Cockermouth
The Hamlet of Deanscales sits not far from the delightful market town of Cockermouth with a population of 7,500, which sits on the confluence of the rivers Cocker and Derwent. It was these two rivers which brought the town to international attention in November 2009 when a disastrous combination of high tides and exceptionally heavy rainfall caused serious flooding, requiring the evacuation of 200 people as the rivers burst their banks sending millions of gallons of water coursing through the town. The local community reacted immediately and families were re-housed, possessions replaced and business given temporary premises until the drying out and rebuilding work could be completed. Assistance poured in from outside the county too and the result is the tastefully and sympathetically renovated town we see today.
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It’s history is fascinating as the early settlement was at nearby Papcastle where the Romans built a fort called Derventio to protect the river crossing for legionaries en- route to Hadrian’s Wall. Incidentally, even during the recent floods, Papcastle stayed safe – maybe the Romans knew something we don’t! Cockermouth’s development continued under the Normans who built Cockermouth Castle (largely destroyed by marauding Scots under Robert the Bruce) and developed the market town in its distinctive medieval layout. The town benefited hugely during the Georgian period and even today, there are Georgian fairs, to remember Cockermouth’s renaissance during that era. The tree lined main street boasts a statue of Lord Mayo; former Viceroy of India (later assassinated) and the town also celebrates its other well known celebrities including the poet William Wordsworth and Fletcher Christian (the mutineer from the Bounty).
In terms of architecture the town contains mainly 17th and 18th century terraced housing, cobbled paving and twisting, curved lanes. Buildings are generally stone built with Skiddaw slate roofs and this has been maintained during post flood repairs and renovation. In latter years, Cockermouth has benefited from regeneration thanks to European Union funding and now boasts pedestrian friendly paving, underground lighting and pavement art; all introduced without losing its historical beauty.
Being close to the Irish Sea, we benefit from warmer winters but have slightly cooler summers than many and our annual rainfall is 137cm which is described as “average”. Our highest recorded temperature was 31 degrees and the coldest -13 degrees.
For those of you who just cannot wait to set foot on the hills or wander around a lake, then, you do not have to go far, as Cockermouth sits close to Bassenthwaite Lake to the East of the Town and Loweswater off of the Egremont Road, which takes you into the heart of the Western Lakes. On the point of lakes, for those that are interested, there are actually only two lakes in the Lake District (or one officially), the rest are ‘meres’ or ‘waters’.
Cockermouth is a wonderful town to visit with a host of attractions for tourists (see details on the separate web pages entitled ‘western lakes’ & 'what’s on 2011') and it is also a fine staging post for travels to the western and northern parts of the county. There is a real sense of community and we are sure you will enjoy your holiday here.
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