Whitehaven - the Georgian Gem of the North

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A once thriving market town, Whitehaven has developed into a beautiful haven for all generations making it a ‘jewel’ on the cusp of our beautiful Lake District National Park. With just one visit you will soon discover what makes our town and its people so special.   Whitehaven is bursting with energy and history and is full of many recognisable national chain stores and independent shops. The dominant historic centre of the town is overlooked by St Nicholas Church and gardens which are a real delight to relax in at any time of year. The fabulous church was originally built in 1693 and re-built in 1883 by Miss Margaret Gibson in memory of her parents. A great fire of 1971 destroyed the church, but its clock tower and main entrance still remain as a café.

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Whitehaven sits proudly on the north coast of one of Britain’s largest boroughs, Copeland. It has a beautiful marina and harbour area and is also the start of the infamous coast-to-coast cycle route. The small port town has approximately 25,000 residents and is comprises 7 wards of Mirehouse, Hensingham, Harbour, Kells, Sandwith, Hillcrest and Bransty Wards.

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Whitehaven is the most complete example of planned Georgian Architecture Georgian in the whole of Europe. Due to Whitehaven’s planned layout with streets in a right-angled grid, many historians believe that Whitehaven was the blueprint for the New York City street grid system. This is still to be explored.