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Mitchells Horse sale 1906. This is now the car park for Sainsbury store and on the left now Fairfield Primary School has been built. Here there is one of the horse sales run by Mitchells auction. At that time horses were the main mode of transport for people and goods, the internal combustion engine was in its very early unreliable days. Note that different hats indicate the status of people, flat caps for working class, top hats for the elite, and various hat types in between. In the centre foreground someone with a possible uniform examines a horse; the army transport was horses, not motorised vehicles.
Look at the far right and observe a series of posts that seem to be a fence, but they are the posts and washing lines of the public drying ground for household washing because a lot of houses either didn’t have their own back yard for a clothes line. Most houses were back-to-back. Eg see photos of Sullart Street before the houses were demolished to make the road wider; these houses had no back yard to hang washing.
On the right is Fairfield school. The row of houses on the left were the workhouses. Ordnance Survey maps of this period show the large area of the workhouse.
The Victorian Workhouse was an institution that was intended to provide work and shelter for poverty stricken people who had no means to support themselves. With the advent of the Poor Law system, Victorian workhouses, designed to deal with the issue of pauperism, in fact became prison systems detaining the most vulnerable in society.
The harsh system of the workhouse became synonymous with the Victorian era, an institution which became known for its terrible conditions, forced child labour, long hours, malnutrition, beatings and neglect. It would become a blight on the social conscience of a generation leading to opposition from the likes of the Charles Dickens.
The Victorian Workhouse – Historic UK (historic-uk.com)
The area of the workhouse was demolished 1947/8 and is now housing and flats of Fairfield View and Fitz View between Sullart Street and Gallowbarrow.
See Bradbury p82 83
Note on the upper left is a row of four boxes protecting new planting of chestnut trees that now in 2024 have matured into the lovely trees we see as we approach the traffic lights at the top of Sullart Street. 1906
South Street looking towards Sainsbury car park with Fairfield Primary School in distance. Rickerby Ltd is now Shills restaurant and Goodfellows tyres use the three buildings beyond. Note the farming machinery on display
South Street 18 opposite the entrance to Sainsbury car park was Thomas Armstrong woodyard with their chimney that powered the machines that took trees and turned them into planks. The row of houses was demolished to make the entrance to Lowther Went car park c 1950
South Street opposite the exit from Sainsbury car park. Rickerby used the building until Raymond Hall used it as a warehaouse. The upper part on the right is demolished. The white building to the right was also demolished, as were a row of buildings that were used as Thomas Armstrong offices for the work they did in the yard behind. Now the right of the photo is the entrance to Lowther Went car park with shrubs to the right of the arch. Note that on the foreground rightt is the edge of the old auction building that was demolished to make the delivery area for Sainsbury, but unfortunately the width of the pavement was drastically reduced and is now a pedestrian hazard.
South Street 18 building Lowther Went shopping and parking area from former Thomas Armstrong woodyard. Left edge of photo shows the elevated telephone exchange. On the right the main shop was occupied by Walter Willson grocer who moved from Main Street then was occupied by Wilko c 1970
South Street Lowther Went redevelopment Walter Willson building 002
South Street 18 building Wilko was Thomas Armstrong woodyard demolished telephone exchange Walter Wilson moved from Main Street then Wilko c 1970 p3
South Street 18 building Wilko former Thomas Armstrong woodyard demolished elevated telephone exchange on right Walter Wilson moved from Main Street then Wilko c 1970
South Street looking west Mitchels auction before demolition to create Sainsbury store. The right foreground white building is Leslie Cleeland carpet and lino store before centralising to the Main Street shop that had been the Blue Bell pub and creating the furniture store. c 1960
South Street Sullart Street street May Bank Holiday market. The Auction Mart is on the left where Sainsbury is now, Thos Armstrong offices of the building company on the centre right with their woodyard behind. c 1960
South Street on right the buildings were Thomas Armstrong woodyard and construction offices, their sign is on the wall. These were demolished to give access to Lowther Went shopping and parking that replaced the woodyard. The grey tall building remains where you drive into the Lowther Went car park. On the left is Mitchells auction that was demolished to become Sainsbury c 1960
South Street Thomas Armstrong opposite todays Sainsbury car park entrance. the stone of the two storey gable end is still seen at the entrance to Lowther Went car park. The entrance to the car park required the demolition of the whitle houses. Behind this row was the woodyard of Thomas Armstrong. A local who worked there described seeing their cart loaded with tree trunks being pulled by a horse from the lower station goods yard (where Lakes Home Centre is now), along Main Street and turned right through the archway that is now the entrance to Lowther Went. You can still see the grooves on the stone blocks where the horse turned too early and the cart scraped the sides. c 1960
South Street 18 a row of buildings was demolished from the photographer to the gable end of the building ahead. The buildings had been the offices of Thomas Armstrong woodyard and construction whose site has been cleared in this photo for the construction of Lowther Went shopping area and car park.
The largest store was Walter Willson who moved from Main Street, then after they closed, Wilko took over, then closed (2024). Note the elevated telephone exchange c 1970 p3
South Street opposite the exit from Sainsbury car park. Rickerby used the building until Raymond Hall used it as a warehaouse. The upper part on the right is demolished. The white building to the right was also demolished, as were a row of buildings that were used as Thomas Armstrong offices for the work they did in the yard behind. Now the right of the photo is the entrance to Lowther Went car park with shrubs to the right of the arch. Note that on the foreground rightt is the edge of the old auction building that was demolished to make the delivery area for Sainsbury, but unfortunately the width of the pavement was drastically reduced and is now a pedestrian hazard.
South Street 23 to Sullart Street George Abbot Agricultural supplies ahead Post Office Sorting on right c 1970 p3
South Street Kittison Lane joined Station Road with South Street ahead. On the right foreground is Fairfield House, further down the lane is the rear of what at this time is Fairfield Restaurant and the single storey building is Mitchells auction. Note to the left of Mitchells is a gate across the lane that links to the other part of Mitchells Auction premises and behind the wall on the lef is the car park for the auction buildings on the left. The gate and extra gates closed this lane on auction days because the cattle came by wagon into the lorry park on the left, unloaded, then were stored in the left area. When the animals were to be sold they were herded from the left side of this lane to the auction ring on the right side of the lane. c 1960
South Street 30 hardware shop with tools and foot rot paste and cattle medicines c 1900 p2
South Street 7 building Sainsbury car park Goodfellows and auction buildings c 1960
South Street car park Goodfellows Tyres auction buildings Fairfield School. Note the leaning chimney of the former foundry that was later partly reduced in size and today unfortunately Cockermouth does not have a leaning tower of … c 1970 p3
South Street 7 building SainsburySainsbury car park before Sainsbury built when Mitchells auction building were there c 1960
South Street 8 Birketts bread cakes shop demolished for Walter Wilson car park c 1960
South Street 8 Birketts shop before demolition for Thomas Armstrong offices c 1960
Aerial South Street from 1968 shows Thomas Armstrong woodyard and offices that were later demolished to give access to Lowther Went car park and shops. 1968 p3
South Street from Cocker Lane. A crane removes the 1887 Quaker bridge and replaces it with South Street footbridge 1984
South Street lower looking to South Street footbridge as it was washed away in 1938 flood. 1938
South Street Croft Terrace Quaker Bridge damaged Cocker flood Town Hall. This may be the 1931 or 1932 or 1938 flood.
South Street lower 10 approaching Station Street. On the right are the gates to the yard of the former premises of West Cumberland Times offices and printing press. Up the slope is the Tithe Barn. c 1950
South Street lower building once used for South Street doctors surgery before being flooded and moving to temporary buildings until the new Cockermouth Medical Centre replaced the South Street surgery. The shop on far right was Johnny Moor bike repair c 1950
South Street lower Cocker Lane a crane removes the 1887 Quaker bridge and replaces it with South Street footbridge 1984
South Street lower Croft Mill c 1900 p2
South Street the craft Bowling Green in the foreground and the converted craft mill behind c 1980
South Street between Croft Terrace and Challoner Street old premises which used to be part of Bewshers grocery shop. This building has not been renovated in 2024.. Through the sliding door into the shop, two levels, steep steps to the upstairs part with no side rails, One of the Brewsher brothers had a shop on Main Street which is now Tarentella restaurant. c 1950
Bradbury p165 states that this building was originally built as a malt house on the garden of Joseph Clementson in 1810 and in a transfer of 1843 is described as a Malt House and Maltkin with various equipment. A Malt House was used in the process of making beer, there is a good photo of someone raking the grain in the Malt House of Jennings Brewery in this collection. LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01
South Street lower original Quaker Bridge 1887 lasted through various floods until replaced in 1984. The bridge is also known as South Street bridge.
South Street lower original Quaker Bridge damaged in 1939 flood cottages on left demolished Croft Mill behind redeveloped into flats. It may have been the 1931 flood.
South Street lower Quaker Bridge damaged in 1939 replaced and house demolished with Croft Mill behind 2020 p4
South Street market from Station Street all the way to Sullart Street 1960s
South Street market from Station Street all the way to Sullart Street 1960s
South Street R Grave House Furnishing and Gramophone records
South Street Sainsbury car park carnival bus reg AO8091 c 1920
South Street Sainsbury car park carnival festival the child is dressed as the masked Lone Ranger, a popular cinema and TV series at the time. Mitchells auction buildings behind, now Sainsbury, Luchini ices behind the horse address is 60 Main Street which is now Cockermouth Travel. c 1960
South Street Sainsbury car park next Mayor carnivals and festivals c 1950 p3
Aerial of South Street and Sainsbury car park. At the bottom right is the white roof of a van outside the Cockermouth mortuary. Note behind Goodfellows on the left is the foundry chimney which later started to lean and the top part was straightened recently.
South Street Sullart Street corner shop with Stricketts Court behind before redevelopment
Station Street Sealby grocery advert on their gable end. The individual shops of the Maryport Cooperative Society next to Sealby. Note the gable end above the shop was the store for grain and other items and has doors in the gable end and at one time there would have been a hoist.
On the right is the gable end of the old Public Hall, later demolished for NatWest Bank, now food outlet. c 1950
