Maryportis a town andcivil parishin theCumberlanddistrict, in the ceremonial county ofCumbria,England. In 2011 the parish had a population of 11,262.
| Maryport | |
|---|---|
 Fleming Square, Maryport | |
  Maryport Location in Allerdale  Maryport Location withinCumbria | |
| Population | 11,262(2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | NY038363 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MARYPORT |
| Postcode district | CA15 |
| Dialling code | 01900 |
| Police | Cumbria |
| Fire | Cumbria |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
The town is situated just outside theLake District National Park,at the northern end of the formerCumberland Coalfield.
Location
editMaryport is located on theA596 road6 miles (10 km) north ofWorkington,21.1 miles (34 km) west ofKeswickand 26 miles (42 km) south-west ofCarlisle.Sillothis 12.6 miles (20 km) to the north on theB5300 coast road,which passes through the villages ofAllonby,Mawbray,BeckfootandBlitterlees.
It's one of the southernmost towns on theSolway Firth,where theRiver Ellenskirts the grounds ofNetherhall Schoolbefore flowing through Maryport into the Solway Firth.
History
editPrehistoric times
editEvidence for Final Palaeolithic and Mesolithic occupation was found at Netherhall Road. This was the first located archaeological evidence of tuff exploitation in the Lake District.[3]
Roman and medieval times
edit
The town was established around 122 as one of severalRomanlocalities calledAlauna.It was a command and supply base for the coastal defences at the western extremity ofHadrian's Wall.The town contains substantial remains of the Roman fort, which was the last in a series that stretched southwards along the coast from the wall to prevent it being avoided by crossing theSolway Firth.Geomagneticsurveys have revealed a large Roman town surrounding the fort.[4]ARomano-British(native) settlement located directly beside the fort may even have supplied the fort with food, possibly in exchange for goods like pottery.[5]
The Senhouse Roman Museum adjoins the site of Alauna, and has a replica wooden watch-tower overlooking the fort and the sea. The museum houses a large collection of Roman altar stones found at the site.[6]
On Castle Hill are the earthworks and buried remains of a 12th-centurymotte-and-bailey castle.On the summit are the foundations of aWorld War IIgun emplacement.[7]
To the north are the ruins of Netherhall Estate. The only remains of this once grand manor are stables and a 14th-centurypele tower,largely built of dressed Roman stones presumably from Alauna Roman fort nearby. The tower was formerly part of a large house of later date which was demolished in 1979 following a fire.[8]
Georgian times
edit| Maryport Harbour Act 1748 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for repairing, enlarging, and preserving, the Harbour of Ellenfoot, in the County of Cumberland. |
| Citation | 22 Geo. 2.c. 6 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 22 March 1749 |
| Maryport Harbour Act 1756 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act for enlarging the Term and Powers granted by an Act passed in the Twenty-second Year of His present Majesty, for repairing, enlarging, and preserving, the Harbour of Ellenfoot, in the County of Cumberland. |
| Citation | 29 Geo. 2.c. 57 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 9 March 1756 |
| Maryport Harbour Act 1791 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act for enlarging the Term and Powers of two Acts, made one in the Twenty-second, and the other in the Twenty-ninth Year of the Reign of King George the Second, for repairing, enlarging, and preserving the Harbour of Mary Port, in the County of Cumberland. |
| Citation | 31 Geo. 3.c. 23 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 11 April 1791 |
| Maryport Harbour Act 1812 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for enlarging the Term and Powers of Three Acts of His late and present Majesty, for repairing the Harbour of Maryport in the County of Cumberland. |
| Citation | 52 Geo. 3.c. xv |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Maryport Harbour and Improvement Act 1833 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Maryport Harbour and Improvement Act 1833 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Citation | 3 & 4 Will. 4.c. cxiii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 24 July 1833 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Maryport Improvement and Harbour Act 1866 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
For many years the town was named Ellenfoot but the name was changed by Humphrey Senhouse as he began developing the town as a port, following the example ofWhitehaven.In 1749 anact of Parliament,theMaryport Harbour Act 1748(22 Geo. 2.c. 6), was passed to allow the creation of the present town. Humphrey Senhouse named the new town after his wife Mary. The Senhouse family were landowners in the area and responsible for the development of the town and excavation of its Roman past. The family also had interests in theWest Indies.In 1770, Humphrey Senhouse's son, William, was appointed Surveyor General of Customs inBarbadoswhere he purchased a sugar plantation and managed another for Sir James Lowther of Whitehaven. William's brother, Joseph, had a coffee plantation inDominica.Both men were considerable slave-owners.[9]
It was during this period thatthe town's lighthousewas built.[10]
Victorian times
edit| Maryport Improvement and Harbour Act 1866 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Citation | 29 & 30 Vict.c. ccxlv |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 23 July 1866 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Maryport Harbour Act 1894 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Citation | 57 & 58 Vict.c. cvi |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 20 July 1894 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The town quickly developed as an industrial centre throughout the 19th century. An iron foundry opened and the port developed as did shipyards, such as Wood's yard and Ritson's yard, which was famous for launching ships broadside into theRiver Ellenbecause it was not wide enough to allow ships to be launched the usual way.[11]
TheMaryport and Carlisle Railway,opened in the 1840s, withGeorge Stephensonas its engineer, made the transport of coal much easier. Large new mines were sunk in theAspatriaarea and almost all their production passed through the port. In 1846, 213,152 tons of coal were shipped from Maryport and by 1857 this had risen to more than 340,000 tons. Much of the coal produced in the area was turned into coke for the local iron and steel industry. By 1890, the Allerdale Coal Company had thirty Beehive coke ovens working on its site at Buckhill, Broughton Moor.[12]
In 1874, the owners announced a cut of 10% in the miners' wages. A strike began in the Aspatria pits and then the owners made a further cut of 15%. By December, the strike had spread to the whole area with 2,000 men involved. The strike lasted until March 1875. There was violence when some 'blacklegs' were assaulted and many colliers left the area to seek work elsewhere. In 1894, John Osmaston who operated the Dearham Colliery became insolvent and the bank took over his pits. Two groups of local miners formed co-operatives and leased the mines at Crosshow and Townhead from the Lowthers. They found it impossible to compete with the other wealthy coal-owners in a tight market and also had serious problems with drainage. This unique experiment ended in 1903 when both companies went into liquidation.[13]
Modern times
edit| Maryport Harbour Act 1903 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Citation | 3 Edw. 7.c. ccxii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 11 August 1903 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Maryport Harbour Revision Order 2007 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Maryport Harbour Act 1939 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act to make provision in regard to the finance of the commissioners for the Harbour of Maryport and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 2 & 3 Geo. 6.c. xii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 27 March 1939 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Maryport Harbour Revision Order 2007 | |
|---|---|
| Statutory Instrument | |
 | |
| Citation | SI 2007/3463 |
| Dates | |
| Made | 6 December 2007 |
| Commencement | 29 December 2007 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes | |
| Made under | Harbours Act 1964 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
During the early years of the 20th century, trade in the docks remained steady but was badly affected by the1926 General Strike.Then, in 1927, a new deep-water dock was opened inWorkington.Previously, the Workington Iron and Steel works had imported much of their raw material through Maryport but all of this trade was immediately transferred to the new facility. The local Solway Blast Furnaces also closed.[14]
Maryport became a ghost town. The government declared West Cumberland a ‘Special Area' but, by 1933, 57.3% of the town's insured workforce was unemployed. 1,684 men were out of work. Maryport was “for the most part, living on public funds”.[15]In 1936 twenty unemployed men marched from Maryport to join theJarrow Crusadeto London. Known as the Maryport Marchers, they were joined by two marchers fromCleator Moorand two marchers from Frizington. The Maryport Marchers Council organised this.[16]
Despite a minor boom during theSecond World War,when coal fromNorth East Englandwas diverted to the port, Maryport never recovered. The docks were closed to cargo ships in the 1960s. The last deep pit in the area, at Risehow, closed in 1966.[17]
Today, after a series of major regeneration projects such as theyachtmarinain the localharbour,prospects for the town are starting to look better. It is expected that tourism will play a major role in the future of the town.[18]
In October 2018, it was announced that the Netherhall School community swimming pool was to close.[19]
Maryport Lighthouse
editThe town has a smalllighthouse,formerly run byTrinity House,thegeneral lighthouse authorityfor England. It is a Grade II listed building.[20]
In 2010 Trinity House transferred responsibility for the new light to the Maryport Harbour Authority.[21]The old lighthouse was restored and repainted in 2017 as part of a government-funded initiative for the refurbishment of seaside towns.[22]
Governance
editThe town is part of theparliamentary constituencyofPenrith and Solway,and has been represented byMarkus Campbell-Savoursof theLabour Partysince the2024 general election.In theDecember 2019 general election,theTorycandidate for Workington,Mark Jenkinson,was elected theMP,overturning a 9.4 per cent Labour majority from the 2017 election to eject shadow environment secretarySue Haymanby a margin of 4,136 votes.[23]Until the December 2019 general election The Labour Party has won the seat in the constituency in every general election since 1979.TheConservative Partyhas only been elected once in Workington sinceWorld War II,at the 1976 by-election.[24]The town historically has been a Labour supporting area.
BeforeBrexit,it was in theNorth West EnglandEuropean Parliamentary Constituency.
ForLocal Governmentpurposes it is in theCumberlandunitary authority area.From 1974 to 2023 it was inAllerdaledistrict.
Maryport has its ownparish council,Maryport Town Council.[25]
Economy
editThe economy of the area and the emergence of the industrial capacity of the town itself developed largely because of mining and sea trade, but these industries have since declined and the town now relies on tourism as the basis of its economy. There is an aquarium,Maryport Maritime Museum(housed in a formerpubon the harbour, and established as a museum in 1975[26]) and a Roman museum. The last houses numerous Roman artefacts, most notably a series ofaltarstoJupiterOptimus Maximus, which were excavated in the vicinity of the Roman fort. In July 2008, a new tourism venue, the Wave Centre, opened its doors. The Wave Centre is a theatre and conference facility, an interactive heritage exhibition on the local history of Maryport, the Tourist Information Centre for Maryport and a gift shop and bistro.
The town has two industrial estates, the Glasson Industrial Estate and the Solway Industrial Estate, which are home to many small local businesses. It was formerly home to a factory belonging to theBatacompany which closed in the early 1980s.
Culture
editThe town is a major name on thebluesmusic scene, holding the "Maryport Blues Festival" every summer. This has previously attracted names such asJools Holland,Dionne Warwick,Elkie Brooks,Buddy Guy,Jethro Tull,Van Morrison,Robert CrayandChuck Berry. The three-day event usually takes place on the last weekend of July, attracting both local and international artists. The 2018 Maryport Blues Festival was cancelled.[27]
Maryport also holds the annual Taste of The Sea food festival where visitors can enjoy food from all over Cumbria, such as Rum Butter and Kendal Mint Cake.
The town has a Scout Group (2nd Maryport) that has been in the town for over 70 years and incorporates most sections within the Scouting Movement. The group was visited bythe Bishop of Carlisleto mark the centenary of Scouting in 2008.
The town also has a Girl Guiding Group, a Young Archaeology Society, and a local wildlife conservation society.
Maryport Golf Club, a 18-hole course, was formed on 21 January 1905.[28]
Media
editLocal news and television programmes are provided byBBC North East and CumbriaandITV Border.Television signals are received from theCaldbeckTV transmitter.[29]
Local radio stations areBBC Radio Cumbriaon 95.6 FM andGreatest Hits Radio Cumbria & South West Scotlandon 102.2 FM.
The town is served by the local newspaper, Times & Star.[30]
Education
editMaryport has five local primary schools, and one secondary school,Netherhall School.
Notable people
edit- Dan Bewley,speedway rider[31]
- Taylor Charters,footballer
- Fletcher Christian,mutineer onHMSBounty
- Douglas Clark,rugby league player
- Jack Connor,footballer
- Kyle Dempsey,footballer[32]
- William HarrisonMerchant Navy Officer, and first Captain ofBrunel'sSS Great Eastern
- Mark Heron,musician
- Dick Huddart,rugby league player
- Thomas Henry Ismay,founder of theWhite Star Lineshipping company
- Ricky Lightfoot,world champion trail runner
- James Lomas,rugby league player
- Dave McCracken,songwriter, music producer, programmer, mixer and remixer
- Seán Milroy,Irish revolutionary and politician
- Glenn Murray,footballer
- Tee Ritson,rugby league player
- Ike Southward,rugby leagueplayer
- Edward Benn Smith,recipient of theVictoria Cross
- Tom Smith,footballer
- George Tosh,engineer and metallurgist
See also
edit
References
edit- ^"Town population 2011".Retrieved17 June2015.
- ^"The Maryport and Carlisle Railway".
- ^Clarke, Ann; Kirby, Magnus; Alldritt, Diane; Brown, Fraser (15 August 2022)."Tuff, Flint, and Hazelnuts: Final Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Occupation at Netherhall Road, Maryport, Cumbria".Internet Archaeology(59).doi:10.11141/ia.59.4.ISSN1363-5387.S2CID249999321.
- ^"Alavna".Heritage Gateway.Retrieved28 June2023.
- ^Kirby, Magnus; Walker, Jamie (14 November 2023)."The Excavation of a Romano-British Site at Netherhall Road, Maryport".Internet Archaeology(61).doi:10.11141/ia.61.7.ISSN1363-5387.
- ^"Welcome".Senhouse Roman Museum.Retrieved28 June2023.
- ^Historic England."Castle Hill motte and site of a World War II gun emplacement (1019209)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved28 June2023.
- ^Historic England."Netherhall (1137621)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved28 June2023.
- ^Richard B. Sheridan: Material relating to the West Indies from the Senhouse Papers, University of Kansas, 1977.
- ^Historic England."The Lighthouse, The Harbour, Maryport, Cumbria (1144649)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved28 June2023.
- ^"Ritson's shipyard, Maryport, Cumbria".Historic England.Retrieved28 June2023.
- ^Wood, Oliver (1988).West Cumberland Coal, 1600–1982/3.Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society. p. 168.
- ^Oliver Wood: West Cumberland Coal 1600–1982 (Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, 1988)
- ^J.Y. Lancaster & D.R. Wattleworth: The Iron and Steel Industry of West Cumberland (British Steel Corporation, 1977)
- ^John Jewkes and Allan Winterbottom: An Industrial Survey of Cumberland & Furness (Manchester University Press, 1933)
- ^West Cumberland Times
- ^"Risehow Colliery".Durham Mining Museum.Retrieved28 June2023.
- ^"Regeneration projects – Allerdale Borough Council".Allerdale.gov.uk.Retrieved31 May2013.
- ^"Pool closure necessary to save Netherhall School, head says".Times and Star.10 October 2018.
- ^Historic England."The Lighthouse, The Harbour, Maryport, Cumbria (1144649)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved25 February2019.
- ^"Trinity House annual report 2010".Archived fromthe originalon 4 June 2013.
- ^"Maryport Lighthouse restoration unveiled".ITV News.Retrieved1 June2019.
- ^"Workington parliamentary constituency - Election 2019 - BBC News"– via www.bbc.com.
- ^"A vision of Britain website – general elections section".Retrieved27 April2012.
- ^"Welcome to Maryport Town Council".Maryport Town Council.
- ^"About the museum".www.maryportmaritimemuseum.com.Maryport Maritime Museum.Retrieved6 April2023.
- ^"Maryport Blues Festival cancellation 'devastating'".BBC News.12 July 2018.
- ^"Welcome to Maryport Golf Club".Archived fromthe originalon 26 March 2009.Retrieved29 November2017.
- ^"Full Freeview on the Caldbeck (Cumbria, England) transmitter".UK Free TV.1 May 2004.Retrieved10 October2023.
- ^"Times & Star".Retrieved10 October2023.
- ^"Bewley shows his class in GB victory".News and Star.21 January 2020.
- ^"Kyle Dempsey".Barry Hugman's Footballers.
Further reading
edit- Biggins, J.A. and Taylor, D.J.A., 2004b, "The Roman Fort and Vicus at Maryport: Geophysical Survey, 2000–2004", in R.J.A. Wilson and I, Caruana (eds.),Romans on the Solway,CWAAS for the Trustees of the Senhouse Museum, Maryport, 102–133.
External links
edit
- Cumbria County History Trust: Maryport(nb: provisional research only - see Talk page)
- .Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 17 (11th ed.). 1911.
- Index of Maryport Sailing Ships
- article on the Maritime Museum
- Maryport local information and news website
- iRomansLink to a website showing a selection of Roman objects from Maryport stored with collection at Tullie House Museum.
- Senhouse family in the West Indies