Cockermouth Georgian Fair

Date: 1st May 2010
Patrons: Lord and Lady Judd

An Unusual Excursion Back in Time

Cockermouth in the West Lakes area of Cumbria presents a biennial Georgian Fair. The town returns to its Georgian roots recalling the days of Wordsworth's birth in the town. Discovery walks, markets and sedan-chair racing are all part of the scene for the day. Come and see the magnificent ruined castle, walk by the Rivers Derwent and Cocker, stroll through the rejuvenated Market Place or visit Jennings Brewery. There will be plenty to see and do.

The town will be thronged by folk, many in Georgian style costumes. There will be street theatre and dancing, much of it free to view. You may eat in the multitude of small cafés and restaurants or drink a pint or two, some specially brewed, in the unique pubs.

Wordsworth House, William's birthplace and a National Trust property, will be open, and you may walk through its historically recreated garden, sit on William and Dorothy's terrace by the river and view some of his daffodils. The original idea for the fairs which began in 2005 came from the custodian of the house and a group intending to promote this lovely "Gem" town.

In the Market Place, "Made in Cumbria" stalls will populate the scene offering local delicacies in meats, preserves and drink. These markets are a feature of the area and visit the town regularly, but are tied in to the Georgian Fair. There will also be local charities and groups with a market of their own goods vying for your attention. The town's independent shops will also all be open with a wide selection of goods not available through multi-national retailers. There are also a number of galleries offering pictures, prints, textiles and other arts. Some of these are award winning venues not found anywhere else in Britain.

In the Kirkgate Centre there will be concerts and ceilidhs, presentations by historical groups and music. This is the former primary school, now an arts centre run entirely by volunteers. The week-end begins with a Playford Ball on the Friday evening with a local ceilidh band and visiting dancers, recreating the dance style of the Georgian period. On fair day there will be Early Music from the "Piping Hot" recorder ensemble and U3A members, choirs and hand-bell music in a rolling concert.

Belfagan, the local womens morris side, will be inviting friends to join them for the day, and it is intended that Maypole dancing will be introduced for the coming event. This will bring a joyful sound and colour to the town which is already picturesque and vibrant.

Cockermouth is a wonderful place to spend a day, a week-end or a longer break. It is on the quieter side of the Lake District, not far from the Solway Coast and Carlisle. There are many good hotels, boarding houses and pubs which will offer accommodation. Caravan and camping sites are to be found within a mile of the town centre. There are many good restaurants and cafés that will cater for every taste and you should be aware of the "Eat Local" campaign for this region is especially well endowed with food facilities and breweries.

For more information on Cockermouth Georgian Fair see the Cockermouth website, this will be updated with new information right up to the event. Go to http://www.cockermouth.org.uk/index.htm
To contact the local tourist information office 01900 822634 or e-mail cockermouth-tc@co-net.com