Cockermouth
Cockermouth is one of only 51 towns in Great Britain designated as a ‘Gem’ town and is, therefore, recommended for preservation by the state as part of our national heritage.
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. The National Park boundary encircles nearly the whole eastern side of the town.
Shopping and Cafe Culture
Cockermouth is well known locally for its large proportion of high quality, small and friendly independent shops. The main shopping area is comprised of Main Street, Market Place and Station Street. There are well stocked local butchers, bakers (including a Bryson’s), greengrocers and a really excellent fishmongers (Fyne Fish) and greengrocer on Station Street. There is also a wide selection of interesting antique and gift shops, the ‘New Book Shop’, and numerous good cafes, restaurants, inns and bars.
Confluence of the Rivers Cocker and Derwent
Cockermouth owes both its name and its existence to the confluence of the River Derwent and the Cocker. Cockermouth meaning literally ‘the mouth of the River Cocker’ grew from its beginnings in the early 12th century when a Norman castle was erected at the site where the rivers meet. The location was chosen due to its defensive capabilities as well as possible trade routes and sustenance all of which were provided by the rivers, and the town has sprawled out in all directions since then.
Throughout the years there has been a long history of water mills along the River Derwent and in 2010 archaeological excavations found evidence of a Romano-British watermill dating back to the 2nd Century indicating the importance of the rivers stretching back almost 2000 years.
The nearby Lorton based brewery ‘Jennings’ moved their main brewery site to the confluence in 1874, directly below the castle, where it brewed it famous ales right up to 2022 when it closed its doors after being purchased my Marston’s. In early 2025 it was announced that the brewery had been acquired by two local business people and would return to brewing beer, including the iconic Jennings bitter. Today, just a small walk from the main street, there is a beautiful small park with benches where people can site and enjoy the rivers.
Markets in Cockermouth
Cockermouth has a long-storied history of hosting markets stretching back to gaining its market charter in 1221, where it was allowed to host weekly markets and over time the settlement graduated into one of the most important market towns in the area. Market place with its Georgian architecture (pictured above) was the hub for most of Cockermouth markets throughout the years and although it now doesn’t hold any permanent markets it plays host to many small shops worth visiting.
Today Cockermouth hosts a weekly Sunday market and car boot held at the Mitchell’s livestock center on the outskirts of the town. Cockermouth also hosts seasonal markets including the Taste Cumbria festival which usually takes place towards the end of September and the Christmas Market in December.
Wordsworth House
Built in 1745, Wordsworth house is a grade 1 listed building on the main street of Cockermouth and is maintained by the National Trust. In 1770 William Wordsworth was born in the house and lived there up until his mother died when he was eight years old. Entry to the house and gardens can be purchased and it is kept in much the same state it would have been back in Wordsworth’s day. Read more about Wordsworth House here
Kirkgate Centre
The Kirkgate Centre is a cultural and entertainment venue located on the corner of Market Place and Kirkgate. The venue first opened in 1995 in the site of the former All Saints School and youth centre in a building which had been abandon for years.
The Kirkgate Centre features a 125-seat theatre and cinema, an exhibition space, and a bar, making it a popular venue for live performances, film screenings, art displays, and community gatherings.
The Kirkgate Centre also houses the Cockermouth Heritage group, a team of volunteers who research and preserve Cockermouth’s rich history.
Mitchells Auction
Located at the top of Station Street, Mitchells Auction House has been running auctions in Cockermouth since 1873. The auctions are held on every Thursday with fine arts auctions running every couple of months. The auction room itself is an octagonal ring, converted from the old cattle market and is surrounded by tiered wooden benches.
Alongside, in the same building as the auction is the Veeva cafe, a busy establishment offering hot food and warm drinks and is often used by auctiongoers after perusing the goods
The Sainsburys supermarket across the street was until 2002 the Mitchells livestock auction which moved to the outskirts of town. This move allowed Mitchells to continue providing vital auction and valuation services to the farming community in a more suitable and accessible environment
Banks Ironmongers
J.B.Banks is a traditional ironmongers and hardware shop with its roots firmly in the past. It was opened in 1836 and has been owned by two separate families, now being run by the third generation of the Jackson family. It has a wealth of original features from the magnificent mahogany counters to the 172 drawers holding varied and individual items. These drawers have labels on the back showing cost prices from the 1850’s onwards. The Deeds date back to the 1650’s written on vellum, while another is signed by John Wordsworth, William Wordsworth’s father. These are now in the Archives in Whitehaven and can be looked at by appointment. From the Victorian rolling wooden shutter at the front, with the gilded key hanging above the matching oak doors, you will be taken back in time before crossing the threshold. Once inside, the shop is full of interesting collections, collected throughout his life by Jack Jackson. Miner’s lamps, carriage lamps, old tools and poacher’s paraphernalia hang from the ceiling. Antique weapons are also on view, together with cartridge boards, medals and cap badges.
On one counter is the chrome till, pounds, shillings and pence with lots of buttons yet not enough to ring in £10. The brass weights and scales are still used, weighing pounds and ounces or grams and kilograms. Another counter is covered in old keys and pennies. Made when decimalisation came to Britain, look closely and you may find a silver sixpence and a thre’penny bit.
The shop is still a business, specialising in hand tools and hardware. Blue & white enamelware can be found here, together with Garden Trading goods. It still offers quality service it has always given and J.B.Banks celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2011. A visit is a must to browse or buy.
Oakhurst Garden Centre
Located on the outskirts of Cockermouth and set in a woodland surrounding, Oakhurst is a well-established garden centre and has been operating for over 40 years. They offer an extensive variety of outdoor plants including flowers, shrubs, tree’s, pond plants fruit bushes and perennials. All are meticulously arranged and elegantly displayed in the outdoor woodland setting, as well as a wide selection of indoor house plants within the garden center building itself. The garden centre also includes a well-stocked shop with a diverse range of gardening products including tools, weed killer, fertiliser, garden furniture, plant pots, bird boxes/feeders and bird food. The staff at Oakhurst are very knowledgeable and are always happy to offer garden advice.
Oakhurst also hosts the Squirrels Pantry, a delightful small tearoom located on the same property as the garden centre. They provide breakfast, light lunches, cakes, scones and hot drinks and are open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
Cockermouth Castle
Cockermouth Castle was built in around 1134 as a motte and bailey fort built of timber and earth before being rebuilt in the 13th century out of stone, much of which found from the Roman settlement, Derventio, in what is now called Papcastle. Additions were added in the 14th century and at one point the castle boasted a moat and drawbridge. Much of the castle now lies in ruins due to the part it has played in various wars. It was attacked by Robert the Bruce in 1315 leaving part of the castle destroyed before playing an important role in both The English Civil War and The War of the Roses leaving the castle dismantled by the roundheads, due to its support of the royalist cause. The majority of today’s ruins date from 1360 to 1370, though there have been some modern additions. The castle is privately owned, and not normally open to the public. Tours are often available during the Cockermouth Festival in July.
Derventio at Papcastle
Located just outside of Cockermouth in the small village of Papcastle is the site of the old roman fort. Derventio believed to be named after the River Derwent has been dated back to the first century AD. It would have initially been made from timber before being upgraded to a more substantial stone structure in the second century. Derventio would have been an important settlement in the Roman campaigns against the local northern tribes and the Scots and was built on the meeting place of roads from Maryport, Carlisle and Penrith. Derventio is one of the largest Romano-British settlements ever found in northern England and the true size of it was unearthed during the 2009 floods.
A programme of archaeological research was undertaken in the area around Cockermouth and Papcastle, focusing on Roman activity related to the Roman fort of Derventio and the Derwent river valley. Project was called ‘Discovering Derventio’ and ran from July 2012 for 3 years
The Old Courthouse
On the eastern end of Main Street directly alongside the River Cocker sits the partially collapsed building that once housed the courthouse in Cockermouth. This Grade 2 listed Victorian building is about 190 years old and most recently was occupied by an antiques business and the Honest Lawyer restaurant. On the 8th October 2023 the collapse occurred involving part of the roof and a major part of the structure. This took place after years of flooding and the erosion caused by the river. A dispute is currently underway between the Council and the owner of the property concerning repairing the historic building.
Famous Cockermouthians
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.
Another famous son of Cockermouth was Fletcher Christian, the man who led the mutiny on ‘The Bounty’. He was born about a mile from the town at Eaglesfield in 1764, and attended the same school as Wordsworth. John Dalton, born in 1766 also at Eaglesfield, was one of the most brilliant scientists of his age, and was the originator of the atomic theory.
Rivers and lakes near Cockermouth
Cockermouth grew up at the confluence of the two most important rivers in the area. Here the River Cocker, flowing out of the lakes Buttermere, Crummock and Loweswater, meets the River Derwent on its journey from Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite lakes to the sea at Workington.
Loweswater, Crummock Water and Buttermere, beautiful gem-like small lakes, are located between 7 and 11 miles from Cockermouth. Bassenthwaite Lake is just 6 miles and Derwentwater is 13 miles. All easily accessible for day trips.
2009 and 2015 floods in Cockermouth
On Thursday 19th November 2009, the rivers Cocker and Derwent, which join in Cockermouth, rose to a level that flooded much of central Cockermouth, leaving huge amounts of destruction, and most of the shops, restaurants and pubs in the town completely wrecked. See flood pictures. For 3 days immediately after the flooding Cockermouth was under the control of the British Army.
It took a year before most of the businesses were back up and open, and the town now has some substantial flood defenses. The silver lining to the floods is that the affected area has now been repaired to be even prettier than before with many of the flooded businesses having their Georgian shop fronts restored.
In 2015 storm Desmond brought record breaking rainfall to Cumbria, and Cockermouth experienced major flooding once again. Although the flooding was extensive, the damage wasn’t as severe as in 2009 and the town took less time to get back to business as usual. More flood defenses have been added since 2015 .
Parking in Cockermouth
It is usually fairly easy to park, either in the disc zones, or in one of the 4 main central car parks, but please be aware that the traffic wardens are over zealous, much to the locals’ disgust, so take careful note of your ticket expiry time. Wilko’s car park is now pay-as-you-leave with photo recognition – you will be fined if you don’t get a ticket.
See Tourist Information Centres for Cockermouth Information Centre contact details.
Menu:
Related links:
- Wordsworth House
- Kirkgate Centre
- Banks Ironmongers
- Oakhurst Garden Centre
- Cockermouth Castle
- Derventio
- Cockermouth Taxis. Tel: 01900 826649 or 07710 813250. Website
Grid Reference: NY 122308
Stay in Cockermouth
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Archived Photos of Cockermouth
