Copeland - The Modern Borough

Todays Copeland

Situated on the west-coast of Cumbria, the administrative Borough of Copeland neighbours the districts of Allerdale to the north and Barrow-in-Furness and South Lakeland to the south. It covers an area of some 284 square miles, two-thirds of which lies within the Lake District National Park. With a total population of almost 70,000 it stretches along the West Cumbrian coast from just north of Whitehaven to Millom in the south. Inland the Borough takes in the valleys of Ennerdale, Wasdale, Eskdale and Dunnerdale.

The majority of the population lives on the narrow coastal strip and Whitehaven is the main & largest town. This fine Georgian town developed into a major port in the mid 18th century for exporting coal to Ireland and importing sugar, rum & tobacco etc from the West Indies; and retains many excellent examples of the architecture from this period. As well as Whitehaven the other major centres of population are Distington, Egremont, Cleator Moor, Frisington, Gosforth, Seascale, Ravenglass, Bootle and Millom.

Copeland also boasts England’s deepest lake, Wastwater and Englands highest mountain, Scafell Pike. The area is characterised by a superb western coastline that contrasts and complements the mountains and lakes that lie to the east within the National Park.

The main road and rail links extend along the coastal belt. The A595 joins the A66 to provide a northerly link to the M6 at Junction 40, and the A590 links south Copeland with Kendal and the M6.

The modern Borough of Copeland came into being in 1974 when the County of Cumbria (combining the counties of Cumberland & Westmorland & the Furness district of Lancs.) came into existence. This was a part of a government re-organisation of the countries administrative areas. It was made up from the existing District Councils of Whitehaven, Ennerdale, Bootle & Millom. The Cockermouth district council was made part of the Borough of Allerdale situated to the north of Copeland.

This re-arrangement, that transferred the most northern parishes of the ancient deanery of Copeland, into the new Borough of Allerdale meant that the parishes of Moresby, Distington, Arlecdon, Lamplugh & Ennerdale now formed the northern border of Copeland; whilst the River Duddon, the old Cumberland / Lancashire border, still defines the southern border.

The administrative center is the town of Whitehaven and further information concerning the modern borough of Copeland can be found

at their web-site  www.copeland.gov.uk

Nev.Ramsden,  November 2008