Maryport
The third, and probably the most charming of the three Cumbrian post-industrial harbour towns, Maryport gave us a warm welcome after our slightly rough passage up from Whitehaven. It is not until you discover the history of this town, underpinned by Victorian slave traders, coal mining and ship building, that you understand why this small port has such a massively fortified harbour.
Pauline Gorley is the General Manager of the Harbour, Marina and interim Harbour Master. She and her 11 staff look after the friendly marina which they keep accessible 24/7 by use of a large hydraulic sill gate retaining its deep water. It is very well protected, for it occupies the former Senhouse dock built in 1857 on reclaimed land. On the map (Slide 9) you can see the number of railway lines that served the new dock. Humphrey Senhouse (who paid to build most of the town) renamed it "Maryport" after his wife! .
The fishing fleet is larger than expected, and split between boats catching "Nephrops" in the summer and Scallops in the winter. "Nephrops?" - what on earth are they I hear you ask. Well - they are the latin name for the shrimp otherwise known as Langoustine, Dublin Prawn, Norway Lobster or Scampi - all the same little beastie!
Pauline's most important job is to organise dredging of the 3 docks and channel, done every 5 years. The method has recently changed from a "Cutter Suction" method costing £450k (which pipes the silt out to a dumping ground outside the harbour) to a "Water Injection" method costing just £250k, which puts the silt into suspension for 24 hours and then relies on the tide to remove the silt as it flows out. As ever, running a harbour is not cheap.
Poor Pauline's most unusual moment as a HM involved her falling into the water in January during the dredging operation - not something she recommends - but she said it was good for staff moral and might explain why Adam, Andy and the rest of her team are such a smiley lot! Thank you all for a very happy stay! .
Pauline Gorley is the General Manager of the Harbour, Marina and interim Harbour Master. She and her 11 staff look after the friendly marina which they keep accessible 24/7 by use of a large hydraulic sill gate retaining its deep water. It is very well protected, for it occupies the former Senhouse dock built in 1857 on reclaimed land. On the map (Slide 9) you can see the number of railway lines that served the new dock. Humphrey Senhouse (who paid to build most of the town) renamed it "Maryport" after his wife! .
The fishing fleet is larger than expected, and split between boats catching "Nephrops" in the summer and Scallops in the winter. "Nephrops?" - what on earth are they I hear you ask. Well - they are the latin name for the shrimp otherwise known as Langoustine, Dublin Prawn, Norway Lobster or Scampi - all the same little beastie!
Pauline's most important job is to organise dredging of the 3 docks and channel, done every 5 years. The method has recently changed from a "Cutter Suction" method costing £450k (which pipes the silt out to a dumping ground outside the harbour) to a "Water Injection" method costing just £250k, which puts the silt into suspension for 24 hours and then relies on the tide to remove the silt as it flows out. As ever, running a harbour is not cheap.
Poor Pauline's most unusual moment as a HM involved her falling into the water in January during the dredging operation - not something she recommends - but she said it was good for staff moral and might explain why Adam, Andy and the rest of her team are such a smiley lot! Thank you all for a very happy stay! .