Egremont, Cumbria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Egremont |
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| Town and parish | |
 Main Street, Egremont |
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 Egremont
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| Population | 8,194 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | NY008109 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | EGREMONT |
| Postcode district | CA22 |
| Dialling code | 01946 |
| Police | Cumbria |
| Fire | Cumbria |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Egremont is a lively market town in Cumbria, England. It's located near the beautiful Lake District National Park. The town sits about 5 miles (8 km) south of Whitehaven, right by the River Ehen.
Egremont is at the foot of the Uldale Valley and Dent Fell. It has a long history of industries like dyeing, weaving, and mining for iron ore. In 2011, about 8,194 people lived here.
The town's layout still looks much like it did around the year 1200. It has a wide Main Street that opens into a market place. The old Norman castle was built in the 12th century. Its remains are at the south end of Main Street.
King Henry III gave Egremont a special charter in 1266. This allowed the town to hold a market and an annual fair. This fair, called the Crab Fair, is still held today. It even hosts the World Gurning Championships!
Today, Egremont's economy mostly relies on the nuclear industry at Sellafield.
Contents
Discovering Egremont's Past
The Town's Story
Egremont was around even before the Normans arrived in England. The Danes first built a fort where Egremont Castle now stands. This was around the year 1000 AD.
By about 1300, the town looked much as it does today. It was surrounded by farms. In 1322, Robert Bruce attacked the town. This caused many deaths. For the next 100 years, there was an uneasy peace. The castle slowly fell into ruins.
In 1565, a stone bridge was built over the River Ehen. This helped people get into the town. Egremont had become smaller due to frequent Scottish raids. Not much changed for a century. Then, new stone buildings appeared on Main Street. These were likely built using stone from the old castle.
In 1748, another bridge was built at Briscoe Mill. It cost £28 and 15 shillings. Soon, Egremont began to serve the port of Whitehaven. By 1830, people started mining iron ore in several places around the town.
Over the next 60 years, new schools, churches, and a town hall were built. New homes were also built for the growing population. Sadly, many old parts of the town were taken down in 1968.
In 1964, Wyndham School opened. It was the first comprehensive school in the British Isles. In 1970, many workers moved to Egremont. They came to work at the new nuclear site.
The Egremont by-pass opened in 1990. This helped traffic move more easily around the town.
Egremont's Industrial History
In the past, dyeing and weaving were important industries. They used the River Ehen for their work.
Mining for iron ore and quarrying have been part of Egremont for over 800 years. Large-scale mining of iron ore began around 1830. Many mines opened then, and some mining continues today.
Around the early 1600s, people mined agricultural lime at Clints Quarry. More serious mining happened in the mid-1800s. This was to supply the iron industry. Mining there ended in 1930. Clints Quarry is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest. You can find it just north of Egremont.
In 1950, Rowntree's built a chocolate crumb factory near Christie Bridge. Also, the nuclear industry started at Sellafield. The old Rowntrees site is now a new housing area called York Place. It is at the north end of Main Street.
The Sellafield site is still working today. It is changing a lot as it moves towards nuclear decommissioning.
The Barony of Copeland (Egremont)
Around 1092, William Rufus brought Norman rule to Cumbria. He gave control of the area to Ivo Taillebois. Later, the Barony of Copeland was given to William, son of Ranulph. William made his home in Egremont. He began building the castle, which took about 150 years to finish.
The Barony was passed down through families. Eventually, it came to Richard de Lucy. A sad story from around 1205 tells of Grunwilda, Richard de Lucy's wife. She was killed by a wolf during a hunting trip. This led to a belief that no male heir should inherit Egremont Castle.
Egremont received its royal charter from Henry III in 1267. The lands eventually passed to the Percy family. The current lord is John Max Henry Scawen Wyndham, Baron Egremont. He lives at Petworth House in West Sussex.
How Egremont is Governed
Egremont is part of the Copeland UK Parliamentary constituency. This is how it is represented in the national government.
For local matters, Egremont is part of the Cumberland unitary authority.
Egremont also has its own Parish Council. It is called Egremont Town Council. They work from the Market Hall offices.
Egremont's Economy Today
Some older manufacturing jobs have decreased. But new industries like service, new media, and tourism have grown.
Egremont's Florence Mine was the last working deep iron ore mine in Western Europe until 2008. It produced ore for cosmetics and high-quality haematite for jewelry. The mine's head building is a protected historical site. You can find Florence Mine just south of Egremont.
A very large employer nearby is the nuclear site at Sellafield. In recent years, the nuclear power industry has been changing. There is now more focus on nuclear decommissioning, which means safely taking apart old nuclear facilities.
Getting Around Egremont
Egremont used to have a train station. It was part of the Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway. The station closed and reopened a few times. It fully closed in 1947.
The closest train station with a full service is St Bees railway station.
Bus services connect Egremont to other towns. Services 6 and X6 go to Seascale and Gosforth. Another bus, service 30, links Egremont to Whitehaven, Workington, and Maryport.
The A595 is a main road that goes around Egremont. It provides good connections to Sellafield in the south. To the north, it links to Whitehaven and Workington.
Fun Things to Do in Egremont
Egremont has many interesting places to visit. You can explore Egremont Castle and the Florence Mine. There's also Hartley's Ice Cream and Lowes Court Gallery.
If you like being outdoors, there are various walks and cycle paths. Clints Quarry is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest to explore.
Community and Culture
Egremont has its historic castle, several churches, and two supermarkets. A market is held every Friday, selling many different goods.
The town has had a brass band since 1904. The band helps share brass band music in the area.
Egremont has one secondary school, West Lakes Academy. There are also four primary schools: Bookwell, Orgill, Thornhill, and St Bridget's Catholic Primary School.
The town has an active arts program called Creative Egremont. The Florence Arts Centre is located at the old Florence Mine. It hosts live events like gigs, theatre, and comedy. It also has an art gallery. The Florence Paintmakers, a group of artists, have a studio there. They use local iron ore to make paints and other art supplies.
Egremont Crab Fair
Egremont's Crab Fair is a very special event. It happens every year on the third Saturday in September. The fair features unusual events like the World Gurning Championships and greasy pole climbing.
This fair is a huge local event. Main Street is closed to traffic for street dancing and a parade. Sports like Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling are held nearby.
The fair started in 1267, making it one of the oldest fairs in the world! The Lord of Egremont began a tradition of giving away crab apples. This is where the fair gets its name.
The Crab Fair was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also cancelled in 2022 due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Crab Fair finally returned in 2023 after three years.
Famous People from Egremont
- William Benn (born 1600) was an English minister and author.
- Musician Francis Dunnery was born and grew up in Egremont. He was the frontman of the band It Bites.
- Martin Hodgson (born 1909) was a famous rugby league player in the 1930s. He played for Swinton and Great Britain.
- Rob Purdham (born 1980) is an international Rugby League player.
- John Lindow Calderwood was a lawyer and politician. He was born and raised in Egremont.
See also
In Spanish: Egremont para niños
