Last updated 14:10, Friday, 21 March 2008

MAPS: OS Landranger 89, West Cumbria, or OS Explorer 303, Whitehaven and Workington.

ROUTE: Nethertown-Middletown-Rothersyke-Egremont-Hadrian’s Cycleway-C2C Cycleway-Whitehaven

APPROXIMATE DISTANCE: 10 miles.

REFRESHMENTS: Lamberlea Pond and Garden Centre coffee bar (Nethertown), Egremont and Whitehaven (various).

THE RIDE: Nethertown Railway Station is one of the remotest, isolated and most underused stations on the Cumbria Coast Line – a far cry from the Second World War when it would be thronged with servicemen going on leave from the near-by Royal Air Force Station.

Opened along with a string of other stations on the line on July 21, 1849, which means it will be celebrating its 160th anniversary shortly, Nethertown, in latest figures, issued to me by Cumbria County Council rail officer John Kitchen, attracted only 472 passengers in 2005-6.

Nethertown is the start of this short festive ride that gives an opportunity to revisit the 12th century Egremont Castle, featured in the October article, and the nearby St Michael and St Mary’s Parish Church, which, on July 3, 2008, celebrates 125 years since consecration.

A single-line track puts you off on the one platform whichever way you have been travelling. Over the crossing point, go through the white wicket gate and turn right under a tunnel initially to get a good view of the sea, which can be choppy and is popular with sea anglers.

Retracing steps continue up the lane, round a right-hand bend to the St Bees-Nethertown road, where a right turn is taken. Before reaching the main part of Nethertown hamlet, go left on the “Egremont 2” sign uphill, following a left-hand bend, and passing two garden centres, one of which, Lamberlea, has a coffee shop.

Round a right-hand bend at a farm in Middletown, follow the Egremont direction sign and turn right on the B5345 road. Just beyond two farms on either side of the road, take the lane left at Rothersyke, indicated on the top of the signpost, which informs that Egremont is one-and-a-quarter miles away. The ride is uphill for a while before a right turn leads into Egremont, negotiating a right-hand bend, near the memorial to Egremont-born and Chicago dye works co-founder Alexander Cook (1832-1910) and where a road comes in on the left. Stop to view, on the right, the well preserved ruins of Egremont Castle, with beautiful interpretation boards and seats. The castle and grounds are well cared for by the Friends of Egremont Castle and Copeland Borough Council, who hold a nationally prestigious Green Flag heritage award for the standard of its upkeep.

An £88,000 scheme, jointly funded by Copeland Council, English Heritage and the European Regional Development Fund 10 years ago resulted in Lancaster University Archaeological Unit repairing and repointing walls of the gatehouse, removing concrete capping on the inner wall face, and providing material for the interpretation boards.

Turning right on the main street, just beyond the castle, St Michael and St Mary’s Church, is on the left. Well worth a visit, the stonework alone is classed as “a minor gem” of Victorian Gothic architecture. The church is unusual in having two foundation stones, a rare distinction usually reserved for cathedrals and other stately ecclesiastical edifices. The stones were laid with great splendour on April 5, 1881, all the shops were closed for the day and Main Street was festooned with bunting and flags.The present church replaces a building dating back more then 750 years and contains interesting stained glass and carvings. In front of the organ chamber is preserved one of the bells installed in the old church round about the year 1400.

Further on along the road is the visitor attraction of Florence Mine, Europe’s last deep working iron ore mine, whose workers were known as Redmen because of the red-coloured iron ore on their clothing and are immortalised in sculptures along Main Street, which you return to and continue past Lowes Court Gallery, with visitor centre and interesting exhibitions, and Methodist Church, built between l874 and l877, on the right and the Town Hall, constructed in 1899, and Wyndham School, built in l964 and due to be converted into a new Academy, on the left.

Egremont was granted a second charter as a borough around 1210 and was at one time earmarked as the capital of a new county of Copeland, stretching from Duddon Bridge to Parton, almost the same as today’s Copeland borough, of which Egreemont is part. The town bursts into life each September for the Crab Fair, dating to 1267 when King Henry III granted a market charter. The Crab Fair includes many sporting events and the World Gurning Championships.

At the end of the street on the left opposite the Police Station go through barriers and cross the A595 with care to take a surfaced path running left near the cemetery and entering Hadrian’s Cycleway through newly-installed entrance barriers to go left in front of the footbridge and then left again on the main track, which takes you to Clints Road. Turn right on the road, ignoring the right-hand cycleway before you reach the road.

This is a hilly road that reaches a junction where the way is right for a few yards before a left turn takes you to the cycleway track continuation on the right, down a short passage and then left through barriers for about a mile to reach the C2C route. This is joined at a junction preceded by a left turn which you do not take. Turn left on the main track and follow the signs to Whitehaven through the Mirehouse housing estate.

Arriving at Coach Road, Whitehaven, after skirting the rugby league ground, you have a choice of Corkickle Station, taking two right turns, or Whitehaven, if travelling by train. Signs lead you to Whitehaven, where there are various refreshment outlets and places of interest like St Nicholas Gardens and the Rum Story in Lowther Street and the Beacon Museum on the attractive harbour, at the north end of which is the railway station, near Tesco Store.