Still the largest town on the Cumbrian coast with a population of about 35,000, Workington was once an industrial centre of major importance, producing the twin needs of the great industrial age coal and steel. It was here that the Bessemer steel process was first put into practice. According to locals one of its industries was of truly global importance: it is said that the steel rails made in Workington and used in laying railway tracks worldwide “held the world together”. Workington’s history started long before the industrial revolution: there was a Roman fort, Gabrosentum, to the north of the present town, as befitted a port of some significance, sitting at the mouth of the River Derwent, once a major transport route. The name of the town is believed to derive from an Angle chieftain, Wyre, and there was a church in the settlement from at least the 7th century. Queen Elizabeth I gave Workington its market charter in 1573. Mary Queen of Scots, fleeing south after the defeat of her forces in battle, spent her last night of freedom at Workington Hall in 1568. And the strange mass football game played here every Easter may have its origins in those times, or perhaps in the Stuart age: once played between downies (sailors) and uppies (colliers), now a more open affair, the game is not for the faint hearted. Workington Hall, now in ruins, was built by the Curwen family, habitants from 1250 until recent times, and instrumental in the development of the town as one of the great industrial forces of the Northwest in the 17th and 18th centuries. As with so many other great buildings in Cumbria, it was structured around a pele tower, a fortified place of refuge for use during raids by Scots armies or reivers. The Helena Thompson museum sits over from the Hall, an 18th century house now displaying exhibitions on the history of Workington, as well as on Georgian, Regency and Victorian furniture, jewellery, glass and dress. The port of Workington was once a shipbuilding centre, making well over 200 ships in its history, but this closed in 1938. The steel works that had fed it closed in 2006, and coal too is a memory kept alive by the site at Jane Pit in Mossbay. Today the river has some elegant landscaped walks, and the town is being regenerated to provide modern retail facilities and other amenities while celebrating its past.
Attraction
Care Home
Classes
Dance - Step Into Dance Mania
Yoga - Linda Allam
Club
Council
Dentist
John Street Dental Practice
Mr Archer & Associate
Nook Street Dental Practice
Doctor
Beechwood Group Practice
Disington Surgery
Oxford Street Surgery
Solway Health Services
The James Street Group Practice
Estate Agent
Bairstow Eves North West
Cumberland Estate Agents
Mitchells Lakeland Properties
Golf Club
Inn
Market
Performing Arts
Carnegie Theatre & Arts Centre
Theatre Crazy
Pub and Bar
Black Tom Inn
Circuit Wine Bar
Commercial Inn
Cumberland Hotel
Elliotts
Henry Curwen
Royal Oak
Ship Inn
The Henry Bessemer
The Old Red House
Travellers Rest
Restaurant
Bengal Spice
Circuit Wine Bar
Impressions
Old Town House
The Old Ginn House
Solicitor
KJ Commons & Co
Paisleys Solicitors
Taxi
B Taxis
J & E Taxis
Sues Taxis
Tonys Taxis
Theatre
Carnegie Theatre & Arts Centre
Vet
Sports Clubs
Distington ARLFC (Rugby League)
Ry-Ju-Kwai (Cumbria) (Martial Arts)
Seaton Rangers ARLFC (Rugby League)
Westfield ARLFC (Rugby League)
Workington CC (Cricket)
Shops
Derwent Bookshop
Fearon Flowers
Boots
Rymans
Watson Pet Shop
Dorothy Perkins
J H Sandham
Braniff & Davidson
Greenwoods Ltd
BodyShop
Peacocks
B&Q
Carnegie Colours Cafe
Butterflies Tearooms
Marshal & Son Butchers
Fletts Butchers
W Copsey
Lolas Home Ltd
Alisons Attic
Specsavers
J J B Sports
River Island
Antiques
Hourglass Antiques & Collectables
Computer Consumables Cumbria
Activities
Source to Sea Flyfishing(Fishing)
Places to Stay near Workington
Waverley Hotel (0.08 miles)
The Waverley Hotel, Workington, offers quality, exceptional value accommodation with a wide variety of room styles. The Waverley Hotel is situated in the historic coastal town of Workington, Cumbria.
The Waverley Hotel ... More | visit website
Armidale Cottages Bed & Breakfast (1.78 miles)
Hunday Manor Country House Hotel (2.24 miles)
Delightfully situated and enjoying distant views of the Solway Firth. A large garden to relax in. This charming hotel has comfortable rooms that are well-furnished. Some of the spacious rooms have been ... More
Cumberland Lodge (2.42 miles)
The Old Ginn House (2.48 miles)
The Old Ginn House has been successfully converted from a 17th century farm to a charming village inn. The inn offers quality en-suite accommodation, including a luxury suite, great food, a ... More
Littlebeck Warren (3.99 miles)
Premier Inn Whitehaven (4.78 miles)
Broughton Craggs Hotel (5.28 miles)
Family-run country house hotel set in 3 acres of delightful grounds, overlooking Derwent Valley and the Fells beyond. Broughton Craggs provides a warm, friendly service and has won various Silver ... More
Old Posting House (5.96 miles)
Ditton Lodge (7.02 miles)
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