Exploring Whitehaven: A Historical Journey
In the 17th century, the Lowther family, influential in coal mining in Cumberland, initiated the construction of a port at Whitehaven to enhance the industry. Over the subsequent decades, the Lowthers utilized their wealth to design one of the earliest post-Medieval planned towns in England.
Whitehaven continues to exemplify Georgian architecture, drawing inspiration from Sir Christopher Wren’s designs for the reconstruction of London following the Great Fire. The town bears resemblance to colonized cities of the “New World.” This resemblance is deliberate; by the 1750s, Whitehaven was the second-busiest port in the UK, handling goods such as sugar and rum imported from the colonies.
The first summit of Lakeland is located a few miles inland at Dent Fell, while the coastline presents the towering cliffs of St Bees Head, an essential nesting site for seabirds.
1. Walk Around Town
Navigating the center of Whitehaven is quite straightforward, as the town is organized on an expansive right-angled grid pattern. Broad and elegant thoroughfares, Duke Street and Lowther Street, lead to the harbor. The latter extends from the Lowther family residence at Whitehaven Castle directly to the waterfront.
This urban design, originating from the 1680s, is thought to be influenced by colonial cities in the Americas. Within a few streets, one can find approximately 250 listed buildings, encompassing townhouses, warehouses, and merchant shops, primarily dating from the 1700s and early 1800s.
A more recent addition is the neo-Baroque Market Hall, established in 1880, which currently functions as Whitehaven’s Tourist Information Centre. A market has been operating on the historic street in front every Thursday and Saturday since 1660.
2. The Harbour
The landowner and Member of Parliament, Sir Christopher Lowther, commenced the construction of Whitehaven’s harbor during the mid-17th century to facilitate coal trade. The Old Quay, a stone pier first erected between 1631 and 1634, represents one of the UK’s oldest surviving coal wharves.
Over the next 200 years, the harbor underwent significant expansions, leading to its contemporary configuration with piers and long moles extending into the sea. Along the West Strand, one can amble past the Beacon Museum and along the Old Quay, providing a view back towards the town.
Here, visitors can observe a Georgian circular lighthouse, complete with a sundial inscribed with the year 1730. In another area, sugar from the West Indies was brought in via the Sugar Tongue Quay, which was completed in 1809, while until 1992, calcium phosphate from Africa was unloaded at the Queens Dock for a local chemical plant.
3. The Beacon Museum
Situated between the harbor and Whitehaven’s historical mines, this museum provides comprehensive information about the town and the broader Copeland region. The museum combines interactive exhibits with artefacts, including Viking silver and Victorian maritime technology.
A recent exhibition on the second floor focuses on Sellafield and West Cumbria’s nuclear industry, stemming from a post-war weapons program as the UK endeavored to establish a nuclear deterrent during the Cold War.
On the upper floor, visitors can engage with the sights, sounds, and scents of the harbor, set within a Georgian warehouse and aboard an interactive ship. Additionally, children can unearth Roman artefacts and solve a puzzle with a panoramic view of Whitehaven.
The top floor offers an extensive view of the harbor, which can be observed through telescopes, and features a nostalgic display of vintage toys, including a well-preserved Chopper bicycle.
4. The Rum Story
During the 18th century, Whitehaven served as the primary port for the UK’s rum trade, and this expansive Georgian wine merchant shop on Lowther Street chronicles the country’s intriguing and often somber association with this spirit. The shopfront has been preserved, as have its cellars and warehouse, while the original clerk’s office has undergone careful restoration.
At the beginning of the museum visit, guests are immersed in the humid environment of the Antiguan rainforest, from which they embark on a poignant exploration of the history of the slave trade and sugar plantations. They will also learn about rum’s role within the Royal Navy and the processes involved in distilling and transporting this beverage. Moreover, the museum presents fascinating insights about the Jefferson family, who conducted trade at this location for over 200 years until 1998.
5. St James’ Church
Austere in exterior design, this Neoclassical church on High Street boasts an opulent Rococo interior. The esteemed architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner characterized it as “the finest Georgian church interior in the country.” St James’ Church was consecrated in 1753 and features galleries on three sides, supported by Doric columns, with a Doric triglyph frieze above the capitals. A further row of Ionic columns ascends to the ceiling, which is richly embellished with stucco roundels depicting cherubs, the Annunciation, and Ascension.
A notable highlight is the Baroque painting behind the altar, depicting the Transfiguration, created by Guilio Cesare Procaccini (1574-1625). This artwork reportedly originated from El Escorial palace near Madrid and was seized by French troops during the Napoleonic Wars.
6. St Nicholas’ Church and Gardens
Within a long rectangular park in Whitehaven’s grid layout stands the tower of St Nicholas’ Church. This tower, along with the portal, is all that remains of a neo-Gothic church constructed in 1883, which was destroyed by fire in 1971. Prior to this, a 17th-century church existed at this site, with the most historically notable burial being Mildred Gale (1671-1701), the grandmother of George Washington, the first president of the United States.
The graveyard has undergone various rearrangements before transforming into a garden after the fire, leaving the exact location of her burial unknown. Visitors can ascend the spiral staircase in the tower to view the clock mechanism and a small display about the Gale family. The garden provides a picturesque backdrop against the church ruins, and those approaching from the Duke Street side at the northern end can observe some of the older gravestones, predominantly of notable seafarers.
7. Castle Park
A quaint expanse of greenery on the eastern side of town encompasses a preserved stone bandstand and a modernized playground for young children. These grounds belong to Whitehaven Castle, founded by Sir John Lowther in the 17th century and subsequently reimagined in the Gothic Revival style.
The Lowther family resided here until 1924, when the estate was sold to the council and repurposed into a hospital, eventually evolving into apartments. While strolling along the park’s winding path, one might notice ventilation outlets for the 1,219-metre railway tunnel, excavated in 1852, connecting Whitehaven (Bransty) and Corkickle stations.
8. St Bees Head
Adjacent to Whitehaven is the sole segment of Heritage Coast located on the northwestern English coastline, extending between Wales and Scotland. The cliffs at St Bees Head reach heights of up to 90 meters, offering spectacular views of the Irish Sea and the surrounding fells and peaks of the Lake District.
The original St Bees Lighthouse was established in 1718 and became the last coal-powered lighthouse in Britain before its destruction by fire in 1822. The current lighthouse commenced operations in 1867, with automation occurring in 1987; it boasts a range of 18 nautical miles.
Additionally, a decommissioned foghorn station situated on the cliff’s edge may occasionally be accessed by the public through the National Trust. At the southern end of St Bees Head lies an RSPB Reserve, serving as a nesting area for seabirds, including puffins, fulmars, kittiwakes, herring gulls, razorbills, and the only breeding site for the black guillemot in England.
9. Whitehaven Coastal Walk
The National Trust has created a seven-mile signposted walking trail along the coast, starting from the harbor in Whitehaven and leading to the trailhead for the 192-mile Coast to Coast Walk in St Bees. Initially, the walk introduces visitors to Whitehaven’s mining heritage through the Haig and Saltom pits, as well as the wagon way, a cart track that descends to the harbor.
This path reveals remote beaches buffeted by winds, a historic sandstone quarry, and a secret radar station established during WWII, in addition to notable sites mentioned previously, such as St Bees Head and St Bees Priory Church.
10. St Bees Priory Church
The intriguing Saint Bega (St Bees) is believed to have been an Irish princess who escaped an arranged marriage to a Viking in the late 9th century to pursue a devout life along the Cumbrian coast. St Bees Priory, established by the Normans circa 1120-1135, served as a religious center in the region until its dissolution during the Reformation.
Although the accompanying domestic structures have been lost, the priory church has remained intact since the 16th century and is rich in historical significance. Visitors should examine the Romanesque zigzag pattern found in the portal’s archivolts, along with the vivid 12th-century lintel in the west courtyard, which depicts St Michael vanquishing a dragon.
Outside, a shaft of a 10th-century cross adorned with Viking-style motifs can also be found. The “history area” within the church provides in-depth insight into the excavation of a ruined 14th-century chapel, which uncovered the exceptionally preserved body of a knight who perished in 1368.
11. Longlands Lake
Located slightly inland at the junction of the Rivers Ehen and Keekle, Longlands Lake is enveloped by broadleaf woodland, scrub, and unspoiled grassland vibrant with wildflowers during summer. This lake was once an iron ore mine, established in the 1870s, which gradually flooded due to subsidence in the mid-20th century.
A surfaced path encircles the lake, and rising above the trees to the east is Dent Fell, marking the boundary of the Lake District National Park. The rich vegetation surrounding the lake attracts a variety of waterfowl, including swans, moorhens, tufted ducks, mallards, and coots.
12. Dent Fell
Dent Fell, one of Lakeland’s outlying fells, is easily accessible via a short drive from Whitehaven. Standing at 325 meters, it is relatively modest in height compared to other peaks in the Lake District; however, its isolated position as the westernmost hill in the range offers breathtaking views of Whitehaven and the Cumbrian coastline from the summit.
To the west, one can gaze across the Solway Firth to Scotland and the Isle of Man. Looking east reveals the horizon filled with the Lake District’s highest peaks, including Scafell Pike and Pillar. The north face of Dent Fell features dense woodland, which was planted in recent decades to combat erosion in an otherwise bare landscape.
13. The Candlestick
A prominent feature on the harbor’s western flank, this stone formation on the hillside is referred to as the Candlestick. Constructed in 1850, this structure serves as a coal mining artifact, specifically a ventilation chimney for the Wellington Pit. Designed by Sydney Smirke, who was responsible for creating much of the mining infrastructure throughout Victorian England, the Candlestick is an acknowledgment of the historical significance of mining in the area.
Unfortunately, accidents were common in Whitehaven’s mines; in 1910, the region experienced its deadliest mining disaster when 136 individuals lost their lives in an explosion and fire occurring right beneath this site. The centennial of this disaster was commemorated in 2010 with memorial services and parades.
14. Egremont Castle
Egremont is a well-kept town along the River Ehen, located approximately 15 minutes by car from Whitehaven. The ruins of a medieval castle continue to dominate Egremont, perched atop a natural mound near the river. Egremont Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey construction, replacing a Danish fort in 1092 following the conquest of Cumberland by William II. The existing stonework is from the 12th and 13th centuries.
Although Egremont Castle had already fallen into ruin by the 16th century, there remains much to explore, with notable features including the gatehouse, partially intact walls, and the intricately pointed window openings of what was once the great hall.
15. Cycling
The low traffic levels and remarkable natural scenery in Cumbria make it one of the premier cycling destinations in the UK. Whitehaven is positioned at the western trailhead for the C2C Route, a 140-mile cycleway that traverses northern England to Tynemouth or Sunderland, via the Lake District.
Furthermore, Whitehaven is also situated on two other popular signposted routes: The Rivers Route, which grazes the northern end of the Lake District before progressing into the borderlands and briefly crossing into Scotland at Newcastleton. Moreover, Hadrian’s Cycleway (174 miles) offers the opportunity to experience Hadrian’s Wall from the saddle, guiding cyclists past Roman forts, camps, milecastles, turrets, and museums, all within captivating countryside.
