Market Towns
Lying just outside the boundary of the Lake District National Park, Cockermouth is an attractive market town not overwhelmed by the tourist atmosphere of Keswick and Ambleside. Today's visitors are attracted by the town's calm, its nearness to some of the more peaceful lakes and mountains, and the fact that Dorothy and William Wordsworth were born here. The large Georgian house in the Main Street where they were born, is now in the care of the National Trust.
Keswick is a market town of some 5000 inhabitants, and is the favourite centre for Lakeland climbers and serious fell walkers. Situated between the huge bulk of Skiddaw and the gentle beauty of Derwentwater, this pretty market town offer a wide range of attractions for visitors, from shops and restaurants to museums with a difference, and boating trips around lake Derwentwater.
The modern town of Maryport was the creation of the Senhouse family in the 18th century, who developed the small fishing village into a coal port. Like Whitehaven, it was a planned town with terraces of cottages built on a grid system, with employment centering on coal mining and ship building. The history of the town can be explored at the Maritime Museum, the Senhouse Roman Museum, and in the harbour area. The Lake District Coast Aquarium is on the harbour.
Lying just outside the boundary of the Lake District National Park, Cockermouth is an attractive market town not overwhelmed by the tourist atmosphere of Keswick and Ambleside. Today's visitors are attracted by the town's calm, its nearness to some of the more peaceful lakes and mountains, and the fact that Dorothy and William Wordsworth were born here. The large Georgian house in the Main Street where they were born, is now in the care of the National Trust.
Keswick is a market town of some 5000 inhabitants, and is the favourite centre for Lakeland climbers and serious fell walkers. Situated between the huge bulk of Skiddaw and the gentle beauty of Derwentwater, this pretty market town offer a wide range of attractions for visitors, from shops and restaurants to museums with a difference, and boating trips around lake Derwentwater.
The modern town of Maryport was the creation of the Senhouse family in the 18th century, who developed the small fishing village into a coal port. Like Whitehaven, it was a planned town with terraces of cottages built on a grid system, with employment centering on coal mining and ship building. The history of the town can be explored at the Maritime Museum, the Senhouse Roman Museum, and in the harbour area. The Lake District Coast Aquarium is on the harbour.