Nepgill Park local area

Local Area

MARYPORT

With its magnificent harbour and marina, Maryport was birthplace in 1837 and home to the family of Henry Ismay, renowned for the famous White Star Line with company office in Liverpool. Titanic stopped off the coast prior to its fatal maiden voyage to salute the birthplace of Henry Ismay, the ship’s owner, fundamental in design and engineering of this magnificent vessel which was to be the jewel of the fleet.

The past history involves the Roman Empire with the harbour being a crucial West Coast port. The famous Hadrian’s wall terminated at the town where a great fortification Alauna was built. The Senhouse Museum now occupies this location.

The town has many shops, cafes and traditional pubs. The harbour houses an aquarium to the marine species of the Irish Sea.

Fletcher Christian, leader of the Mutiny on the Bounty, lived just out of the town.

The Golden Lion Hotel hosted many famous people in its past including Charles Dickens, George Stevenson whilst planning the Maryport to Carlisle Railway Line and L.S.Lowry who was fond of Maryport and sketched it several times.

WORKINGTON

Originally a bustling harbour town which served the recent coal, iron and steel industry; now mainly fishing and recreational. The vast shopping complexes out of the town centre host many large supermarkets, which provide speciality shopping.

The Old Hall - seat to the Curwen Family and home of the Lord of the Manor and district of Workington. As historians record, Workington Hall was the residence to which Sir Henry Curwen brought home Mary Queen of Scots to share his Sunday evening supper on 16th May 1568. Mary was received and welcomed by Lady Curwen, his wife, and the dowager Lady Curwen, his mother. Mary Stuart first set foot on English soil at St. George’s Pier in the town, having taken four hours to cross the Solway. Early the following morning, Mary wrote to Queen Elizabeth asking protection before later that day travelling to Cockermouth.

The Hall was accidentally destroyed by the military at the end of its secondment during the Second World War. The frequent attempts by various organisations and Councils to rebuild and restore this beautiful, historic masterpiece has come to nothing. The artefacts of the Hall are now held in the Helena Thompson Museum and the Hall remains a ruin in its magnificent grounds, now the town’s park.

COCKERMOUTH

A pretty, historic, market town with many small speciality shops, home bakeries, stylish cafes and restaurants, family butchers and fresh fish shops. Both Aldi and Sainsbury have opened new stores here. Traditional Olde Pubs being home to Jennings Brewery famous for its Real Ale.

William Wordsworth lived in the town for a time. The much travelled writer and bard always returned to this beautiful area - his home.

WHITEHAVEN

Its historic harbour and market town now mainly fishing has in the recent past moved vast quantities of coal, iron and steel from the many mines of the West Coast. This masterpiece of Georgian town planning boasts historic ties to the American Navy through John Paul Jones, who was apprenticed to a merchant in the town, later joined the crew aboard a slave ship and then jumped ship in America only to later command the American Navy.

Another famous child of this town was Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, lived above the harbour in his youth. It has been suggested that looking down on the sailing vessels in the harbour from his cliff-top home was instrumental in his later writings.

The town boasts an excellent varied shopping centre with its own department store.

BUTTERMERE

…Our nearest valley, only 20 minutes drive from the Park, with Buttermere Lake and Crummock Water nestled in magnificent mountain scenery with Grassmoor, Red Pike and High Stile not forgetting Wainwright’s favourite tranquil hide-away, Hay Stacks.

The village of Buttermere lies between the two lakes. Many spectacular waterfalls descend into the valley, Sour Milk Ghyll and Spout Force to name but two. The head of the valley climbs the Honister Pass to the famous Honister Green Slate Quarries, still operating with visitor excursions into the mines. The descent into Borrowdale offers spectacular views all the way down to Derwent Water and Keswick.

KESWICK

A market town set in the beautiful Lakeland Landscape, many shops catering more for tourism including excellent clothing centres for outdoor pursuits as well as the traditional Edinburgh Wool Shop and Leather Goods. Visitor attractions include the famous Cumberland Pencil Factory that had its own graphite mine in the adjacent Coledale Valley for many years. The intrigues of the factory museum point to involvement in wartime espionage by discreetly building concealed compartments within the pencils.

Relax at the Keswick Spa and then treat yourself to a meal at the many cafés, restaurants or traditional old pubs.

The Theatre by the Lake, built on the original site of the infamous Old Blue Box Theatre, with unbeatable productions in a magnificent mountain setting, is a total experience not to be missed.