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- Workington
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- Alston
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- Burton-in-Kendal
A guide to what remains by Roger Baker
Interest in the history of gasworks in Cumbria? Click to find out more about:-
Gasworks in Cumbria – the early years
Gasworks in Cumbria – the later years
Country House Gasworks in Cumbria
The Independents
Visit the Gasworks Gallery to see a recent view of each site
| Place | Date | Grid Ref | Location | What’s there now (2006) | Any obvious remains (2006) |
| Alston | 1843 | NY 718466 | Opposite the station | Cleared – proposed housing development | Office(?) against boundary wall |
| Ambleside | 1843 | NY 381041 | On left at top of Blue Hill Road | Cleared – proposed housing development | Remains of retort house walls and chimney. Gasholder tank walls. |
| Appleby | 1837 | NY 671205 | On left at end of Chapel Street | Health Centre on site | Reconstructed boundary wall |
| Askam | SD 214778 | Off Duddon Road | Shoe factory | Boundary wall to station yard | |
| Aspatria | 1859 | NY 155424 | On A596, NW edge of town | Green space and playground | |
| Barrow-in-Furness 1 | 1861 | SD 196691 | Hindpool Road, next to DIY store | Still in use as gas depot | Two unused gasholders |
| Barrow-in-Furness 2 | 1917 | SD 219688 | Salthouse, NW of Salthouse Mills | Cleared | Concrete bases |
| Brampton | 1836 | NY 525611 | Down Orchard Beck, off Longtown Road | Car park and garage | Boundary wall to beck on north side |
| Burton-in-Kendal | 1866 | SD 529765 | Down Station Lane, 100m from Main Street | Converted to housing | Gateposts to entrance. Manager’s house (extended). Retort house(?) converted to garage. |
| Carlisle 1 | 1819 | NY 403555 | Collier Lane | Station car park | |
| Carlisle 2 | 1849 | NY 401555 | Nelson Bridge | Car park | |
| Carlisle 3 | 1922 | NY 401551 | Rome Street | Still in use as depot | Gasholders – 1 original + 1 modern |
| Cleator Moor | 1872 | NY 023155 | Birks Road, adjacent to cycleway See the Little Ireland website |
Cleared site. Modern governor house on corner of site near road. | Raised trackbed of former rail siding. Manager’s house at end of roadside terrace. |
| Cockermouth | 1834 | NY 117305 | S end of Derwent Street | Council depot | Gateposts to entrance |
| Dalton-in-Furness | 1853 | SD 226736 | Abbey Road | Car showroom | |
| Egremont | 1853 | NY 013107 | Lamb Lane, off Main Street | Green space | |
| Frizington | 1910 | NY 037164 |
Park Street | Part housing | Entrance walls and gates. Manager’s house. |
| Grange-over-Sands | 1867 | SD 431791 | Meathop Road, before bridge over R.Winster | Cleared. Modern booster station on site. | Boundary wall at roadside. Gas Works cottages. Manager’s house(?). |
| Harrington | 1866 | NX 989254 | North of harbour | Housing | Rear wall |
| Kendal | 1825 | SD 518919 | N side of Parkside Road | United Utilities depot | Old but not original buildings still in use |
| Keswick | 1845 | NY 267236 | Greta Side, opp Victoria St car park | Car park. Booster station. | Boundary wall in part |
| Kirkby Lonsdale | 1846 | SD 615788 | Bottom of Mill Brow, near river | Private dwelling | Manager’s house renovated and extended over site of retort house. Lawn in garden over site of original gasholders. New (1940s?) gasholder was in walled yard on other side of Mill Brow. |
| Kirkby Stephen | 1864 | NY 774092 | Brough Road before cemetery at junction with Middlegate Lane | Waste ground. Part car compound. | Gasholder tank walls visible at surface. Office building against Lane. |
| Longtown | 1857 | NY 382686 | Raefield, off Burn Street near Clinic | Housing | |
| Maryport | 1834 | NY 036374 | N of harbour, along Nelson St, below Roman Museum on cliff top | Green space. Play area. | |
| Millom | 1875 | SD 177804 | Millom Road, end of Queen St. | Cleared site | |
| Milnthorpe | 1861 | SD 495814 | Next to River Bela, off B5282, W of town centre | Cleared. House built on site. | |
| Penrith | 1830 | NY 519300 | Old London Road | Part in use for gas storage and depot. Part other commercial use. | Gasholder. Some buildings and boundary wall to road frontage. |
| St.Bees | NX 989115 | Private dwelling and garden | Manager’s house | ||
| Seascale | NY 039009 | Across recreation ground, next to water treatment plabt | Green space | ||
| Sedbergh | 1850s | NY 661922 | E side of New Street, off Main Street, below Methodist Church | Private garden. Commercial use. | |
| Silloth | 1858 | NY 112534 | Lane off junction of Skiddaw Street and Eden St | Waste ground | Office building and boundary wall |
| Staveley-in-Kendal | 1865 | SD 471982 | Off SW side of Main Street | House. Round House Theatre. | Retort house – originally woollen mill -converted to private house. Theatre built above gasholder tank. |
| Ulverston | 1834 | SD 292781 | Morecambe Road | Mixed commercial use | Retort house. Office buildings. Boundary wall. |
| Whitehaven 1 | 1831 | NX 974189 | N of harbour, lane off Bransty Rd, near junction with Bransty Row | Skateboard park | |
| Whitehaven 2 | NX 974171 | E side of Low Road, S of town centre, N of junction with Meadow Road | Housing and commercial use | Retort house converted to private dwelling. Boundary wall. | |
| Wigton | 1831 | NY 258485 | Down Tenters, off Main St | Housing. Storage sheds. | Manager’s house |
| Windermere | 1862 | SD 405967 | On left at top of Brantfell Rd, off Kendal Rd in Bowness | Housing estate | Row of gas works cottages above site. Water supply issuing from field. Iron framework for coal store behind modern house built on delivery point. Manager’s house. |
| Workington 1 | 1840 | NX 994289 | Stanley St, W of station | Part cleared. Part housing. Part commercial. | Office building |
| Workington 2 | NX 995283 | Clay Flatts, off Solway Road, S of town centre | Still in use as gas depot and storage facility | Gasholders |
FURTHER READING
The two articles on gasworks in Cumbria at the top of this page both have lists of references attached, but in addition see:
The Windermere gasworks 1862-2004 : Blake Tyson, Transactions of the CWAAS, 2007
Seascale gasworks : James and Joyce Cherry, Transactions of the CWAAS, 2007
And the Cumbria Railways Association show a number of trackside gasworks on their photo gallery.
(Page created 18/05/06. Last updated 21/02/16)