Disused Stations: Cockermouth First Station

Notes: The Cockermouth & Workington Railway (CW) chose a site west of the town for its Cockermouth station. The site was inconveniently placed for the townspeople and it was cramped, being squeezed between the River Derwent on its northern flank and the main road (diverted to provide a little more space) and estate of the Senhouse family to the south. When the line opened on 27 April 1847 the station was a temporary structure (Bowtell 1989)

The layout of the site, as shown on the OS map of 1866, is described here. At the east end a warehouse was located, with two tracks reached by wagon turntables; coal merchants’ cells were provided close to the main road. Between the warehouse and coal depot a small, covered single-track passenger station was shoehorned in. A two-road engine shed was at the western end of the station site, and a siding including a locomotive turntable extended north-westwards along the river bank.

March 1850 Weekday departures	Destination
7.20am	Workington
9.20am	Workington
2.15pm	Workington
6.10pm	Workington
Sunday departures	Destination
8.00am	Workington
5.45pm	Workington

February 1863 Weekday departures	Destination
7.05am	Workington
10.05am	Workington
11.40am	Workington
2.35pm	Workington
6.10pm	Workington
Sunday departures	Destination
7.50am	Workington
5.00pm	Workington

The CK&P chose not to use the existing, inconveniently placed passenger station, and their line left the CW over 300yd west of the station, enabling it to rise without an excessive gradient and curve gently to the south of the town to reach the new joint station, over half a mile from the CW facility.

The CK&P/CW Joint passenger station opened with the line to Penrith on 2 January 1865 but the CW terminus was retained as a passenger station for six months, closing on 1 July 1865 after which it lived on as the town’s goods and mineral station, used by both the CW and CK&P. The warehouse was pulled down and henceforth the former passenger station handled goods. Cattle-handling facilities were replaced by a loading dock at the new site. In mid 1866 the London & North Western Railway (LNW) took over the CW and Whitehaven Junction railways.

In 1876 the adapted CW passenger station drew criticism from Mr Bewsher, the goods agent: he ascribed the falling into arrears of his accounts to the poor health of his clerks and himself caused by the dilapidated state of the offices! It seems that his seniors were not convinced, and after he was cautioned he absconded, leaving a deficiency in the accounts. In 1878 the LNW recognised the need to improve the goods station, and the principal change involved converting the engine shed into a goods warehouse, doubling its length by extending eastwards, and providing an internal platform to serve the single track which passed though it; an office block was attached at the east end. This work was done in the early 1880s and the former passenger station was demolished. A timber yard and saw mill were established at the northern end of the site.

The goods station was busy for many years, handling coal and timber; in later years, fertilisers became an important traffic and West Cumberland Farmers handled traffic at the warehouse. However in the early 1960s activity declined sharply, and the yard closed on 1 June 1964 when goods traffic ceased to operate on almost all of the Penrith – Workington route. After closure the goods warehouse survived for many years but it has been demolished. A retail superstore and its car park now occupy the site.

Route map drawn by Alan Young. Timetable from Alan Young

To see the other stations on the Cockermouth - Penrith line click on the station name: Cockermouth 2nd, Embleton, Bassenthwaite Lake, Braithwaite, Keswick, Briery Siding Halt, Threlkeld, Highgate Platform, Troutbeck, Penruddock & Blencow

Click here for a brief history of the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway

Looking east from Cockermouth Junction c1950s. The Cockermouth & Workington Railway, opened in 1847, is the double-track leading to the original passenger station, which became the town’s goods station from 1865. The CK&P single line climbs on a right hand curve on its way to Cockermouth (2nd) passenger station. To its right is the end of the ‘Stockton siding’ which was used for holding westbound coke trains from Stockton & Darlington Railway (absorbed by the North Eastern Railway even before the CK&P was opened) before they continued to the ironworks of west Cumberland.
Photo by Richard L Pattinson courtesy of Cumbrian Railway Association

1866 1: 2,500 OS map. This map shows the Cockermouth & Workington Railway (1st) station at the end of its life as a passenger station. The Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway single track, curving south-eastwards on an embankment towards the new station (which opened in January 1865) has just been added to the map. The buildings (all unshaded) on the 1st station site are (from NW to SE) the engine shed, coal depot, passenger station (beside the small layby on the main road) and the goods warehouse. Note how two railway tracks enter the warehouse, but that these are reached by a single line at right angles to the line through the passenger station; the circles on the right-angle junctions indicate wagon turntables. These enabled goods to be handled in a very restricted space. The locomotive turntable is located on the siding striking north-westwards along the bank of
the River Derwent.

1900 1: 2,500 OS map. In the 1880s the cramped first Cockermouth station site was enlarged and the buildings and sidings layout greatly altered; the new arrangements are depicted here. The building labelled ‘Goods Station’ is the warehouse created by extending the old engine shed. The former passenger building, which served for almost 20 years as the goods warehouse, has been demolished. The northern end of the site now accommodates a timber yard and saw mill with associated sidings and cranes. In the goods yard a coal depot, cranes and weigh offices (‘W.M.’ = weighing machine) are identified.

The Cockermouth & Workington (CW) Railway’s two-road locomotive shed is seen looking east in September 1966. This was located at the CW passenger station which opened in 1847. The shed was extended by 25ft in 1858 (adding the fourth and fifth arches in the wall). After housing LNW locomotives for some ten years the building was further extended to serve as a new goods shed. The adjacent passenger station closed in 1865 but the site continued to operate as Cockermouth Goods until 1964; the photograph was taken a little over two years after it closed completely.
Photo by Harold D Bowtell

In April 1980 coal continues to be stocked at the site of Cockermouth (1st) / Cockermouth Goods station.
Photo by John Mann

The disused goods shed at the Cockermouth (1st) site, looking north-west in August 1983. One track passed through the goods shed to the eastern end, where a stone-built office wing was provided. The coal cells in the foreground are still in use. The buildings shown on this photograph were to be demolished with site redeveloped as a retail store and car park.
Photo by Harold D Bowtell

'The Lakes Home Centre’ retail store and car park now occupies the site of the first Cockermouth station. This is a similar viewpoint to the John Mann picture above.
Photo by Nate Francis

[Source: Alan Young]

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Station Name: COCKERMOUTH FIRST SITE