Aspatria

Aspatria is a small town in the north west of Cumbria, between Maryport and Wigton. There has been a settlement here for over 3,000 years, and it lies on the route of a busy Roman road.

Origin of the name

The name Aspatria comes from ‘St Patrick‘ and the Scandinavian ‘askr’ for an ash tree. Legend has it that when St Patrick preached here he leaned so hard and long on his ash staff that it rooted into the ground. Hence the name ‘St Patrick’s ash tree’, or Aspatria. Locals refer to the town as ‘Spyatri’ pronounced Sp-yat-ri.

image of an aerial view of a small town in Cumbria

St Kentigern’s Church, Aspatria

The town is best known for its church of St Kentigern. An avenue of yew trees leads to the site where a Norman church once stood. It was demolished to build the larger stone St Kentigern, in 1846-48 in the Early English style.

Aspatria Dairy

In Aspatria there is a large Creamery. The first creamery acquired by the Milk Marketing Board in 1934, Aspatria was Dairy Crest’s most northerly manufacturing site. Now The Lake District Cheese Company, it is a farmer-owned co-operative and can process up to one million liters of milk per day as well as producing cheese and other dairy products.

image of an aerial view of Aspatria, a small town in north west Cumbria

C Bouch and Sons General Store

Worthy of special mention among shops in Aspatria is the exceptional ‘Bouch’s’ general store (C Bouch and Sons). Located opposite the Esso filling station in the centre of town, it stocks an astonishing range of hardware, tools, fixings, seasonal plants, groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables (including locally grown produce), baked goods, garden products etc. If you cannot see what you are looking for on display, ask! Prices are what you would expect of a town that ‘knows the value of every penny’ and the customer service is of a level almost unknown today.

Annual music festival

Solfest is an annual four day music festival held roughly halfway between Aspatria and Silloth. It is one of the most popular music events in Cumbria, with a family friendly atmosphere, and was first held in 2003. Festival dates are usually the last weekend in August.

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