Map Cockermouth from Town Guide 1949. At the top centre of the map only the old Cottage Hospital is shown prior to the building of the Hospital Estate by Twinames in the late 60s early 70s. Castlegate Drive is the A594 main road going to Keswick – traffic jams in Castlegate were about to start! Park Lane is now Isel Road.

On Windmill Lane there are houses as far as Waste Lane before the expansion of that estate from the 1950s onwards.

The Riverdale Estate has not yet been built with only Vicarage Lane, Simonscales Avenue and Towers Lane being built. Nearby, Strawberry Howe Road has the County Grammar School, later closed to become a business centre then apartments.

Harris Park in 1949 has tennis, bowling, putting and clock golf. Parkside Avenue building has been started and will eventually join with the Lamplugh Road A5066 that leads to Egremont and Ennerdale (Lake!).

On the bottom left corner of the map is Brigham Road with the words indicating that this led to Brigham village and Workington Town. This was known as the high road to Brigham and it continued through Brigham to the west edge known as Brigham Hill where it joined the low road from Cockermouth and the road then went to Broughton Cross, Bridgefoot to Workington. To clarify, there was another road from Cockermouth, the A594 that was the continuation of Castlegate Drive, along Main Street and then to Workington. Note that it goes under the railway line (see other photos) then continues along what is called Workington Road here but is now called Low Road. The Workington Road and Brigham Road join on the west end of Brigham village. Note that at this time the railway line runs beside the Derwent but today the main road has been built on the railway line and Brigham village is bypassed and is back to its original rural tranquillity.

Note that the A roads were renamed and consolidated into todays naming at a later date.

The Laithwaite Rugby Union Ground moved to the area beyond Strawberry How on the Lorton Road and their old grounds became Low Road Close housing. The railway line that traverses Cockermouth at this time, today has become the greenway and cycle and walking route.

Note that the cricket ground is known locally as Sandair and at one time the processions of colourful horse drawn floats of Cockermouth Carnivals would end up at Sandair Cricket Ground. Before the Carnival, the predecessor was Cousin Charley’s children’s parade and there is a photo of a hot air balloon rising from Sandair Cricket Ground in 1901 that gave an enterprising photographer the photo of Cockermouth from the air in 1901.

Note that the Papcastle Road is written in large letters, but is a very narrow road! This is in the early days of car and lorry and bus transport. The Papcastle Road leads to Papcastle, Broughton and Workington.

Note that at this time, churches are categorised as either Roman Catholic or Non-Conformist Churches… Note that at this time hotels were either licensed to sell alcohol or unlicenced. The photo of Grassmoor Hotel on Main Street proudly advertises that it is a Temperance Hotel. Note the icon for Post Offices plural, there was one at the junction of Brigham Road and Lamplugh Road.

Did you spot the dotted line of the bridge From High Sand Lane to Brewery Lane – this is dotted because the bridge did not exist at this time. It was washed away in August 1938 and not replaced until 1963. It had been used for traffic – see photos.

Note opposite the Castle is the Mill Race coming from the Derwent to power the watermills down the Gote, not powering Derwent Mill that has its own coal power chimney.