| Tucked between the Irish Sea and the River | | | | churches. These include the parish church of St. |
| Derwent, the name of Workington - Cumbria | | | | Michael's dating to the 7th century, and St. John's |
| gives a strong clue to its stories past as an | | | | Church, built in 1823 of sandstone from local |
| industrial, shipping and market center. | | | | quarries and resembling St. Paul's Church in |
| Parts of Workington north of the Derwent have | | | | London. |
| been dated back to Roman times in Britain. Queen | | | | Today a major attraction of Workington is the |
| Elizabeth I granted the Lord of the Manor a | | | | Helena Thompson Museum, bequeathed in 1940 |
| charter in 1573 to operate a market centered on | | | | to the townspeople by a local philanthropist, Miss |
| corn, potatoes, turnips, oats, and cattle. Fishing | | | | Helena Thompson. The museum serves as the |
| also remained a mainstay of the Workington | | | | archive of Workington's industrial and social |
| economy until the 17th century. | | | | history, along with impressive displays of furniture, |
| Beginning in 1650, the developing coal trade and | | | | pottery, glass and silver dating from the Georgian |
| the advent of the Industrial Revolution changed | | | | era. |
| Workington into a vital center of iron and steel | | | | Another attraction popular with visitors is |
| manufacture. The area offered both multiple | | | | Workington Hall, dating from the 14th century. |
| seams of coal along with high quality hematite | | | | Once owned by the Curwen family, Lords of the |
| (iron) ore. Workington's natural resources | | | | Manor of Workington to whom Queen Elizabeth I |
| undoubtedly drew inventor Henry Bessemer to | | | | granted that important market charter, the Hall |
| introduce his revolutionary steel process there. | | | | sheltered Mary, Queen of Scots on her final |
| The Bessemer Converter proved so pivotal to | | | | escape from Scotland. |
| Workington's history that it's now immortalized in | | | | The most lasting tribute to Workington's steel |
| the town's center in floral and topiary sculptures. | | | | making past can be found on just about any train |
| Steel making ended in Workington in August 2006. | | | | line in the United Kingdom, where the town's |
| Workington has been home to several distinctive | | | | name is branded into the steel rails. |