Cockermouth
Lying just outside the
boundary of the Lake District National Park, Cockermouth is an
attractive market town not overwhelmed by the tourist atmosphere of
the central Lakes.
Cockermouth grew up at the junction of the two most important
rivers in the area. Here, the River Cocker meets the River Derwent
on its journey from Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite Lake to the
sea at Workington.
Today's visitors to
Cockermouth are attracted by the town's calm, its nearness to some
of the more peaceful lakes and mountains, and the fact that Dorothy
and William Wordsworth were born here. Another famous son of
Cockermouth was Fletcher Christian, the man who led the 'mutiny on
The Bounty'.
The town received its Market Charter in 1221, and has retained
its importance as a market town ever since. Quarrying and mining
for lead and iron were later developments outside the town, and a
brewery has been built at the foot of the castle mound, where the
two rivers meet.
Flooding
In 2009 the town suffered devastating floods. A Flood Recovery
Coordinator has been appointed by Allerdale Borough Council to
coordinate the recovery work.
Cockermouth Consultancy
Allerdale Borough Council together with
Cockermouth Town Council, the Flood Recovery Coordinator and the
surrounding parishes have commissioned a comprehensive consultancy
for Cockermouth and the surrounding area.
This will draw out the key issues, priorities,
interests and aspirations for the future and to draw up a locality
action plan, building on the extensive work which is currently
underway after the flooding in 2009 by November 2010. However
locality plans are mainly about influencing and improving the
delivery of public services. They involve setting a vision,
establishing community needs and priorities and delivering
change.
Allerdale Borough Council has to change the
way it delivers many of its local services with the possibility of
devolved arrangements within the Borough’s five localities
including Cockermouth and the findings from the consultancy will be
the blueprint for this.