Whitehaven
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Whitehaven is ideally situated on the West Cumbrian Coast only a few miles from the western fringe of the Lake District National Park. Georgian Whitehaven was one of the first post-renaissance planned towns in the country and is one of the “Gem Towns” of England. The story of its development is told in the local history museum. In the mid 18th century, Whitehaven was a larger port than Liverpool, ranking only after London and Bristol in importance. Its prosperity was built on coal and its export, together with the import of tobacco from America and rum from the West Indies. Cumberland Rum Butter remains a popular local delicacy.
The town’s connection with the new world goes beyond trade. George Washington’s grandmother, Mildred Warner Gale, lived in Whitehaven and is buried in St. Nicholas Gardens. A plaque to her memory can be seen in St. Nicholas Chapel. The West Pier, arguably one of the finest in Britain, was built by the famous Scottish engineer Sir John Rennie. The port is still busy today with the activity of the fishing fleet and many small pleasure boats. Because of its unspoilt state, the entire harbour has been declared a conservation area, which can be fully appreciated by walking along South Harbour, which is less than 50 yards from the shopping area. Here can be seen monuments to mining history with the Candlestick Chimney, the mine bogeys and the winding wheel by the dockside. All are now part of the town’s history, as the last pit closed in 1986.
The character of the town, with its distinctive grid iron pattern of streets dating back from the 17th century, is largely the result of the influence of the Lowther family, the then owners of the mines and most of the town itself. In the centre of the town are many fine Georgian Buildings, which have been restored, and improvement work is ongoing. Pedestrianisation of the town centre includes a number of pebblestone mosaics representing the town’s history, encompassing its maritime involvement and influence of the Lowther family on its development. Cast iron street lamps, seats and planters make this a very attractive and pleasant shopping area.
Lowther Street, King Street, Roper Street and Tangier Street have a wide variety of shops including a specialist wine merchant’s shop, which has been trading for nearly two centuries. The antiquarian bookshop in Roper Street is one of the largest second-hand book shops in the country. Busy street markets are held on Thursdays and Saturdays. Sport lovers can indulge themselves at the well equipped Sports Centre where facilities for squash, badminton, solarium, steam room and weights room are available. The Copeland Athletics Track is a great attraction and there is a 25m swimming pool plus small teaching/paddling pool. Those wishing to visit parks and gardens should checkout Castle Park, which offers flat walks, thirteen acres of natural park and woodlands, lawns, flower beds and a children’s play area. St. Nicholas Gardens has many colourful flower beds, seating and children of the Mines Monument. For entertainment Rosehill theatre holds concerts, drama and comedy in compact and friendly surroundings. Civic Hall has drama, lectures, music and a restaurant, the Gaiety Cinema has all the latest films and there is a good selection of Pubs and Night clubs.
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