Maryport
| Maryport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordinates | 54 ° 43 ′ N , 3 ° 30 ′ W | ||
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| Residents | 11,275 | ||
| administration | |||
| Post town | MARYPORT | ||
| ZIP code section | CA15 | ||
| prefix | 01900 | ||
| Part of the country | England | ||
| region | North West England | ||
| Shire county | Cumbria | ||
| District | Allerdale | ||
| Civil Parish | Maryport | ||
| British Parliament | Workington | ||
Maryport is a town in Cumbria in the north of England . The city is located on the Solway Firth , into which the River Ellen flows in the city.
history
In about AD 122, Maryport was a Roman fort , whose name was believed to be Alauna . It served as an important base for the Romans for almost 300 years , as it complemented Hadrian's Wall . During this time, a settlement ( vicus ) was built around the fort . There was likely a port on the north side of the fort, which archaeologists discovered in 2014. After the Romans left Great Britain in 410 AD, the fort was abandoned and Alauna lost its size and importance. Little is known about the history thereafter, but based on some finds, it is believed that the Vikings settled in the area for at least some time.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the place, which had been renamed Ellenfoot, was just a small fishing village on the River Ellen . After Humphrey Senhouse settled in Maryport, he created a development plan for the place and set up a port. In 1749 he renamed the place after his wife Mary in Maryport. In 1791 the British Parliament confirmed the new name.
The city quickly developed into an industrial hub over the next few centuries thanks to the port. An iron foundry was established in the 19th century. As coal mining flourished, the railroad to Carlisle was built in the 1840s with George Stephenson as an engineer to transport coal . Maryport's docks exported over 340,000 tons of coal in 1857 alone.
At the beginning of the 20th century, when the city was home to around 20,000 people, the economy suffered a severe crisis. Modern ships were too big for the port and eventually trade stagnated. During the Depression unemployment reached 50%. Only during the Second World War did the city slowly recover, but even in the following decades it was unable to regain its former status as an industrial and port city. In 2000 the last coal mine finally closed.
Nowadays the city lives from tourism after a number of development programs.
Attractions
In addition to an annual blues festival in the summer , which now attracts greats such as Dionne Warwick , Jools Holland , Elkie Brooks and Buddy Guy , there are historical sights from the time of the Romans such as Hadrian's Wall, a Roman museum and several Excavation sites in the place. But the port also contributes to tourism with the Maryport Marina Museum and the Lake District Coast Aquarium.
Individual evidence
- ^ Maryport Roman settlement: Dig unearths 'lost harbor' on BBC News May 27, 2014, accessed September 19, 2014
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Link catalog on Maryport at curlie.org (formerly DMOZ )