Maps Plans Harbour & Coast

Before Maryport existed, villages & pele towers defend against Border Reivers

Map 1662 Mayport not on Cumberland Map Pont Blaeu NLS
Map 1662 Mayport not on Cumberland Map Pont Blaeu NLS

Note there is no port in 1662. To view a zoomable map of the area click the link below View Map on National Library of Scotland Blaeu Atlas Maior 1662-5, Volume 5 Cvmbria, Vulgo Cumberland Brigantes. Cvmber-Land (page 358-359)

Maryport tidal dock no gates so ships ground when tide recedes

Map of Maryport The Dock only one single dock Robinson p19
Map of Maryport identifying The Dock ie only one single dock. South Pier, North Pier The Tongue and The Quay identified. Note the buildings facing the Solway Frith (sic) which was not called Solway Firth until ... Source Robinson p19

Maryport harbour north section

Maryport harbour surveyed in 1865 after the Elizabeth Dock was built in 1857 but before the Senhouse Dock was built in 1884. Senhouse dock wil be built where "Bight" is marked on the map, but first the shore to the left has to be built up and a sea wall constructed. Map from NLS 231274845 https://maps.nls.uk/view/231274845

Maryport harbour north section

– entrance to Elizabeth Dock shows dock before Senhouse Dock is built. Shows Patent Slip ship launching slipway from Shipbuilding Yard.  South Pier shows Tidal Ball, Lighthouse, multiple  mooring posts and capstan. The area marked Bight will become the entrance to Senhouse Dock. On South Quay coal loading hurries extend over the waterline towards the River Ellen which is marked as Old Harbour, where a photo shows multiple sailing ships crammed together against the wall, no wonder they needed a new dock!

1865 survey published 1881 click this to zoom into map  https://maps.nls.uk/view/231274845  

Maryport harbour south section

–Elizabeth Dock shown dock before Senhouse Dock is built. The sandy shore is adjacent to the rail lines and shows how much land needed to be built into the sea and how extensive and expensive the sea wall had to be.  See the explanation in Higham book.  Elizabeth Dock is a floating dock ie gates close so ships float when the tide recedes. Note coal loading hurries extend over the waterline towards the tidal dock and the floating dock, and multiple rail lines to bring the coal wagons and return the empty ones. At the bottom of the map the checked area of the slope into the harbour has been respectfully retained during the modernisation of the area.  The drinking fountain has gone but is a reminder that a lot of water from other sources may not be safe to drink. Note multiple shipbuilding yards and launching slipways around Irish Street, the one on the bottom right “Patent Slip” has been kept beside the current leisure (Wave) building.  The Ship Inn is now the Maryport Navy Club Ltd. Opposite the Maryport Tandoori and The Captain Nelson pub is a building that is shown on the map as Bethel – please supply any information.  To the right of Bethel is the drawbridge that could be swivelled? to allow the passage of ships that were constructed upstream.  At the top left of the map is the octagonal Lookout House with Storm Signal marked.  In poor visibility an explosive charge might give an approaching ship an indication of how near they were to the coast, this was before the days of electric powered air horns.  The Magazine for the explosive charges is shown top right.  Some people will remember the similar explosive charges, the size of a coin, put on rail lines and used as a warning, caution or stop signal in dense fog when signals are difficult to see (before wireless radio or mobile phones were invented).

Elizabeth Dock before land reclamation and Senhouse Dock. Surveyed: 1865,  Published: 1866.

 

https://maps.nls.uk/view/231274845  

1837 tidal dock - 1857 Elizabeth dock - 1884 Senhouse dock

1837 tidal dock – 1857 Elizabeth dock – 1884 Senhouse dock​ description and boundary from page 241 “An Illustrated History of Maryport” by John Higham published 2023 available from Maryport Post Office and Bookcase Carlisle £15.

Map harbour 1837 tidal dock. As the tide recedes, ships settle on the mud - this is before Elizabeth floating dock was built ie gates close, water remains in dock, ships float. Resting on solid ground could warp the planks of the hull. Google maps
Map harbour old coastline over Senhouse Dock Elizabeth Dock
Maryport harbour showing the old coastline. In 1837 the first tidal dock was built, where the Aquarium is now. Then in 1857 Elizabeth Dock was built behind it, with lock gates so ships floated - a floating dock. Eventually another dock was required but first the coastline had to be extended out to sea! Eventually Senhouse Dock was opened in 1884. See other pages for construction and opening ceremony. Aerial photo by Google 2023.

Section from 1899 map detail of harbour docks

Two floating docks and the tidal dock shows the amount of land that was extended into the sea, see text about the controversy of extending the land and building the dock elsewhere in this site. Map NLS 101091529 1899 two docks https://maps.nls.uk/view/101091529

Cumberland Sheet XLIV.NE Revised: 1899, Published: 1901 https://maps.nls.uk/view/101091529 

A map shows South Pier on sandbank later reclaimed for Senhouse Dock https://maps.nls.uk/view/231274842   

Section from 1899 map showing industries on the shoreline

Maryport factories on the shore gas works tannery flour mill NLS
Maryport factories on the shore gas works tannery flour mill NLS https://maps.nls.uk/view/101091529

Map shows the industries on the shoreline ie Gas Works, Old Quarry, Four Mill, Tannery. And Pudding Pie Hill , with Parade Ground marked to the south of the building that becomes the Battery, then the Senhouse Roman Museum Coastguard Station, Friends Meeting House, Watch House on the Groyne by the sea – see picture of the white painted building on the Groyne. Papermill Green is shown under Mote Hill – Castle Hill.  Curzon Street does not continue past Station Street ie it does not cross the Ellen in this map revised 1898 published 1901. Phoenix Foundry is shown at Elizabeth Dock.

Cumberland Sheet XLIV.NE Revised: 1899, Published: 1901 https://maps.nls.uk/view/101091529

Section from 1863 Ordnance Survey map

Map Maryport 1863 - 1864 NLS. Sheet 22 – Maryport Surveyed: 1863 to 1864, Revised: 1895, Published: 1897 Scale 1 inch to 1 mile. Elizabeth Dock and Senhouse Dock are shown. To cross the River Ellen, at the end of Curzon Street turn left towards the railway station then right and over the railway line. Later Curzon Street is extended over the river and rail line. See: Google Maps Nether Hall (now known as Netherhall) is shown above Netherton on the other side of the road to Grasslot Colliery. https://maps.nls.uk/view/101168375

Sheet 22 – Maryport Surveyed: 1863 to 1864, Revised: 1895, Published: 1897 Scale 1 inch to 1 mile.

Elizabeth Dock and Senhouse Dock are shown. To cross the River Ellen, at the end of Curzon Street turn left towards the railway station then right and over the railway line.  Later Curzon Street is extended over the river and rail line.

Nether Hall (now known as Netherhall) is shown above Netherton on the other side of the road to Grasslot Colliery. On a personal note, the Ballantyne Dykes of Dovenby Hall insisted that if a railway was to be built over their land, then it must have a diversion for their own private station at Dovenby. The track bed from Workington is now the A66 and the bridge parapet at Brigham was washed away recently in floods but the station house of Papcastle and of Dovenby remain in perfect preservation and domestic use.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/101168375

Ellenborough & Ewarigg Castle Holme Ropery Railway lines 1865

Map Maryport ropery across the Ellen 1865 note shipbuilding yard Papermill Green and proximity of shore
Map Maryport ropery across the Ellen 1865 note shipbuilding yard Papermill Green and proximity of shore. NLS

Ellenborough & Ewarigg. Ellenborough Place Hutton Place Norman Terrace and Railway lines and shipbuilding yard Castle Holme 1865 survey. Shows the Ropery leading to Papermill Green. and shipbuilding yard on Castle Holme. The Bents is named.

Source Maryport – Cumberland XLIV.8.14 Surveyed: 1865,  Published: 1866.https://maps.nls.uk/view/231274863

Industries on Maryport shore 1866 - ?

Map NLS Maryport 1866 showing industries on the shore below Pudding Pie Hill (Tumulus) NLS 231274839 https://maps.nls.uk/view/231274839

Maryport industry on the shore below Pudding Pie Hill. click link to zoom into map. https://maps.nls.uk/view/231274839 

List from bottom of map: Friends Meeting House Seating for 430 with Grave Yard. Corn Mill powered by steam, with well in the grounds. Gas Works, the gasometer storage tanks are not immediately adjacent. Solway Foundry, Iron & Brass. Valentia Foundry, Iron & Brass. Gasometer. Unknown yard. Unknown building. A well and possible pond by the Tannery with its pits to soak the hides, and presumably empty the effluent into the sea.

Pudding Pie Hill is shown with a standing stone – what happened to this feature? When were the industrial buildings demolished?

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