Lowca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lowca |
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 The main street of Lowca village |
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 Lowca
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| Population | 888 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | NX976220 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WHITEHAVEN |
| Postcode district | CA28 |
| Dialling code | 01946 |
| Police | Cumbria |
| Fire | Cumbria |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Lowca is a small village in the English county of Cumbria. It is located just north of Moresby. In 2011, about 888 people lived there.
Lowca used to be a place where people worked in mining. Today, it is known for its wind farm, which uses wind to make electricity. The village faces the Solway Firth to the west.
Lowca has its own community school, which used to be called Lowca Primary School. It also has a local rugby team.
History of Lowca
Lowca has a long and interesting history. For many years, people worked in the coal mines here. This provided lots of jobs for the villagers.
Early Industries
Around the year 1800, three brothers named Adam, Thomas, and Crosby Heslop started a business in Lowca. They built an iron foundry and engineering works near the Lowca Beck. This company made steam engines and other machines. Later, in 1857, another company called Fletcher, Jennings & Co. took over the works. They became famous for building locomotives, which are engines for trains.
World War I Attack
In 1911, a chemical factory was built in Lowca. This factory used coal to make new products. During World War I, on August 16, 1915, a German submarine called U-24 attacked this factory.
Local stories say that a quick-thinking worker opened a special valve. This sent a big flame of burning gas into the sky. The submarine crew thought they had destroyed their target and left. Luckily, the only one hurt in the attack was a local dog.
Lowca's Railway
Lowca also had its own railway station. It was part of the Lowca Light Railway. This small railway connected Lowca to the main Cleator & Workington junction railway at Harrington Junction. It helped transport coal and other goods from the village.
Lowca Today
The village used to have a very large pile of waste from the mines, called Pit Bank. This huge black pile was redeveloped in the 1980s. A new road was also built through Lowca, connecting it directly to the A595 road. Today, Lowca is a quiet village with a focus on its community and the modern wind farm.
