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.
Development management response to the floods
The video below highlights how the Council used it's development
management approach to planning to bring members of the community
and partner organisations together to deliver the
services necessary to help with Cockermouth's recovery after
the flooding.
This video is provided by the Planning Advisory Service. A full
transcript is available on their website at Allerdale:
a development management response to the floods.