Workington, Cumbria

Location Map

Workington is a town in Cumbria

Other current and historical names

Location and coordinates are for the approximate centre of Workington within this administrative area. Geographic features and populated places may cross administrative borders.

Workington in historic gazetteers

Gazetteer of the British Isles (Edinburgh: Bartholomew, 1887). John Bartholomew

Workington, market town, seaport, and par., Cumberland, at mouth of river Derwent, 6½ miles N. of Whitehaven by rail - par., 7635 ac., pop. 16,154; township, 3355 ac., pop. 14,361; town, 3463 ac., pop. 14,371; P.O., T.O., 4 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday. In the time of Henry VIII. Workington was a fishing village. Its prosperity commenced with the opening of coal mines in the reign of Elizabeth. Its industrial establishments comprise large iron-smelting works, and works for steel rails, iron plates, &c. There is a papermill. It has also some shipbuilding, and it carries on a considerable shipping trade. (For shipping statistics, see Appendix.) The harbour was improved by the construction of a break-water in 1873. Workington Hall, the seat of the Curwen family, gave shelter to Mary Queen of Scots on her flight from Langside in 1568.

BritishPlaceNames.uk is a Good Stuff website.