Welcome to our summer newsletter, a little earlier than usual because we have some tickets to sell.

So the Market Place is just about finished. At the time of writing, full completion is held up awaiting connection of electrics by United Utilities. And what a controversy it has stirred up! The main issue I feel has been the length of time that the project has disrupted use of the Market Place and the pain felt by the businesses there, rather than the finished product. Even so, the seats have clearly upset a number of people, in particular the colours.

Some people have argued that the seats are not in keeping with the Georgian area of town. From the Civic Trust’s perspective, we have always argued that new build and developments should be in keeping with their locality and complement rather than clash with their surroundings. Having said that, we would not wish to replicate the environment from the past or indeed, try and create, for example, a ‘Georgian theme park’. Better to develop an area to enhance the buildings that are already there and at the same time, meet the needs and tastes of the twenty first century.

As to colour, the buildings on Market Place are full of colour, and quite rightly so. The use of colour on the seats extends the use of colour into the pedestrian area and relieves the more monotone colour of the stone, making the whole Market Place more visually attractive as a whole. Now, I accept that the actual choice of colours for the seats is a matter of individual taste, and talking to different people identifies different likes and dislikes. So whoever chose the colours would not please everyone.
 
And the lighting? Well remember that the objective is to enhance the public space for use in 2008 and beyond in both daytime and in evenings.

Whatever thoughts are on the detail, I consider the development has made a fantastic improvement to the Cockermouth Market Place. Please enjoy it!

Moving on, there are a number of events to put in your diary for September that I hope you would like to support, some of which require tickets!

Heritage Open Day – 12/13th September:

No tickets required for this, just turn up! We have arranged a number of free activities in Cockermouth to celebrate our heritage, focusing on places not normally open to the public.

On Friday 12th September:

• JB Banks & Son, Ironmongers, will be opening their premises beyond the tills between 10am and 2pm. An extraordinary shop firmly rooted as a traditional ironmonger, dating from 1836.
• The Kirkgate Centre will have conducted tours around backstage areas along with a small exhibition put on by the Museum Group. Times are 2pm and 3pm.

On Saturday 13th September:

• Belfagan Morris Dancers, the Cockermouth ladies group, will be dancing in Market Place from 10am & later at other venues.
• Following the popularity last year of the Masonic Hall on Challoner Street, it will again be opening its doors between 10am and 2pm.
• Cockermouth School Eco Centre will be opening its doors this year between 10am and 2pm. It was opened in 2007 and designed specifically to minimise environmental impact and to act as a showcase for sustainable design.
• Double Mills Youth Hostel will be open between 11am and 2pm. The present building is a 17th century water mill. Hopefully, you will be able to learn about both the history of the mill itself and of the YHA in Cockermouth.
• The National trust will be opening Wordsworth House as part of the Heritage Open Day, with Georgian games taking place.

And don’t forget that our open day forms part of a national event, so there will many other places open both nationally and locally. For example, the Derwentwater YHA will be open on the Sunday afternoon – Barrow House is a 200-year-old mansion with many original features. Workington Civic Trust will be opening the Old Jail House and the Workington Masonic Hall. Carlisle Civic Trust is arranging a tour of the Turkish Baths. Full details of these and other activities in Cumbria will be detailed in a leaflet on Cumbrian Heritage Open Days will be available through the TIC – and we will place a copy on our web site. Information on a national basis will be available through www.heritageopendays.org.

Visit to James Walker & Co, 17th September

You will remember that Paul Ryercough, Managing Director of James Walker gave us a very interesting talk on their activities to our April meeting. As a follow up to this, we have arranged a factory visit. This will be at 10.30am on Wednesday 17th September. It will include a factory tour and lunch. Tickets are free but we need to know the number coming which is limited to 24. If you would like to come, please complete the attached application form.

Annual Trip – Beamish, 20th September:

Beamish has been voted the best UK attraction for group visits [long visits] five times since 2000. You can spend time in both 1825 and 1913.

• 1825 – Pockerley Manor (house, gardens & horse yard), ride on the Georgian steam wagonway.
• 1913 – The Town (houses, shops, pub, printworks, garage, railway station, Masonic Hall), colliery village, Home Farm and travel round on the historic transport (electric trams, double decker buses).

We are taking a full day’s visit on Saturday 20th September, leaving Wakefield Road car park at 08.30am and leaving Beamish about 5pm for our return journey. We will stop for coffee & biscuits on the way there at the Angel Inn in Corbridge.

There is a special exhibition on this weekend of corn dollys.

The total cost will be £23 adults, £22 senior citizens, £18 under 16s and students. This includes the group entrance fee (significant discount from standard admission), transport and coffee.

If you would like to come, please complete & return the attached ticket application form.

Bernard Bradbury Memorial Lecture, 26th September:

Many of you will remember the very successful inaugural lecture in memory of Bernard Bradbury in September 2006, by Dr Angus Winchester on ‘Cockermouth in the Middle Ages’. We have now arranged the second memorial lecture. This will be held at the Kirkgate Centre at 8pm on Friday September 26th. This lecture will feature Dr Michael Winstanley on the subject of ‘the Buildings of Cockermouth 1910-1913 – insights from a unique survey’. It is being organised by ourselves in conjunction with the Kirkgate Museum Group and the Lorton and Derwent Fells Local History Society.

Dr Winstanley is Senior Lecturer in History at Lancaster University where he teaches modern British History with a special focus on North West England.

In 1910, the Government decided to raise revenue from landowners with a new Land Tax. It became known as the ‘New Domesday’ as it was the first comprehensive land survey to be undertaken since the original Domesday survey of 1086. Armies of surveyors were despatched to travel the country recording the owners and occupiers of land down to individual house plots. The Land Tax itself became a casualty of the First World War, but the survey results remain and for Cumberland, are very good. The survey now gives a unique insight into life at that time – and provides a rich but little used source of information for local and family history.

Dr Winstanley will describe the process and illustrate with examples from Cockermouth – in 1910-1913.

Tickets will be £3 and must be purchased in advance. You can either purchase them from us through return of the attached form or direct from the Kirkate centre. Remember that the first lecture was a sell out!

2008/9 Lecture Programme.
 
David and Pat Hardy have arranged another excellent lecture programme for 2008/9. All lectures will again be at the Friends Meeting House, Kirkgate at 7.30pm on the first Wednesday of each month from October through to April, (except January).
1st Oct – Steve Hewitt from Tullie House will speak about collecting data on wildlife in West Cumbria & how the information is used.
5th Nov – Phil Wilson, former fuel technologist at Spadeadam, will celebrate 50 years history of Spadeadam from Bluestreak to electronic warfare practice zone.
3rd Dec – Mark Graham, archaeologist from Grampus Heritage & Training, will speak about the concepts of his work & the proposed archaeological investigation at St Begas
4th Feb – Keith Beattie of the Free Masons will talk about the history & activities of the Freemasons worldwide.
4th Mar – Zoe Burns, custodian of Wordsworth House will talk about the major changes to the House and life in Cockermouth in Wordsworth’s day.
1st Apr – Graeme Ives, Historic advisor for English Heritage for Cumbria & Merseyside will talk about his work with particular reference to West Cumbria.

Subscription Renewal:

After all that, I’m sure you will feel inspired to renew your subscription for a further year. A renewal form is enclosed and the fee is due by the beginning of October. Please return your renewal by post or to the first lecture in October. Subscription remains unchanged for 2008/9, i.e. £5.50 plus £5 for any additional person at the same address.

Tour of Cockermouth Town Trail (5):
(by Shirley Campbell)

Plaque 5 is beside Quaker Bridge. There was once a ford here and the cottage beside the river was the ford keeper’s cottage. The ford was closed in the 1930s for safety reasons and fenced off. A footbridge was first erected here in 1887 on 21st June, Jubilee Day, less than 3 weeks after the laying of the foundation stone on 2nd June. The cost was £129-6s-3d. It was opened by Josiah Hall, one of the Quakers responsible for it.

Looking across the river are flats with balconies – the former Croft Mill. In the 1760s, Richard and Matthew Smith leased Croft Mills where they engaged in woollen manufacture and dyeing.

On the right bank of the river, the town hall occupies the site of Sanderson’s woollen mill. The riverside car park was the mills drying ground. The archway is part of the old factory building. Beyond this was Thomas Wilson’s hat factory. At its peak, the factory produced about 4000 hats a week.

Standing on Quaker Bridge and looking to your left through the trees, you can see the arches of the railway viaduct. This carried the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith railway over the River Cocker. The line opened for freight in 1864 and for passengers in 1865, closing in 1966. There were originally 3 stone and brick arches, but the bridge was rebuilt with concrete in the present rectangular form in the mid 1940s when the original brickwork became dangerous.

Looking back in time – 1968:
(by John Dent)

This is the second instalment in our series “looking back in time”.

At the January 1968 committee meeting it was reported that the total funds were £199 3s 6d. Concern was expressed for the future financial viability as only 49 out of the 117 members had rejoined for 1969. It was agreed that an annual dinner should be organized with an invitation to Lord Egremont to be the first speaker. Detailed drawings of Market Place houses were being made to be sent out to various paint firms. A sub-committee was formed to investigate how to obtain a swimming pool for the town. The tidying up of the river and Low Sands Lane area by volunteers was discussed.

The February meeting discussed the concern regarding the future of several buildings in the town. Plans for the Sullart Street improvements were examined and it was agreed to try and ensure that road signs and lamp-stands should be appropriately sited in the final scheme.  The setting up of an Information Office was discussed.

In March it was felt that the Civic Society should contribute to the imminent celebrations for the 200th anniversary of Wordsworth and seek to arrange a visit by Royalty.

More than 380 people attended a painting exhibition in April. The condition of Rubbybanks Mill was causing concern and little hope could be held for its conservation unless some novel use could be found for it. It was reported in June that a successful expedition to Scotby had taken place. It was agreed that another Newsletter be produced for the start of the season. All but two owners had agreed to participate in the Market Place painting scheme. The committee was still pressing for the swimming pool. Rumours that the G.P.O were planning to demolish 71 Main Street (Norham House) prompted the committee to write a protest letter to the MP.

In October it was reported that work was about to start on the repainting of two of the properties in Market Place.

At the meeting in November, sub-committees for the following were agreed: Members Activities; Civic Amenities; Historic Buildings; Swimming Pool; Trees.
 
Phil Campbell, Chairman.