Market Place with signpost to Keswick before demolition of building on right to make new entrance to Market Place car park. On the left is Fletcher gents hairdresser, next is Cockermouth;s first bank that here is a grocery shop, mext is Castle Studios of Geoff Holiday antiques, now Allerdale Court, next is Red House a general shop with the Hillman Imp outside (aluminium rear engine) next is three storey with fancy ballustrade on the top, next is the slightly smaller three storey Ship Inn, now the sensitively restored Castle Bar with significant preserved features, next, just sticking out onto the pavement is the front window extension of the private house (the window extension later removed) and next is the protrusion of an entrance, further is the National Benzole petrol station. Number 26 had been Cockermouth's first bank. c 1960
Market Place Menu
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Market Place 28 demolition of a tree by a lorry 1 1960 p3
Market Place 28 Angela & Arnold Robinson ladies outfitter. 26 The Granary Health Foods. 24 was Cockermouth’s first bank in 1870s, here Motor Spare Parts. c 1960
Market Place 28 demolition of a tree by a lorry 2 1960 p3
Market Place 28 to Castlegate A A Robinson clothing store c 1960
Market Place 28 to Castlegate Alf Wise shoe repairer next to Castle Vaults Jennings off-licence c 1960
Market Place 3 7 left is Sun Inn then Mrs Duff’s wool shop Mrs Eve wallpaper paints c 1960
Market Place 30 Banks shop, looking up Castlegate with empty shop on right. On the left by Banks shop is the entrance to Banks Court where there was The Cumberland Toy & Model Museum. c 1980
Market Place 30 The Cutting Room hairdresser also 30 Sewing shop then Castle Vaults c 1950 p3
Market Place 35 lorry crashed into Ellwood filling station which is in the shop front. The lorry bends the lamp post. The lorry was likely trying to refuel from the fuel hose that did not extend far. There is another photo of a lorry carrying huge long trees and is blocking the road while it refuels while Ellwood fuel petrol filling station was here.
Ellwood garage eventually moved from Market Place where vehicles blocked the road while filling. When the railway station closed in 1966 the land around it was no longer in use. An area adjacent to the Cockermouth railway station had cattle pens, but some cattle that had to be stored overnight were allowed to graze on land below the station forecourt. After the railway closed, this land became available to be developed and Ellwood saw the opportunity to move their filling station from Market Place to land with an entrance off Station Road. They also were able to expand their business and they built a car repair building and small car showroom. After a fire in the workshop the establishment was closed and the whole site, including Ellwood’s, West Cumberland Farmers, and Walker Bros builders merchants, were redeveloped into today’s West Cumberland Farmers and Lidl store. There is a photo of Ellwood in their new location that is taken from what is now the exit from Sainsbury car park.
Ellwoods filling station, shop empty now, ROKO sold household furnishing and is now outdoor clothing, J W Bowe is now J C Lingerie. Shop to right of wagon with Roko sign is now “Clothing Down” outdoor clothing store. The bypass was built in the 1960s and this happened in the normal through traffic from Keswick to West Cumbria c 1950
Market Place 34 Banks on left with road up to Castlegate. Castlegate Castle Vaults. Market Place 26 is A&A Robinson. Taken from Market Street after Market Street was widened. c 1970
Market Place 34 Banks Ironmongers and Locksmiths established 1836. Note the alley to the right of Banks has a sign Isaac Hodgson Undertalker who was in business in the 1950s to 1960s. To the left of Banks was Melias then in this photo is Fine Fare and is now the Kitchen Shop. c 1950
Market Place 34 Banks Ironmongers and Locksmiths established 1836. To the right is the alley to the Toy Museum and to the right is the shop Fig Tree, now hairdresser. To the right at this time the shop sells childrens clothing and at the far right was originally the Castle Vaults. c 1960
Market Place 34 Banks sign for The Cumberland Toy and Model Museum. 26 Market Place is to let. 1956
Market Place 34 J B Banks Ironmongers Locksmiths Established 1836 Fine Fare to left. Isaac Hodgson undertaker now taken over by Nelson Chicken c 1970
Market Place 34 Melias became Fine Fare now Cockermouth Kitchen Co. c 1970
Market Place 35 J V Ellwood petrol filling station became Rootz hairdresser who moved to 14 Main Street and the shop is now empty. To the left is JW Bowe, now J C ladies clothing. To the right in this photo is the shop below its vertical sign ROKO which sold household materials. The reflection in the window is Melias shop on the other side of the road which was a supermarket.
Note Ellwood’s petrol filling system required the swing arm pump to swing out to vehicles that had to stop outside to be filled. The location of the tanks with petrol are unknown. In Market Place on the left side were two other petrol filling shops with the same type of swing arm filling system and petrol tanks under the floor of the shops – what could go wrong!
When the railway station closed in 1966 the land around it was no longer in use. An area adjacent to the Cockermouth railway station had cattle pens, but some cattle that had to be stored overnight were allowed to graze on land below the station forecourt. After the railway closed, this land became available to be developed and Ellwood saw the opportunity to move their filling station from Market Place to land with an entrance off Station Road. They also were able to expand their business and they built a car repair building and small car showroom. After a fire in the workshop the establishment was closed and the whole site, including Ellwood’s, West Cumberland Farmers, and Walker Bros builders merchants, were redeveloped into today’s West Cumberland Farmers and Lidl store. c 1960
Market Place 35 Ellwood petrol station in the shop with a swing arm pump that required vehicles to stop in the main road from Keswick to West Cumberland.. c 1960
Market Place 36 BH Furnishers 34 Banks. To the left of the furniture shop is Percy House Gallery and the lane to the brewery c 1960 p3
Market Place 36 Fine Fare now Cockermouth Kitchen Co c 1960
