This is in response to the various arguing in other posts about cultural borders and what parts of Cumbria belong to where. Obviously, this is just from my point of view and some people might say different or have different experiences to say otherwise but as a native Cumbrian I feel as though I have a right to speak about my ancestral homeland.I have labelled the various cultural regions in RED. The regions differ not specifically because of one reason or another, but for various ones. For example, the architecture or choice of building materials, the accent/dialect, the local economy, local customs etc.
1. To start, there’s West Cumberland which is marked with the prominent ex-industrial towns of Workington and Whitehaven. West Cumberland is, for me, both a charming and depressing place. It’s charming due to the natural beauty of the landscape, (some) of it’s settlements and it’s active rural community. It’s also depressing for it’s deep industrial scars and declining economic value. Even though the Lake District is only a stones throw away, the tourist money doesn’t travel much beyond Ennerdale.
2. The Lake District. Basically it’s 3 things. Windermere, Keswick and Beatrix Potter. There’s also a lot of wealth here, a near constant stream of tourists (many from places like China and Japan) and the distinctive style of building everything with slabs of grey slate.
3. The North Lakes is still technically part of the Lake District but is remarkably different owing to how very rural and underpopulated this region is. It’s also a little less touristy but is popular with ramblers and nature enthusiasts.
4. South West Coast. Like how the North Lakes are technically part of the Lake District, the SW Coast is technically part of West Cumberland but is officially listed as being part of the Lake District even though there aren’t any lakes there. I do believe it is a conservation area though so I suppose it counts. There isn’t really much else I can say about it other that the existence of Corney Fell which is a fun drive on a single narrow road barely wider than a footpath. Some folk from Sellafield use it as a shortcut when the traffic is bad but then speed along at 50mph into the local sheep.
5. Barrow. Barrow has a reputation in Cumbria and not a very good one. It’s an old industrial town like Workington/Whitehaven but unlike them, Barrow has very little charm or attraction. Think Scunthorpe but less money. I’m also including it’s satellite towns like Millom and Dalston as these places are very similar to Barrow in terms of the people who live there.
6. Solway Coast. Okay, so basically the Solway Coast is one of Cumbria’s lesser known beauty spots and a destination that many Cumbrians will go to for a short holiday, mostly centered around Silloth (our answer to Blackpool) and Wigton, an ancient settlement that harks back to the Romans and Anglo-Saxons.
7. North Cumbria and Carlisle. Much of this area outside of Carlisle is rural which is why I differentiate the surrounding land from Carlisle itself which is a city, and an old one at that. It’s reckoned that Carlisle was founded prior to the Romans, being named after a pre-existing settlement as Luguvalium. After the Romans left, the settlement acquired the title of “Caer” like with Caerphilly and Caernarfon, making it “Caerligualid” and then “Caerluel”. Carlisle is a unique thing in Cumbria as it’s the only city in the entire county and is home to about 20% of the Cumbrian population.
8. Eden Valley and Yorkshire Dales. Bordered to the East, South and West with mountains and hills making it somewhat cut off from the rest of the county, this part of Cumbria is extremely beautiful and iconic. It’s notable for me especially for it’s..odd and sometimes amusing place names, such as Shap, Wickerslack, Plumpton, Thiefside, Knock and Croglin.
9. South East Cumbria. The only remarkable things I can say about this part of Cumbria is Kendal and the M6. It’s where most travellers come to first if they are travelling into the county from the South (and yes, everyone south of here is a Southerner to the Cumbrian people, even those who claim to be Northern are also Southerners)
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This is in response to the various arguing in other posts about cultural borders and what parts of Cumbria belong to where. Obviously, this is just from my point of view and some people might say different or have different experiences to say otherwise but as a native Cumbrian I feel as though I have a right to speak about my ancestral homeland.I have labelled the various cultural regions in RED. The regions differ not specifically because of one reason or another, but for various ones. For example, the architecture or choice of building materials, the accent/dialect, the local economy, local customs etc.
1. To start, there’s West Cumberland which is marked with the prominent ex-industrial towns of Workington and Whitehaven. West Cumberland is, for me, both a charming and depressing place. It’s charming due to the natural beauty of the landscape, (some) of it’s settlements and it’s active rural community. It’s also depressing for it’s deep industrial scars and declining economic value. Even though the Lake District is only a stones throw away, the tourist money doesn’t travel much beyond Ennerdale.
2. The Lake District. Basically it’s 3 things. Windermere, Keswick and Beatrix Potter. There’s also a lot of wealth here, a near constant stream of tourists (many from places like China and Japan) and the distinctive style of building everything with slabs of grey slate.
3. The North Lakes is still technically part of the Lake District but is remarkably different owing to how very rural and underpopulated this region is. It’s also a little less touristy but is popular with ramblers and nature enthusiasts.
4. South West Coast. Like how the North Lakes are technically part of the Lake District, the SW Coast is technically part of West Cumberland but is officially listed as being part of the Lake District even though there aren’t any lakes there. I do believe it is a conservation area though so I suppose it counts. There isn’t really much else I can say about it other that the existence of Corney Fell which is a fun drive on a single narrow road barely wider than a footpath. Some folk from Sellafield use it as a shortcut when the traffic is bad but then speed along at 50mph into the local sheep.
5. Barrow. Barrow has a reputation in Cumbria and not a very good one. It’s an old industrial town like Workington/Whitehaven but unlike them, Barrow has very little charm or attraction. Think Scunthorpe but less money. I’m also including it’s satellite towns like Millom and Dalston as these places are very similar to Barrow in terms of the people who live there.
6. Solway Coast. Okay, so basically the Solway Coast is one of Cumbria’s lesser known beauty spots and a destination that many Cumbrians will go to for a short holiday, mostly centered around Silloth (our answer to Blackpool) and Wigton, an ancient settlement that harks back to the Romans and Anglo-Saxons.
7. North Cumbria and Carlisle. Much of this area outside of Carlisle is rural which is why I differentiate the surrounding land from Carlisle itself which is a city, and an old one at that. It’s reckoned that Carlisle was founded prior to the Romans, being named after a pre-existing settlement as Luguvalium. After the Romans left, the settlement acquired the title of “Caer” like with Caerphilly and Caernarfon, making it “Caerligualid” and then “Caerluel”. Carlisle is a unique thing in Cumbria as it’s the only city in the entire county and is home to about 20% of the Cumbrian population.
8. Eden Valley and Yorkshire Dales. Bordered to the East, South and West with mountains and hills making it somewhat cut off from the rest of the county, this part of Cumbria is extremely beautiful and iconic. It’s notable for me especially for it’s..odd and sometimes amusing place names, such as Shap, Wickerslack, Plumpton, Thiefside, Knock and Croglin.
9. South East Cumbria. The only remarkable things I can say about this part of Cumbria is Kendal and the M6. It’s where most travellers come to first if they are travelling into the county from the South (and yes, everyone south of here is a Southerner to the Cumbrian people, even those who claim to be Northern are also Southerners)