Whitehaven: Georgian Harbour Town on the West Cumbria Coast With a Mining Past
Whitehaven is a town in the Copeland district of Cumbria, on the coast of the Irish Sea about 40 miles southwest of Carlisle. The population is approximately 24,000. The town is unusual in England for having a planned Georgian grid-pattern layout, developed from the 17th century by the Lowther family who built the harbour and exploited coal seams running under the sea. By the early 18th century, Whitehaven was one of the busiest ports in England, second only to London in tonnage at one point, trading coal, tobacco, and rum. The harbour was raided by John Paul Jones, the American naval commander, in 1778 during the American War of Independence. The Beacon Museum on the harbourside covers the town's maritime and industrial history. The Haig Colliery Mining Museum on the clifftop above the south harbour commemorates the coal mines, the last of which closed in 1986.
The harbour has been restored with new paving and public art, including a tall ship sculpture. St James' Church on High Street is one of several Georgian churches in the town. The Cumbria Coast Line railway connects Whitehaven to Carlisle to the north and Barrow-in-Furness to the south, with services running along a scenic coastal route. The A595 connects to the M6 via Cockermouth and Penrith, a drive of about an hour. Workington and Maryport are along the coast to the north, while the western edge of the Lake District National Park begins a few miles inland. For those considering adult companionship in west Cumbria, Whitehaven's coastal rail line and the A595 provide connections across the county.
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Whitehaven is a town in the Copeland district of Cumbria, on the coast of the Irish Sea about 40 miles southwest of Carlisle. The population is approximately 24,000. The town is unusual in England for having a planned Georgian grid-pattern layout, developed from the 17th century by the Lowther family who built the harbour and exploited coal seams running under the sea. By the early 18th century, Whitehaven was one of the busiest ports in England, second only to London in tonnage at one point, trading coal, tobacco, and rum. The harbour was raided by John Paul Jones, the American naval commander, in 1778 during the American War of Independence. The Beacon Museum on the harbourside covers the town's maritime and industrial history. The Haig Colliery Mining Museum on the clifftop above the south harbour commemorates the coal mines, the last of which closed in 1986.
The harbour has been restored with new paving and public art, including a tall ship sculpture. St James' Church on High Street is one of several Georgian churches in the town. The Cumbria Coast Line railway connects Whitehaven to Carlisle to the north and Barrow-in-Furness to the south, with services running along a scenic coastal route. The A595 connects to the M6 via Cockermouth and Penrith, a drive of about an hour. Workington and Maryport are along the coast to the north, while the western edge of the Lake District National Park begins a few miles inland. For those considering adult companionship in west Cumbria, Whitehaven's coastal rail line and the A595 provide connections across the county.
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