Whitehaven Architecture

In Whitehaven there are over 170 listed buildings, many of which tell a story of Whitehaven's past. A number of years ago, Whitehaven was declared a 'gem town' by The Council for British Archaeology. This award has only been given to 51 towns in Britain.

Here is a synopsis regarding a selection of listed buildings in Whitehaven:

19-20 Irish Street
This building is considered to be of national importance. It is a rare example of early 19th century architecture. The building, like many in Whitehaven, is Italian in style. It was designed by Sidney Smirke, the brother of Sir Robert Smirke. Sidney was also responsible for the design of the surface buildings at Wellington Pit, the Candlestick Chimney and the reading room in the British museum.

St. Nicholas Church
St. Nicholas Church was consecrated in 1883, having replaced an earlier chapel on the same site. Following a fire in August 1971, all that remains of this church is its magnificent tower. The gardens of the church were once covered in headstones, until the creation of a graveyard on Low Road, in 1855. Mildred Gale, the grandmother of George Washington, the first President of the United States of America, was buried here, along with her baby daughter and a Negro servant. The exact location of the grave is unfortunately unknown. In the gardens of St. Nicholas Church are memorials to the miners who lost their lives down the Whitehaven mines. The four entrances to the gardens are adorned with fine wrought iron gates which were taken from the tomb of Sir James Lowther following the demolition of Holy Trinity Church.

St. James Church
This church is said to have the finest Georgian interior in the county. The building was constructed in 1752 and consecrated by the Bishop of Carlisle in July 1753. The church was designed by Whitehaven's most famous engineer, Carlisle Spedding. The clock was the work of a local blacksmith. The fine plasterwork on the ceiling is the work of two Italians, Arture and Baggiotti. The Altar piece is "The Transfiguration of Christ" by Guillio Cesare Procaccini (1548-1626), it was formerly housed in the Escurial, Madrid. It found its way to France, then, after the revolution it was brought to England. It was presented to the church by William, third Earl of Lonsdale. In 1909 the organ was added to the church. St. James became the parish church for Whitehaven in 1977 following the fire at St. Nicholas Church.

Whitehaven Castle
The castle in Whitehaven is built on the site of an earlier mansion which was known as the Flatt. Sir John Lowther bought the Flatt on October 1st 1675. In 1769, following a fire, Sir James Lowther had the Flatt rebuilt in its present form and changed its designation to Whitehaven Castle. The castle remained in the hands of the Lowther family until 1920, when following an auction, it passed into the hands of the local health service. In 1926 the castle became the Whitehaven and West Cumberland Infirmary which continued to operate until 1964 when a new hospital was built at Hensingham. The castle remained in use as a geriatric unit, until closure in the mid 1980's. The castle is now currently under private ownership.

The Market Place
The right to hold a market in Whitehaven was granted in 1654 and confirmed in 1660. The majority of the buildings in the market place have been there since the mid 17th century. Situated in the market place is the market hall. The present building is on the site of an earlier hall which had been designed by Sir Robert Smirke (Sir Robert Smirke is perhaps best known as the architect of the British Museum in London). When the hall opened in 1819 it was known as the Butter Market, here dairy produce and poultry was brought to be sold. The present building in the market place was designed by T. Linneas Banks and was opened in June, 1881. The ground floor was used as a market, while the upper floors have been used for a variety of purposes including a dance hall, cinema and museum. The market hall is now home to Whitehaven's tourist information centre.

Moresby Hall
Moresby Hall is the oldest residence in West Cumbria. It is a Grade I listed building due to its historical and architectural importance. The building retains many of its original features. The oldest part of the house has an original Pele tower. This once had unrestricted views of the coast, allowing protection from invaders using the shore. During the 18th century the Hall fell into disrepair, it was used as a farmhouse for some time, then in 1910 it was restored and re-emerged as a small manor house in 1955.

25 Roper Street
This house was home to Daniel Brocklebank, a famous shipbuilder during the 18th century. The famous shipping line T. and J. Brocklebank, which Daniel's sons owned, evolved into Cunard, and as such, is the oldest shipping company in the country.

30 Roper Street
This building was constructed in 1743 by James Spedding, the son of Whitehaven's famous mining engineer Carlisle Spedding. The building was intended to be used as both a dwelling and offices. The entrance on Roper Street has a doorway which is decorated by an acorn finial, this is a reference to the Spedding coat of arms.

5 Cross Street
This house on Cross Street was built in 1701, it was home to the famous artist Mathias Read who lived in Whitehaven until his death in 1747. Mathias came to the town as a young artist. He painted several pieces and his work was in considerable demand. He did altar pieces for St. Nicholas Church and Holy Trinity Church, he painted several views of Whitehaven, the most famous of his works, 'A birds eye view of Whitehaven', was painted in 1738.

151 Queen Street
This house, built in 1733, was the home to the merchant William Gale. William was the younger brother of George Gale whose first wife, Mildred, was the grandmother of George Washington - the first president of the United States of America. this house is one of the earliest of Whitehaven's large houses to have survived to present day.

NOTE
Georgian architecture was developed in England out of the Classical Revival which dominated Europe during the Renaissance and Enlightenment. The Georgian style name comes from the kings of Great Britain who ruled England while Georgian architecture was popular. From 1714 until 1820 England was ruled by George I, George II and George III.

Whitehaven Marketplace

Whitehaven contains over 170 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. Of these, one is listed at Grade I, the highest of the three grades, six are at Grade II*, the middle grade, and the others are at Grade II, the lowest grade.

Whitehaven is a natural port, and the harbour developed in the 17th century mainly for the export of coal from the local mines. During the 18th century the harbour expanded and the town was laid out in a grid plan, often with a building such as a church at the end to provide a vista. During the 20th century the amount of work done by the port declined, and the export of coal finally ended in the 1980s. During this time a number of the town's houses and other buildings were demolished.

Nevertheless, most of the listed buildings are houses and shops of various sizes, many of them in Georgian style. Listed buildings remaining from the industrial past include structures in and around the harbour, warehouses, a former flax mill, and colliery buildings now used as a museum. Other listed buildings include churches, civic buildings, hotels and public houses, banks. air shaft caps providing ventilation for a railway tunnel, and a market hall.

LISTED BUILDINGS:

II 1, Hamilton Lane