Gote Road Spital Ing Lane The Hospice
Gote Road Menu
At the bottom of Gote Brow, opposite today’s James Walker factory, is this lane called Spital Ing Lane. The lane leads to Low Gote Mill, once powered by a water wheel that is now embedded at the side of the renovated building.
The channel of the mill race started opposite and further round the bend from Cockermouth Castle, along the riverside path from the footbridge over the Derwent. The sluice gate that allowed the water to flow down the channel remains and has an explanation board beside it. Another explanation board opposite the outflow of river Cocker explains about controlling the flow that powered High Gote Mill (now Lawsons Haulage) and Low Gote Mill which was owned by the Harris family.
The Quaker family of Harris began linen manufacture in Cockermouth in Low Gote Mill early last century and built Derwent Mill for their expanding business in 1834, enlarging it considerably in 1847 and 1855. The ‘hospice’ building near Low Gote was erected in the firm’s early days for drying flax (it appears on the 1832 map) and a compulsory purchase order made by the County Council in 1975 has ensured its preservation. [chpt 32 p257]
Was it a Hospice?
By the early 1200s there were at least 11 monasteries and nunneries in Cumbria, whose story must be sought elsewhere. In 1233 the Dominican or Black Friars settled in Carlisle and there is a tradition that they founded in Cockermouth the hospice of St. Leonard about 1285, hence the reference “add caput ville versus capeUa sancti Leonardi.” [1]. A hospice was a rest house and place of prayer for travellers, especially before undertaking a dangerous part of a journey. The small building in Spittal Ings referred to as ‘the hospice’ was in fact an early 19th century industrial building, but it may indicate that the hospice was close by, especially as just south of this site a beck was once crossed by ‘Black Friars Bridge’ (Fig. 63). A hospice here would be near the crossing of the Derwent or, if the Derwent did once flow through the site of Walker’s factory, would be between crossings of the Derwent and Cocker. The old station site was called St. Leonard’s and the name is perpetuated in St. Leonard’s Close east of the Gote. [chpt 26 p204]
The “Hospice”
In 1975, Cumbria County Council issued the St Leonards Hospice Compulsory Purchase Order and took over the property for preservation. This small building, 33½ feet by 17 feet, thus became public property.
Of two storeys, it is built of rough squared sandstone with dressed quoins and surrounds to the openings. [38] The fact that the ‘windows’ appear to have been shuttered rather than glazed supports the opinion that it dates from 1810-1820 as a flax drying shed – “an interesting piece of industrial archaeology and relating to the former textile industry of Cockermouth”. [39] It was used as a joinery store in 1971 and when taken over was in a very bad condition. The Council partially restored the building and temporarily blocked the openings to ensure preservation. (Fig. 63). In 1985, with the addition of some adjacent land and a better approach, it was converted into St Leonards House. [Chpt 36 p299]
The Gote area.
Spital Ing Lane leads to (Low) Gote Mills (corn) which powered the Harris family flax and corn mill. Where the word Spital is, the house on the right was built as a drying shed by the Harris family who started their business in Low Goat Mill (on the left).
The Harris family came from Ireland and their business was in the production of linen, converting flax into linen and they dried it in what we know as the Hospice. Linen was the common clothing material. Eventually the Harris family built Harris Mill, which was powered by coal and steam and built a bridge across the Derwent for their workers. Later a firm from Yarmouth called Millers took over the buildings so the building and bridge became known as Millers.
Low Goat Mills (corn) and is now where Lawsons Haulage operate from. At the entrance to their haulage yard is the three storey mill building and a protruding upper shed where pulleys brought the sacks of grain. This was powered by the mill race that ran from the Derwent past the bend opposite the castle, the remains can still be seen with an explanatory display board.
On the Papcastle Road is Low Goat Mill, powered by the same mill race from opposite the castle. The water wheel at the Low Goat Mill on the Papcastle road has been refurbished and is displayed outside the mill building which is now dwellings.
Back Lane leads to Derwentside Gardens housing.
A sketch from Bradbury is based on a map of “Land belonging to Goathouse” 1727, shows High Gote Mill and Low Gote Mill and the leat water channel supplying them.
Click for zoomable map from the National Library of Scotland: https://maps.nls.uk/view/229913841
Gote Road Spital Ing Lane The Hospice flax drying shed
The Quaker family of Harris began linen manufacture in Cockermouth in Low Gote Mill early last century and built Derwent Mill for their expanding business in 1834, enlarging it considerably in 1847 and 1855. The ‘hospice’ building near Low Gote was erected in the firm’s early days for drying flax (it appears on the 1832 map) and a compulsory purchase order made by the County Council in 1975 has ensured its preservation. [Bradbury. chpt 32 p257]
Was it a Hospice?
By the early 1200s there were at least 11 monasteries and nunneries in Cumbria, whose story must be sought elsewhere. In 1233 the Dominican or Black Friars settled in Carlisle and there is a tradition that they founded in Cockermouth the hospice of St. Leonard about 1285, hence the reference “add caput ville versus capeUa sancti Leonardi.” [1].
A hospice was a rest house and place of prayer for travellers, especially before undertaking a dangerous part of a journey. The small building in Spittal Ings referred to as ‘the hospice‘ was in fact an early 19th century industrial building, but it may indicate that the hospice was close by, especially as just south of this site a beck was once crossed by ‘Black Friars Bridge’ (Fig. 63). A hospice here would be near the crossing of the Derwent or, if the Derwent did once flow through the site of Walker’s factory, would be between crossings of the Derwent and Cocker. The old station site was called St. Leonard’s and the name is perpetuated in St. Leonard’s Close east of the Gote. [B. chpt 26 p204]
The “Hospice”
In 1975, Cumbria County Council issued the St Leonards Hospice Compulsory Purchase Order and took over the property for preservation. This small building, 33½ feet by 17 feet, thus became public property. Of two storeys, it is built of rough squared sandstone with dressed quoins and surrounds to the openings. [38] The fact that the ‘windows’ appear to have been shuttered rather than glazed supports the opinion that it dates from 1810-1820 as a flax drying shed – “an interesting piece of industrial archaeology and relating to the former textile industry of Cockermouth”. [39] It was used as a joinery store in 1971 and when taken over was in a very bad condition. The Council partially restored the building and temporarily blocked the openings to ensure preservation. (Fig. 63). In 1985, with the addition of some adjacent land and a better approach, it was converted into St Leonards House. [Chpt 36 p299]
Gote Road Spittle Inn Lane “The Hospice” built by the Harris family as a drying place for their linen.
Gote Road Spital Ing Lane.
The Quaker family of Harris began linen manufacture in Cockermouth in Low Gote Mill early last century and built Derwent Mill for their expanding business in 1834, enlarging it considerably in 1847 and 1855. The ‘hospice’ building near Low Gote was erected in the firm’s early days for drying flax (it appears on the 1832 map) and a compulsory purchase order made by the County Council in 1975 has ensured its preservation. [chpt 32 p257]
The chimney pumps water to Maryport
Gote Road. The sunlight makes the gable end pink of the locally misnamed “Hospice” with the arched windows in it gable end.
The Quaker family of Harris began linen manufacture in Cockermouth in Low Gote Mill early last century and built Derwent Mill for their expanding business in 1834, enlarging it considerably in 1847 and 1855. The ‘hospice’ building near Low Gote was erected in the firm’s early days for drying flax (it appears on the 1832 map) and a compulsory purchase order made by the County Council in 1975 has ensured its preservation. [B. chpt 32 p257]
On the left edge of the photo is a gate to Spital Ing Lane that leads to Low Gote Mill, once powered by a water channel that ran from opposite Cockermouth Castle, to power High and Low Gote mills. Low Gote Mill was owned by the Harris family who made linen flax from the stalks of plants and dried the cloth in the building with the pink stone gable end with its open windows to facilitate the air blowing to the inside to dry the linen.
The road bending to the right shows the buildings that were an obstruction to Papcastle Road, so were eventually removed.
Gote Road, Cockermouth carnival or festival advertises Harris linen as it was made.
Linen was made from flax, not cotton, and other photos show the sheets of flax laid on the field beside Derwent Mills to dry and bleach in the sun.
A spinning wheel is beside the lady at the front of the horse drawn wagon, a quaint reminder of the process before the steam power and machines of Derwent Mill.
The vehicle (with its oil lamps for lights) carries a machine that processes rolls of linen. This early motor vehicle has registration N3772, surely one of the first commercial vehicles in Cockermouth.
On the left edge you can see the protruding roof of High Gote Mill, now Lawsons Haulage yard.
