Broughton Moor

Location : Maryport / Workington / Cockermouth

Grid Ref : NY 048313

Broughton Moor - Aerial photos by Simon Ledingham. — The site of the redundant armaments depot at Broughton Moor

For some years there have been plans by Allerdale Borough Council to purchase the former Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Broughton Moor, otherwise known locally as ‘The Dump’, for the princely some of £1 and redevelop the site into a tourist attraction, possibly something akin to the Eden Project in Cornwall.

The site has been owned by the MOD since 1939, but activities ceased in 1992, and afterwards this large area of land in West Cumbria has lain dormant. Apparently, its isolation from public access for over 50 years has resulted in a unique habitat for a wide variety of species of plants and animals, and any plans for development would wish to preserve this ecological heritage.

However, although the site was offered to Allerdale Borough Council in 2000, consultation with various agencies and planning discussions with various partners for development continue to this day.

Covering an area of 425 ha (1,050 acres), the Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) at Broughton Moor is the largest brownfield site in the whole of the North West of England. However, any development will require the demolition of 300-odd buildings, and the land put in order.