Maryport History (click here for home page)

PROSPECTUS
[note in 1856 the spelling of Solway Frith]

This company is formed for the purpose of constructing a Floating Dock and Harbour at Silloth Bay in the Solway Frith, on the Coast of Cumberland, and connecting the same, by a Railway 12 Miles and Three Quarters in length, with the Port Carlisle railway, and so with the Junction of the Caledonian, Lancaster and Carlisle, and Newcastle and Carlisle railways, at Carlisle, 21 Miles distant.

A safe Port on the Northwest Coast of England, where Vessels may enter and load and discharge at all times of the tide, has long been required, the other Ports on that Coast, as Whitehaven, Workington, Maryport, and Port Carlisle, being dry harbours, and only accessible at tide time.

Silloth Bay, in the Solway Frith, and distant about Twenty-one Miles from Carlisle is peculiarly well situated for the construction of Floating Docks and a Harbour accessible to Vessels at all times of the tide, night as well as day, being a safe anchorage, with deep water close to the shore, in which lard Vessels may ride the whole of the 24 hours, the depth of water at low water of the highest spring tides being from three and a half to five and a half fathoms.

A Railway is now in course of construction from Carlisle to Port Carlisle, which will be completed early next year, and which at Drumburgh, eight miles and a half distant from Carlisle, will be within 13 miles distance from Silloth Bay.

It is proposed, with the concurrence and under the sanction of the Port Carlisle Railway Company, to take advantage of this, and to construct a Floating Dock and Harbour at Silloth Bay, and connect the same with the Port Carlisle Railway, by a Line of Railway twelve and three quarter miles in length, joining the Port Carlisle Railway at Drumburgh, thus making the whole distance from Silloth Bay to Carlisle twenty one miles.

A large and increasing trade is carried on by Newcastle and other Ports on the East Coast of England, with the West Coast of England and Ireland, which the existing Ports on the West coasts are quite inadequate to accommodate. A great part of the traffic is now conducted in sailing vessels round the South of England or North of Scotland, the former being a distance of about 1000 miles, which if goods carried across from Newcastle to Silloth Bay by railway were shipped there, the distance to Ireland would be under 200 miles.

The important and increasing City of Carlisle is now one of the greatest railway centres of the Kingdom, the Lancaster and Carlisle, the Caledonian, the Glasgow and South-Western, the Newcastle and Carlisle, and the Maryport and Carlisle lines all meeting there, and another line from Hawick to Carlisle, in continuation of the North British is also in contemplation.

The projected harbour at Silloth Bay would be the nearest deep sea harbour to this great centre of railways, and as the Solway Frith in which it is situated runs up so far into the land, as a glance at the Map of England will show, the Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway, with the Port Carlisle and Newcastle and Carlisle Railways would form a direct Railway connection between the German Ocean and the Irish Sea at the narrowest part of the Island.

The Harbour at Silloth Bay would thus afford the readiest and best Port for the coal, coke, and manufacturers of Newcastle and the surrounding district sent to the Irish market. Steamers would also be enabled to ply between Silloth Bay and the ports of Liverpool, Dublin, Belfast, and other ports, by which short and easy passages would be afforded at regular hours, quite independent of the tides.

It is proposed, in the first instance, to make a Floating Dock, at Silloth Bay, of about four acres area, which would serve as an Entrance Basin to Docks of a larger area, to be constructed when the increase of trade should require them.

The line from Silloth Bay to Drumburgh, on the Port Carlisle Railway, would pass through a fine agricultural country, and a considerable income from local traffic and passengers may safely be anticipated.

A single line only will be laid down in the first instance, but sufficient land will be taken and works constructed for a double line when the same may be found necessary. The land owners are in general strongly in favour of the line, and some of them are upon the Provisional Committee, and promoters of the undertaking.

The country through which the line passes is perfectly flat and level, there will be no heavy earthwork or expensive works of any kind and it is estimated that, allowing liberally for all contingencies, the total costs of the Railway, including the purchase of land, will not exceed £65,000, being at the rate of £5000 per mile. Contractors of undoubted respectability are ready to undertake the construction of the line for this sum.

End of Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway 1856 prospectus