Workington & District Civic Trust

Registered Charity No. 1099738
President: John Cook Esq.
Lord of the Manor of Workington

Recording & preserving the Past, in the Present, for the Future

Workington Low
Station; Bus Station; Mossbay Ironworks; Old Engraving By WH Bartlett 1840, Of
Workington Harbour; Curwen Hall 20th Century;

Workington & District Civic Trust came into existence in 2001. Prior to that the local community had no unified, dedicated voice with which to comment on or try to influence decisions which would affect our local/national heritage.

In 2000, Allerdale Borough Council [ABC] sold the educational site on Park Lane to the North Cumbria Primary Care Trust, in order to re-locate a new Community Hospital from the Old Infirmary site.

Workington Technical College

Workington Community Hospital

Members of the public were vigorously canvassed for support to save and, if possible, incorporate into the New Hospital plans, the fine old 1912 building, being in turn, the Workington Secondary & Technical School, the Grammar School and finally the Technical College. Thousands of local people had been grateful for the start in life obtained in those eductional establishments and had fond memories of the dedicated staff employed there.

Although this appeal was unsuccessful, it revealed massive public support for saving our local heritage.

In 2001, the canvassers and others formed the nucleus of the Workington & District Civic Trust, which today works with planners, developers and the local authority to try to have some input into the early stages of redevelopment of the Workington area.

We were unable to save the college building on Park Lane in 2000; however, two Civic Trust members were invited to sit on the Private Finance Initiative sub-committee of the Primary Care Trust, which was charged with overseeing the design of the new hospital building on the site.

As a result, aspects of the former school building are reflected in the design of the new community hospital and some of the stonework has been used to decorative effect in the enclosed courtyards.