Harrington, Cumbria
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Harrington is a suburban village on the southern outskirts of
Workington Workington is a coastal town and civil parish in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The town is at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast, south-west of Carlisle and north-east of Whitehaven. At the 2021 census the ...
, in the
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish ...
district of
Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
, England. It was formerly a separate village and parish; it has been administered as part of Workington since 1934, and is now classed as part of the Workington built up area. It lies on the coast and has a small harbour.
Harrington railway station Harrington railway station is a railway station serving the village of Harrington in Cumbria, England. It is on the Cumbrian Coast Line, which runs between and . It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains. Harrington Hump T ...
is on the Cumbrian Coast Line. In the late 18th century, the old village of Harrington, which stood a little way inland from the coast, was expanded into a planned town around a new harbour built to serve the local coal mines. Through the 19th century and into the 20th century, industries in Harrington included iron works, shipbuilding and chemical works. The major heavy industries had closed by the mid 20th century. Much of the 18th century planned town was demolished in
slum clearance Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low-income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...
schemes in the 1960s, and the site is now public open space south of the harbour. Harrington today is in two main parts: the main part lies on the inland side of the coastal railway, and High Harrington is further inland to the east. The old parish of Harrington also included a rural area to the south, which became the separate parish of
Lowca Lowca is a village and civil parish in the English county of Cumbria, just to the north of the village of Moresby. It had a population of 773 in 2001, increasing to 888 at the 2011 Census. It was formerly a mining area but is now noted for it ...
in 1934 when the rest of Harrington was absorbed into Workington. Harrington today gives its name to an
electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
, which covers a different area to the old parish. The ward additionally includes
Salterbeck Salterbeck is a housing estate on the south side of Workington, Cumbria, England, which was built during the 1930s on farmland for steelworkers and their families relocating to the area. Roughly 70% of the houses are now owned by Riverside Hous ...
and Winscales, which were historically part of Workington parish.


Toponymy

The name Harrington is derived from the
Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
name ''Hæfar'', combined with ''ingas'' (people) and ''ton'' (settlement/estate/enclosure). It therefore indicates the settlement of Hæfer's people. Other local place names with similar origins include Workington,
Distington Distington () is a large village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, south of Workington and north of Whitehaven. Historically a part of Cumberland, the civil parish includes the nearby settlements of Common End, Cumbria, Common End, Gilgar ...
and
Frizington Frizington is a village in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. It lies to the north-west of the Lake District National Park. Historically, it was a collection of farms and houses, but became a unified village as a result of the mining ...
.


History

The earliest documentary evidence for Harrington dates from the 12th century. It remained a small village until the 18th century, with the main settlement stretching eastwards from the medieval parish church (which was rebuilt in 1885) up to High Harrington. Although near the sea, Harrington was primarily a farming village rather than a port until the 18th century. The small River Wyre meets the sea a short distance south of Harrington church. This area was historically known as Harrington Beckfoot. By the mid-18th century, a number of coal mines had been established around Harrington. Henry Curwen of
Workington Hall Workington Hall, sometimes called Curwen Hall, is a ruined building on the Northeast outskirts of the town of Workington in Cumbria. It is a Grade I listed building. History A peel tower was built on the site in 1362. The present house dates b ...
owned the collieries and was also
lord of the manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...
of both Harrington and neighbouring Workington. With some of his collieries being closer to Harrington Beckfoot than the existing port at Workington, Curwen commissioned a new harbour at Harrington, which was built in the late 1750s and early 1760s. A planned town to house workers at the port and in the nearby collieries was subsequently laid out in the late 18th century, primarily on the land south of the harbour. Henry Curwen died in 1778 and his estates were inherited by his daughter Isabella. She married John Christian in 1782 (who also owned other collieries nearby), and he was subsequently responsible for much of the new town's development. The new town was initially known as Harrington Harbour or Bella Port (after Isabella), before becoming known simply as Harrington. By the early 19th century, Harrington had grown to be Cumberland's fourth largest port.
Harrington railway station Harrington railway station is a railway station serving the village of Harrington in Cumbria, England. It is on the Cumbrian Coast Line, which runs between and . It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains. Harrington Hump T ...
opened in 1846 on the Whitehaven Junction Railway, which linked the earlier
Maryport and Carlisle Railway The Maryport & Carlisle Railway (M&CR) was an English railway company formed in 1836 which built and operated a small but eventually highly profitable railway to connect Maryport and Carlisle, Cumberland, Carlisle in Cumberland, England. There ...
with Workington and
Whitehaven Whitehaven is a town and civil parish in the Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. It is a port on the north-west coast, and lies outside the Lake District National parks of England and Wales, National Park. ...
via Harrington. Other railways followed, which were primarily built to cater for goods traffic associated with the area's mines and industry, although did also run passenger services. The
Cleator and Workington Junction Railway The Cleator and Workington Junction Railway (C&WJR) was located in West Cumberland in Northern England, serving the towns of Cleator Moor and Workington and intermediate villages. It was mainly used for coal, limestone and iron ore traffic for t ...
opened in 1879 with a station at High Harrington, and the Lowca Light Railway opened in 1913, with a number of small halts in the Harrington area. In the 19th century, there was further development beyond the area of the planned town, extending along Church Road, which linked the planned town back to the older village and parish church and the main road into Workington. The town developed a number of industries, including iron works, shipbuilding, a chemical works and a brewery. From the late 19th century, the town's industries went into decline. The harbour silted up and had ceased to operate by the 1930s. In 1940, during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, a secret
magnesite Magnesite is a mineral with the chemical formula ( magnesium carbonate). Iron, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may occur as admixtures, but only in small amounts. Occurrence Magnesite occurs as veins in and an alteration product of ultramafic r ...
plant was established by the
Ministry of Aircraft Production Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...
to extract magnesium from seawater, for use in aircraft components and
incendiary bombs Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires. They may destroy structures or sensitive equipment using fire, and sometimes operate as anti-personnel weaponry. Incendiarie ...
. The harbour was sealed off and used as a saltwater reservoir for the plant. The magnesite plant closed in 1953. With the loss of its heavy industries and harbour, the town had little economic rationale, and the core of the 18th century planned town south of the harbour was demolished in slum clearance schemes in the early 1960s and its site laid out as public open space. Following the demolition of the 18th century planned town, the main part of Harrington today is centred on the area between Harrington railway station and the parish church of St Mary's, with Church Road being the main street. The harbour was subsequently reopened and is now used primarily for smaller leisure boats. Harrington is now classed as part of the Workington built up area by the
Office for National Statistics The Office for National Statistics (ONS; ) is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament. Overview The ONS is responsible fo ...
. High Harrington is classed as a separate built up area, which had an estimated population of 1,567 in 2022.


Governance

Harrington forms part of the
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
of Workington. There are two tiers of local government covering Workington, at parish (town) and
unitary authority A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...
level: Workington Town Council and
Cumberland Council Cumberland Council is the local authority for Cumberland, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England. It is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The ...
. One of the wards used for elections to Cumberland Council is called Harrington and covers Harrington and High Harrington, as well as Salterbeck and Winscales. For elections to the
UK parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...
, Harrington forms part of the
Whitehaven and Workington Whitehaven and Workington is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament. Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it was contested for the first time at the 2024 general election, since w ...
constituency.


Administrative history

Harrington was an
ancient parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in the historic county of
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish ...
. In 1891, the parish was made a
local government district Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...
, administered by an elected local board. Such districts were converted into urban districts under the
Local Government Act 1894 The Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The act followed the reforms carried out at county leve ...
. Harrington Urban District was abolished in 1934. The more built up northern part of the parish, including the settlement itself, was incorporated into the
municipal borough A municipal borough was a type of local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...
of Workington. The more rural southern part was made a separate parish called
Lowca Lowca is a village and civil parish in the English county of Cumbria, just to the north of the village of Moresby. It had a population of 773 in 2001, increasing to 888 at the 2011 Census. It was formerly a mining area but is now noted for it ...
, which formed part of the
Ennerdale Rural District Ennerdale was a rural district in the county of Cumberland in England from 1934 to 1974. It was created in 1934 by a County Review Order, by the merger of the urban districts of Arlecdon and Frizington, Cleator Moor, Egremont, and Harrington al ...
. A reduced civil parish of Harrington continued to exist after the 1934 reforms, covering the part of the old parish which had been incorporated into the borough of Workington, but as an
urban parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
it had no separate council. In 1951, the parish had a population of 2,303. The borough of Workington and its constituent parishes, including Harrington, were abolished in 1974 under the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
. The area became part of the borough of
Allerdale Allerdale was a non-metropolitan district of Cumbria, England, with Borough status in England and Wales, borough status. Its council – Allerdale Borough Council – was based in Workington, and the borough had a population of 96,422 at the ...
in the new county of Cumbria. The area of the pre-1974 borough of Workington was an
unparished area In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish (the lowest level of local government, not to be confused with an ecclesiastical parish). Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparis ...
from 1974 until 1982, when a new civil parish of Workington matching the whole area of the pre-1974 borough (including Harrington) was created, with its parish council taking the name Workington Town Council. Allerdale was abolished in 2023 when the new Cumberland Council was created, also taking over the functions of the abolished Cumbria County Council in the area.


Churches

Harrington had many churches, and four remain as churches today. At St Mary's Church there are recent stained-glass windows, which show much of the industrial and maritime heritage of the area. There is also the Roman Catholic St Mary's Church that was founded by
Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
monks, which was built in 1893 by Charles Walker of Newcastle, cost £23,000 and funded by public subscription.
Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

Harrington – St Mary
''Taking Stock'', retrieved 5 February 2022


Cycle network

The West Cumbria Cycle Network passes through Harrington on its way from
Distington Distington () is a large village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, south of Workington and north of Whitehaven. Historically a part of Cumberland, the civil parish includes the nearby settlements of Common End, Cumbria, Common End, Gilgar ...
to Workington. It uses the route of the former
Cleator and Workington Junction Railway The Cleator and Workington Junction Railway (C&WJR) was located in West Cumberland in Northern England, serving the towns of Cleator Moor and Workington and intermediate villages. It was mainly used for coal, limestone and iron ore traffic for t ...
through High Harrington railway station.


References


External links

* (nb: provisional research only - see Talk page) * {{authority control Ports and harbours of Cumbria Populated coastal places in Cumbria Former civil parishes in Cumbria Workington