St Mary's Harrington

Beyond the Parish Boundaries

Harrington's position on the West Coast of Cumbria in northern England is an important part of what Harrington is and was.

To the north clearly visible across the Solway (weather permitting) are the hills of Scotland, a country of which this region was a part for many years as Strathclyde. Ruled by the Scottish kings David and Malcolm, Strathclyde reached down to the river Derwent until about 1092.

To the west, of course, is the sea. Once upon a time the sea came right to the foot of the hill on which the church now stands. The parish has always had a strong maritime tradition, and many seamen have left from here to travel to foreign parts.

The harbour (opposite) grew from a quay built in 1760 by Henry Curwen. He used it for shipping coal from pits on his estate. It was extended in the nineteenth century as trade increased

To the east is the Lake District, justly famous internationally for its beauty. And to the south the intrepid explorer will find most of the rest of England.

Our Industrial History

Compare this picture with the harbour as it now is (in the picture above) to get an
idea of how much Harrington has changed.

As well as a strong maritime tradition, the parish also has an industrial history,
which largely ended in the late 1930s. Iron works, coal mining, and steel making
have all been a significant part of Harrington.

During the 1939-45 war there was a Magnesite works. Magnesia was a material of vital importance to the war effort. It was extracted from the sea. For more information visit http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~rwbarnes/defence/magnesit.htm#mag

This picture shows the last Ironworks chimney to be destroyed. The Ironworks can also be seen in the distance in the picture above. The Magnesite works were on this site and many local people still remember the cloud of fine white dust it produced

Harrington once had no fewer than five railway stations. Most were linking the local industries of coal and iron ore mining with steel production at the Moss Bay works. Several other web sites give more insight into the railways that ran throught the village. Lowca Light Railway and Banklands show some good photographs and history.

The picture on the left is Harrington Colliery. It was this kind of industry that really made Harrington the place it is. In 1901 Harrington was described in  a country directory (History, Topography and Directory of Cumberland, T. Bulmer & Co., Penrith, June 1901). We read that 'The flourishing little town of Harrington is a creation of recent times. A century ago it was an insignificant place, whose name was scarcely known beyond the confines of the parish.' There is more interesting information about the mine at http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/h015.htm

You can see much of our industrial and maritime heritage in our new window. The window also includes images of a new industry - wind farming. The kind of windmills seen in the right hand panel occupy prominent positions in the landscape around Harrington, and all the way up the West Coast of Cumbria.

Harrington Today

With most industry long gone from the parish, Harrington is now largely a dormitory area for the employees of the shops and offices and light industry found in Workington and Whitehaven, and also British Nuclear Fuels down the coast at Sellafield.

Today the parish of Harrington is a bustling suburban area with a strong social infrastructure and a population of about 6000. The parish consists of Harrington itself, High Harrington and Salterbeck, which is a large housing estate on the Workington side of the parish. Harrington itself has four shops and a post office, with another row of shops in Salterbeck with a post office, and a post office/shop in High Harrington.

Both Harrington and Salterbeck have a strong sense of community; and just as St Mary's occupies a central position in the new window, so we along with the other denominations aim to be a central part of those communities. We hope and pray that we will be an important part of Harrington's future.