{"id":263,"date":"2018-12-13T15:56:13","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T15:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/?p=263"},"modified":"2022-10-03T10:15:48","modified_gmt":"2022-10-03T09:15:48","slug":"maryport-in-five-minutes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/maryport-in-five-minutes\/","title":{"rendered":"Maryport- The Five Minute Spare Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome To Maryport The Cumbrian Coastal Town With A Marina<\/h2>\n

Maryport is a small coastal town situated at the southernmost point of the Solway Firth, in Cumbria, North West England. It\u2019s located about 26 miles (42 km) southwest of the county town of Carlisle, and about a 30-minute drive from the North Lakes. The town also lies at the northern end of the former Cumberland Coalfield. Maryport has a long and colourful history dating back to Roman times.<\/p>\n

\"Maryport

Image: Kevin Eaves\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Go to the Cumbria Business Directory<\/a>\n

 <\/p>\n

A Fleeting History<\/h2>\n

The town was established around AD 122 by the Romans and known as Alauna. It was strategically important for the coastal defence of Hadrian’s Wall on the west coast of England. The town contains substantial remains of the Roman fort. Archaeological surveys have revealed that a large town once surrounded the fort. However, after the Roman withdrawal from Britain the town was reduced in size and importance.<\/p>\n

Over time, the name Aluana became Ellenfoot, a small hamlet on the banks of the River Ellen. As late as 1747 there were only 64 families living in the village. However, in 1749, Humphrey Senhouse, a local dignitary, secured an Act of Parliament to develop the area, which included building a harbour.\u00a0 And in 1756, he changed the name of the village known as Ellenfoot to Maryport, renaming the new town after his wife, Mary, who was the Bishop of Carlisle\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n

By 1774 the number of houses had increased to about 100 with a population of 1,300. By 1792 the town had approximately 200 properties. The town continued to expand rapidly throughout the 19th<\/sup> century from a population of around 3,000 in 1801 to more than 12,500 in 1891.<\/p>\n

Maryport developed as an industrial centre throughout the 19th century. An iron foundry and shipyards were opened in the town, along with coal mines, which were sited at villages on the town\u2019s periphery. The town also became an important marine centre. The Royal Naval Reserve station (\u2018the Battery\u2019) opened in 1886, training up to 200 reservists annually. It also housed the coastguard station. The shipping tycoon Thomas Henry Ismay, founder of the White Star Line, the company that built the sadly ill fated RMS Titanic<\/a>, was born in 1836 at Ropery House, Ellenborough Place, Elizabeth Dock.<\/p>\n

Would you like the latest news, weather and latest events around Maryport and Cumbria?<\/h2>\n

Click on the image below to visit and download the Five Minutes Spare Your Cumbria App<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Maryport Joins The Rail Network<\/h3>\n

The Maryport and Carlisle Railway, opened in the 1840s, with the eminent George Stephenson as its chief engineer. The railway was needed to service the fast growing local coal mine industry. By 1857, more than 350,000 tons of coal was being shipped through the port, about a 50% rise on the previous 10 years. Additionally, some coal was being turned into coke to feed the local iron and steel industry.<\/p>\n

However, by 1874, problems within the local coal industry began to arise. Pay cuts led to strikes often resulting in violence in the town. There were a series of company takeovers but problems continued to prevail, and by 1903, almost all the local mining companies had gone into liquidation.<\/p>\n

Trade in the docks remained steady until 1926 when they badly affected by the General Strike. In 1927, a new deep-water dock was opened in Workington, being only 6 miles away, this spelt disaster for the town. Workington Iron and Steelworks, which had imported most of their raw material through Maryport, immediately transferred trade to the new facility. Significantly, the local Solway Blast Furnaces had become uncompetitive and also closed around this time.<\/p>\n

By 1933, with Maryport\u2019s population continued in decline, well over 50% of its available workforce were jobless. In 1936 twenty unemployed men from the town, joined the Jarrow March on London, protesting against the poverty the government of the day had inflicted on the north of England.<\/p>\n

Maryport had a brief recovery during World War II when coal from the north-east was diverted to its port.\u00a0 However, after the war, the town continued to decline and it’s status as an industrial port, was never to be recaptured.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n

The Modern Era<\/h2>\n

In 1957, when Prime Minister Harold MacMillian declared to the nation \u2018\u2019you have never had it so good\u2019\u2019, he obviously hadn\u2019t been to Maryport. In the 1960s, further deterioration of the town was evident as the docks were closed to cargo ships. In 1966, the town\u2019s last deep pit at Risehow was also shut down. By this time, the only thing that appeared to be thriving in the town were the dockyard rats, which from childhood memory, were at least as big as small dogs.<\/p>\n

Fishing, has been an ever-present employer in the town since the harbour was first built in the mid-18th<\/sup> century. However, along with the pattern in the rest of the country, the town\u2019s fishing fleet has declined significantly since its heyday of the 1960s<\/p>\n

In the late 1980\u2019s, Cumbria County Council Highways Department replaced the footbridge linking Shipping Brow with Irish Street over the River Ellen, with a road bridge. This opened the whole of the harbour area up to motorised traffic and a series of regeneration projects were initiated, like the building of the marina and refurbishment of the existing dockland area.<\/p>\n

Maryport’s future prospects are definitely looking brighter. Along with an enterprising small business sector, tourism is very much becoming a mainstay of the town’s economy,\u00a0 With an aquarium, a maritime museum, a Roman museum and other sightseeing amenities, the town is well-positioned for a continuing increase in tourist visitor numbers. Summer events like the 3-day Blues music festival, the trawler race and the town’s annual carnival, are already popular with townsfolk and visitors alike.<\/p>\n

The 2011 UK official census put the population of Maryport at 11,262.<\/p>\n

Getting To Maryport<\/h2>\n

To get to Maryport by car, it\u2019s probably easiest to follow the M6 Motorway to Carlisle. You would then first take the A595 in a south-westerly direction for around 6 miles. Turning on to the A596 at Thursby, Maryport lies a further 20 miles away. The A596 continues on to Workington, which is about another 6 miles further south. Alternatively, you could access the town from the \u2018Lakes\u2019, by taking the A66 and then the A594.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re travelling by train, then the town\u2019s railway station is on the Cumbrian Coast Line. The train service is operated by Northern Rail, which runs between Carlisle in the north, and Barrow in the south. Local bus services connecting Maryport to Workington, Cockemouth<\/a>, Whitehaven and Carlisle, are operated by Stagecoach North West. The nearest major airport is Newcastle Airport, although a small local airport in due to open at Carlisle in 2019.<\/p>\n

Places to see!<\/h2>\n

Maryport Maritime Museum<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Located at the bottom end of Shipping Brow, this small museum has a good range of maritime artefacts. The museum has much interesting narrative on the town\u2019s proud shipbuilding and ship owning heritage. There\u2019s also plenty of material on Thomas Henry Ismay, owner of White Star Liner Company, which included the ill-fated Titanic in its fleet. Amongst other paintings, there\u2019s also an oil painting of Maryport Harbour, by the renowned artist Percy Kelly.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Maryport Maritime Museum<\/p><\/div>\n

Senhouse Roman Museum<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Senhouse Roman Museum is situated at the north end of Maryport, close to cliff tops that overlook the Solway Firth. It contains the largest collection of Roman alters that came from a single site in the UK. One of the Maryport alters is on permanent display at the British Museum. It was unearthed at the Roman fort in 1587 and remained in Maryport until 1683. Then, it was taken to Lowther Castle at Penrith, when John Senhouse gave it to Sir James Lowther. It remained in Penrith until 1969, when it was then sold to the British Museum.<\/p>\n

The museum has educational events running throughout the year. It was voted Cumbria Tourism Visitor Attraction of the Year in 2018.<\/p>\n

Lake District Coast Aquarium<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This excellent aquarium is situated on the town\u2019s south quay. The aquarium is dedicated to fish and marine life found in the Solway. There\u2019s also crazy golf, a harbourside restaurant, gift shop and a children\u2019s special play area at the complex.<\/p>\n

Things to do!<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Eating and drinking<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s plenty of pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants in Maryport, especially in the downtown area. Most restaurants and pubs in and around the town serve typical British fare. However, you will also be able to find a few Indian and Italian restaurants around the town. By national standards, you\u2019ll find eating out in Maryport very reasonably priced, with many establishments emphasising their use of local quality produce.<\/p>\n

If you enjoy a drink or two, you\u2019ll find there\u2019s plenty of pubs around town. Most of the pubs are traditional establishments, with some hosting live music at weekends. Like just about everywhere else in the UK, the town also has its share of more upmarket bars and bistros.<\/p>\n

West Coast Go Karting<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Maryport\u2019s well-known and popular go-karting track, situated on the town\u2019s Glasson Industrial Estate, is one of the largest in the north-west of England.<\/p>\n

Marina & Harbour<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Maryport\u2019s marina and harbour area is a great place for a stroll. The Elizabeth dock is the hub of the town\u2019s harbour operations.\u00a0 You can look over the fishing vessels from around the quayside when the boats are alongside\u00a0 And if you feel the need a bit of exercise, you walk from the harbour area to the close by the promenade, which stretches for a good mile. On most days, you might not run into anybody else on the promenade, and with the great view over the Solway, it’s a great place to just chill out!<\/p>\n

\"Maryport

Maryport Harbour<\/p><\/div>\n

The Wave Centre<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Wave Centre is a theatre and conference facility, with an interactive heritage exhibition on the local history of Maryport. The Centre also has a state of the art gym that has a full range of strength and cardiovascular fitness equipment. It also features Clip ‘n Climb, which is a series of climbing based activities that provide a novel, challenging, fun way to exercise. The centre also has a brand new indoor caving system, which again provides a unique, stimulating, exercise environment. A cafe serves light snacks and drinks.<\/p>\n

Where to stay?<\/h2>\n

A rough guide to costs for the most readily available types of accommodation in and around Maryport are:<\/p>\n

Guesthouse\/Basic hotel: \u00a340 – \u00a360<\/p>\n

Standard hotel: \u00a360 – \u00a3100<\/p>\n

Luxury holiday home: \u00a350 – \u00a370 per person per night (for max. occupancy)<\/p>\n

Why Not Try Our Maryport Quiz?<\/h2>\n

Let’s see if you have been paying attention. Why have a go at our Mayport quiz?<\/p>\n

\n