Founded in 1749, this
interesting former coal and iron-ore port was
named after Mary, wife of the Lord of the Manor
Humphrey Senhouse II and daughter of the Bishop of
Carlisle. It has neat terraces of sandstone houses
and was at one time the most important port in
Cumbria.
Its past is brought to life at
the town’s Maritime Museum, which contains
fascinating reminders of Fletcher Christian, the
matelot who led the mutiny of the Bounty. He was
born in Cockermouth in 1764. Thomas Henry Ismay,
founder of the White Star Line, was also born
here. Nearby stand the remains of a Roman Fort,
Alauna, an outlying bastion of Hadrian's Wall,
which held back the Picts. A visit to The Senhouse
Roman Museum reveals the story of the Romans
occupation of these parts.
