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WHITEHAVEN


The development of some of the West Cumberland towns is remarkable, especially Whitehaven which became a large port. It had the same status as Bristol, Liverpool and Glasgow. The town was built on a grid system … which is a group of streets built to a pattern. It’s thought some American cities were influenced by this grid pattern. Now you can capture the past by watching the remarkable cache of photographs you will find in the Gallery. There will be regular updates to the collection in the future.

Whitehaven
Whitehaven Part 1
04:44

Whitehaven Part 1

Travel back in time in this lovely Georgian town. In this first film we look at the harbour and grand houses. The market place and bustling Lowther Street are also features in this item.
Whitehaven Part 2
04:26

Whitehaven Part 2

Atmospheric photographs of the town centre many decades ago. Lowther Street, King Street and Bransty Arch are just some of the places highlighted.
Whitehaven Part 3
04:05

Whitehaven Part 3

The Grand Hotel, Tangier Street and Whitehaven Castle all feature in part three of these pictorial highlights of Whitehaven.
Whitehaven Part 4
05:07

Whitehaven Part 4

Coal mining was once one of the most important industries in West Cumbria. This film is about the pits and sadly the frequent accidents that took place underground.
Whitehaven Part 5
05:52

Whitehaven Part 5

The harbour is central to the history of Whitehaven. Take a look back to see what it was like it years gone by.
Whitehaven Part 6
04:36

Whitehaven Part 6

A bit of a lucky dip in this film. We visit Parton and Lowca Pit. But there’s also the changing face of shopping from a clog store to the new Marks & Spencer and Boots.
Whitehaven Part 7
04:37

Whitehaven Part 7

A lovely mixture of early shopping, including the famous Beehive Emporium in part seven. We also see the harbour at work … and at play as people go for a dip in the sea.
Whitehaven Part 8
04:36

Whitehaven Part 8

Whitehaven has such a rich history that we thought we would feature some illustrations before the age of photography. See what the town was like in the 1790s and later with some marvellous engravings.
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