (or the sunset). The Lonsdale scupltures are really rather good and this is no exception. We turned at the East Cote Lighthouse and walked back towards town on the seaward side of The Greens.

Silloth, unlike many seaside resorts, is not overflowing with amusement arcades. The solitary Paramount Arcade stands alone just behind the promenade and provides family fun .... or so it boasts. In addition, Ken & Betty's Diner is nestled alongside as part of the same complex. The rain was still lashing down, so this indoor option was probably attracting quite a number of the visitors in the town. The adjacent trees, bent in the direction of the normal prevailing winds, reminded me of Slope Point at the base of New Zealand. We turned inland at the Lifeboat Station. The port loomed on our right hand side. Carr's Flour Mills sits adjacent to the quay. It was time for a cup of coffee. Mrs Wilson's looked a good pick, but bizarrely didn't want to accomodate Vera. The Fairydust Emporium on the other hand was more than welcoming - the only issue seemed to be whether there would be space. Have you booked? It was quite clear plenty of people had booked for some kind of Sunday treat. We were squeezed in and it transpired to be a good choice. The lack of available tables didnt lie and maybe a clue why you could have had the run of the house down at Mrs Wilson's - appearances can be deceptive.

A summary of Silloth wouldn't be complete without reference to two small, but intriguing visitor attractions in town. Who knew there was the Silloth Motorcycle Museum? It opens the journey into the rich motorcycle heritage of Silloth. The old RAF base was once on the motorcycle racing map. It turns out that racing kicked off on a 1.1 mile circuit in July 1964. Whilst Solway Motorcycle Racing Club carried on the tradition until 1982 - eventually using a 2 mile circuit - the pinnacle arrived on August 20th 1972. Crowds of 10,000 watched on as Silloth hosted a round of the British Motorcycle Racing Championships. It must have been quite something with an entry of 134 solo bikes and 42 sidecars. If the Motorcycle Museum and heritage came as a surprise, who knew there 10,000 soldiers billeted in town. OK so they are toy soldiers, but nevertheless. The Soldiers in Silloth opened in a small flat on Criffel Street in 2012. The brainchild of Tim Barker, the museum houses his collection of 50 years. A hidden gem hidden within a hidden gem. If only it had stopped raining.

We headed south to Allonby. Allonby - originally a herring port - found favour as a seaside resort in Victorian times. Charles Dickens stayed at the Ship Inn in 1857 and described Allonby as "a dreary little place". He probably arrived on a day not dissimilar to today. The rain continued to fall, there were no views across the Solway towards Galloway and there would be little chance of a sunset. Baths were built in 1835 to attract visitors and a Reading Room opened in 1862.The latter were designed by Alfred Waterhouse - his more notable works include the Town Hall and Strangeways Prison in Manchester and the Natural History Museum in London. The Reading Room was financed by the Pease family of the Darlington & Stockton Railway fame.

We followed the road south to Maryport, which transpired to be a more substantial town than I had imagined. It also had more history. The Romans used the port as a supply base for Hadrian's Wall and built a fort on the headland. A mere 1147 miles to Rome, the sign said. Today the site is home to the Senhouse Roman Museum with commanding views over the entrance to the Solway. Senhouse takes it's name from Humphrey Senhouse, who began the development of the current town to support the port in Georgian times. The original settlement was called Ellenfoot - the River Ellen runs into thesea here, but Humphrey had other ideas - it became Maryport after his wife. Senhouse had business interests in Barbados and Dominica and used his wealth to develop his land holdings. The town prospered as a coal port, exporting the production of the local mines. George Stephenson engineered the Maryport and Carlisle Railway to further boost trade. The end of prosperity came abruptly with the General Strike in 1926 and Maryport never recovered from nearby Workington opening a deep water dock to serve the steelworks in 1927. The common description applied to Maryport in the years immediately following was "Ghost Town".

When you look at the buildings around such as Fleming Square, it is not hard to comprehend how different the town would have been in the heyday. The extensive docks also give an insight into the level of trade. I imagined a sort of Whitby harbour on the Cumbrian coast, but this was on a whole different level. However, most of today was idle. The inner harbour or Elizabeth Harbour had a smattering of fishing vessels. A number, quietly rusting in the corner, looked decidedly beyond their active lives. The harbourside was overlooked by a complex of flats - presumably many in the Air B n B brigade and a cheaper alternative for the speculators looking for "Lake District" property without the price tag. A sign reminded people not to feed the seagulls - no matter what the seagulls said! A yacht marina was adjacent, as was the Maryport Aquarium - now renamed the Lake District Coast Aquarium in a clever move to remind visitors just how close their town is to the area often overrun by the hordes.

The rain had taken a toll and we decided to step indoors for a while. The Wharf Cafe offered both a decent and competitively priced latte with a view true to it's name. We retraced our steps into town. Silloth has the "Big Fella", but Maryport boasts a "Fishy Tale". Just below the bridge back into town, marooned on a plinth in River Ellen, sit a work by scupltor Colin Telfer. He was made redundant from the steelworks in Workington, but found a new vocation in creating fabulous steel statues.

Information boards on Street highlighted the former glories and claims to fame of Maryport. Thomas Henry Ismay, who founded the White Star Line - they of the ill fated RMS Titanic - was born and raised in Maryport. Who knew that the first black Police Officer patrolled the streets of Maryport in 1835? John Kent, son of a freed slave who worked on the Senhouse estates, did a 2 year stint before moving on to a similar role in the big city - Carlisle. On face value, perhaps this information doesn't raise too much of an eyebrow. However if you put it in perspective, the second black Police Officer joined the Gloucestershire Constabulary in 1964. The Met in London recruited their first black Officer in 1966 - some 130 years after Maryport!

The UK centre of the New Balance world loomed on our left hand side, as we approached the outskirts of Workington at Flimby. The factory shop was open for another 30 minutes, so we thought why not? I am not sure what is exactly still produced locally, but there no serious bargains on offer. I am guessing a lot of production is now sourced in the Far East, so no reason for any factory seconds to be hiding in a small outlet retail store on the edge of Cumbria. There was one obligatory stop on our tour of the parts less visited. The original plan for the visit included the mighty Marske United, scheduled to be playing at Borough Park against the Workington Reds. The generous proportions of a ground, which once held over 20,000 for an FA Cup visit by Manchester United and hosted League football for many years, showed just what an achievement it was for Marske as a village team to even compete against their like in the Northern Premier League. Alas, it ended in tears and financial turmoil. The cries of anguish were also coming from Derwent Park this afternoon, as the Workington rugby league team were finding the going a bit tough against their visitors from Oldham RLFC.

There was one final stop in the town centre. Another UK first! Who knew that Britain's first purpose built covered bus station was in Workington? Cumberland Motor Service unveiled the new innovation on 19 March 1926. It probably isn't everyday you read Workington was ahead of its time. Alas today on a dreary Sunday afternoon, it looked its age. The 61% of Cumbria outside of the Lake District National Park might not be able to give you beautiful fells, lakes and panoramic views, but hidden within lie gems of history.

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Photos

Silloth
"Big Fella" Sculpture

Maryport
"Fishy Tale" Sculpture

Maryport
Elizabeth Dock

Maryport
"Fishy Tale" Scuplture

Silloth
RAF Club

Workington
Workington Bus Station - the UK's 1st covered bus station opened in 1926

Silloth
Queens Hotel

Silloth
"Big Fella" Scuplture

Silloth
RAF Club bus shelter

Maryport
Fleming Square

Silloth
Skinburness Green

Silloth
RNLI Lifeboat Station

Workington Town AFC
Borough Park ... the Wembley of Cumbria

Maryport
Senhouse Roman Museum

Silloth
Soldiers in Silloth Museum