Introduction to our area
Egremont, in Mid-Copeland, is the most remote town in England, situated two miles from St Bees on the coast of Cumbria, the starting point of the Coast to Coast Walk, destination Robin Hood's Bay, and five miles south of Whitehaven, with its magnificent harbour development, the starting point of the Coast to Coast Cycle Route, destination Sunderland. The British Nuclear Fuel plant five miles south at Sellafield is the most important employer in the area. It is only seven miles from Ennerdale, perhaps the most beautiful and unspoilt of all the English Lakes, (see first row, centre) catching the last of the afternoon sunlight on Pillar and Steeple in early January. From Ravenglass, ten miles south, the La'al Ratty, a miniature railway, provides access to the hills, tarns and waterfalls of Eskdale., and the oldest surviving English corn mill (second row, centre.)
Dominated by the remains of its Norman castle, which can provide the setting for memorable concerts (first row, far left) it is a market town with a charter going back to the reign of Henry III.
Its more recent history as an iron ore mining area still lives on in the last surviving working iron mine in Europe. Florence Mine still produces small quantities of haematite for the pigment and cosmetics industry and can offer tours of its underground workings to students and visitors, including Fred Dibnah (first row, far right) together with exhibitions of artefacts at its well stocked Heritage Centre.
As its folk are famous for being able to pull the most terrifying faces in the world, as young Laura demonstrates (second row, centre left) Egremont hosts the world gurning championships at its Crab Fair on the third Saturday of September, but beware celebrities - TV presenter, Michaela Strachan stole the title of the world's ugliest woman in the 2002 Crab. The Crab is also famous for its equestrian events, its locally chosen Queen who showers the populace with apples from the cart on the morning of the Fair, and its field sports, including foot and cycle racing and hound trailing.
Copeland schools, including Wyndham School, Egremont, regularly exchange visits with students and teachers from secondary schools in Rungwe, a region of Tanzania. See image first row, centre right, and click
here to read about the groups latest visit to Tanzania.
Egremont has also produced some world renowned musicians - rock star, Francis Dunnery, second row, far left, and concert pianist, former Wyndham pupil, Sam Haywood.
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