Workington is a busy town and deep-water port.
     It began life as a fishing village, the estuary and the river Derwent which flows through the town was famed for its salmon.
     Until mid-Victorian times, the town was long and narrow...not at all the creation which visitors will see today. In its development since Tudor times as port and market centre it was quite different to near neighbour and rival Whitehaven. A planned 17th and 18th century town of regular appearance.
     The port was largely dependent on the coal and coastal trade, especially to Ireland, the Isle of man, and Solway ports.
     Prosperity really came with the exploitation of the coal fields in the area. When deeper mining became possible in the 18th century, there were at one time 14 mines in the area and the port had some 160 ships averaging 130 tons each, operating a thriving export trade. By the later 18th century in addition, there were two major blast furnaces, a number of smaller ones, and a thriving foundry. Even the production of cannons was a speciality here. The town received its charter as a municipal borough in 1888.
     The contraction of the coal and the iron and steel industries in much later years brought problems to Workington. Signs of its early prosperity can be seen in a walk around Portland Square, where the 18th century buildings give a special charm.
     The Helena Thompson Museum housed in an 18th century house illustrates very clearly much local history. The house was bequeathed to the people of Workington in 1940 by local philanthropist Miss Helena Thompson. There are displays here of pottery, silver,glass, furniture, women's and children's dresses from the 18th to early 20th century together with accessories and jewellery. It also has an interesting local history gallery.
     Workington Hall, built around a 14th century pele tower. This striking ruin was at one time one of the finest manor houses in the region, owned by the Lords of the Manor. It was a refuge for Mary Queen of Scots during her last night of freedom in May 1568, and also home for the Ghost of Galloping Harry Curwen, who was murdered in 1623. Mary at this time was just 25 years of age, and in the heyday of her loveliness, mistress of modern languages, a poet and writer of prose. Into ten years had been crowded triumph and tragedy enough for many lives...married at 16, Queen of France at 17, and a widow in a year. At 23 she had married Darnley and two years afterwards was privy to his murder by Bothwell, whom to the horror of the world, she married within two months of the crime. The country had certainly risen against her, and shattered her forces, and here she came flying to throw herself on the mercies of Elizabeth I.
     Curwen Hall is the ruins of a 14th century castle built for the family of the same name. It has over the years been extensively altered and at one time by John Carr of York for John Christian Curwen, who as John Christian had married the Curwen heiress Isabella Curwen.
     A unique Workington football game played between the 'uppies' and the 'downies' (inhabitants of the upper town and lower town) over Easter still flourishes today. The pitch covers about a mile of the grass flat near the harbour, the ball about the size of a small schoolboys football, only a good deal heavier.and the objective is to get the ball by any means from end of the pitch to the other, throw it up three times and catch it. About a hundred players take part and a high degree of physical fitness is essential.
     St Michael's Church is a refashioned building with a massive tower and lofty arcades, but it has a list of rectors going back to 1150, and one or two things that the first rector on the list may have seen. There is a simple Norman arch in the tower, a Norman capital, and a Norman font bowl no longer used. There are fragments of ancient crosses with interlaced work, and several mediaeval coffin stones.