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Whitehaven,
one of the first planned towns in England, owes much of its
development to the Lowther family.
Sir John
Lowther (1642 - 1705), was inspired by Sir Christopher Wren's
designs for the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire
of 1666 and laid out the town in a grid pattern. Although
some of the town centre was rebuilt in the 1900s, many of
the 17th and 18th century buildings remain. Today
Whitehaven is the most complete example of planned Georgian
architecture in Europe.
In the
18th and 19th century Whitehaven was an important coal mining
town and port.
One of
the first steam engines, designed by Thomas Newcomen, was
used at Stone Pit in Whitehaven to aid drainage and haulage.
In its heyday over 1000 ships were built in Whitehaven's shipyards
and the town established important trading links with North
America and the Caribbean.
'The
Rum Story - the Dark Spirit of Whitehaven' , an attraction
in Lowther Street, brings to life the town's links with the
Carribean and illustrates the story of the UK rum trade.
In 1778,
during the American War of Independence, the American naval
leader, John Paul Jones, mounted the last invasion attempt
on the English mainland at Whitehaven. Another American associated
with the town is George Washington, the first President of
the United States, whose grandmother, Mildred Washington,
is buried in Whitehaven.
During
the 18th century Whitehaven was the third largest port in
England, after London and Bristol, but it waned rapidly when
ports with greater shipping capacity took over its main trade.
Tourism
is now a major industry in the town. Recently the harbour
has been re-developed and it is now home to one of the best
marinas in the country.
The award-winning
Beacon Visitor Centre, overlooking the harbour, illustrates
the social, industrial and maritime history of the Georgian
town. A
sculpture by Colin Telfer, unveiled near the Beacon in 2005,
is a memorial to the coal mining history of Whitehaven. The
industry declined in the 20th century and the last pit to
operate, Haig Colliery, closed in 1986.
At the
Haig
Colliery Mining Museum visitors can learn all about
the local coal mining industry. At their peak the mines extended
far out under the Solway Firth and were extremely hazardous
owing to numerous faults and the presence of gas. From the
colliery there are magnificent view across the Irish Sea to
the Isle of Man and the Scottish hills.
To the
south of Whitehaven extends a 40 mile coastal strip, running
from St Bees Head to the town of Millom on the Duddon Estuary.
St Bees
Head, 3 miles south of the town, is the highest sea cliff
between Scotland and Wales and boasts wonderful views. It
also has a fine beach, beautiful walks and a RSPB wild bird
reserve.
The famous
Coast to Coast Walk starts at St Bees (and ends at Robin Hood's
Bay in North Yorkshire).
The ancient
market town of Egremont lies close to St Bees Head. A mile
south of the town is the Florence Mine, the last working iron
ore mine in Europe. Haematitie is still found in adundance
in the limestone layers of west Cumbria and the Mine Heritage
Centre offers underground tours of the deep mine and illustrates
how miners once lived and extracted iron ore from the ground.
Sellafield, the BNFl nuclear
reprocessing plant, stands 11 miles south of the Whitehaven,
near Seascale. This plant is now Whitehaven's largest
employer and also accounts for more than 60% of all employment
in the district of Copeland. The Visitor's Centre at
Sellafield is open all year (except 25 December) with free
entrance.
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Whitehaven
