Rowrah

Rowrah
Cumberland
Rowrah Road, Rowrah
Location
Grid reference:	NY059180
Location:	54°32’56"N, 3°27’20"W
Data
Post town:	Frizington
Postcode:	CA26
Dialling code:	01946
Local Government
Council:	Cumberland
Parliamentary constituency:	Copeland

Rowrah is a village in Cumberland, in the west of the county, on the east side of Arlecdon and barely separated from that village.

The village consists of two main residential roads, Rowrah Road (A5086) and Pasture Road, with Pheasants Rise was built in 2000: the first major build in Rowrah for over 100 years. The majority of houses in Rowrah are terraced and a few still have the original frontage that reflects the architecture of the time.

There is a small row of houses too on the approach to the old railway station.

Rowrah is on the ridge between two minor valleys: the Windergill Beck rises within the grounds of Rowrah Hall to flow south to join the River Ehen, while the Colliergate Beck flows north to the River Marron, which in turn runs to the River Derwent, Cumberland.

Mines, quarries, and natural resources

The landscape scarred here as Rowrah is built on a large and very pure deposit of limestone, eagerly sought. From 1888 until the 1980s limestone was quarried from at least one of the four quarries in Rowrah:

1. Rowrah Head Quarry (1888 to the 1980s)
2. Kelton Head Quarry (to 1950)
3. Salter Hall Quarry (to 1927)
4. Stockhow Hall Quarry (to 1909)

The remnants of all the quarries of Rowrah and the connecting trackbeds is clearly visible locally.

Salterhall Quarry

The iron-red soil of Rowrah

Cycling

The disused railway in Rowrah now forms part of the 140 mile Sea to Sea Cycle Route, Britain's most popular "challenge" cycle route which is route 71 of the National Cycle Network. The cycle route between Rowrah and Whitehaven follows the disused railway line for its entire length, making it an excellent traffic free and gentle bike ride with a selection of local sculptures to keep the casual cyclist entertained.

• 
  C2C (Route 71) Sign Post for Whitehaven, Keswick and Sunderland
• 
  C2C Milepost for Rowrah, Arlecdon, Frizington, Cleator Moor, Moor Row and Whitehaven
• 
  A typical sculpture on the C2C cycle route at Rowrah
• 
  Memorial stone for the railway:
  "and then among t'herdwicks ah've oft heard it sed she could hannel a tip just as weel as owld Ned. She culd tell gimmer...."

About the village

Rowrah Hall

Rowrah Hall

C2C Cycle Route at Rowrah: Rowrah Hall access road to the right

Rowrah Hall was built in 1705 and extended in 1722 and remains in private ownership. The building is almost in its original "as built" form. The gateway to Rowrah Hall was originally located directly on the main road but had to be moved in 1861 with the arrival of the railway. Access to Rowrah hall is via two disused railway bridges that were underfilled in the 1990s. Rowrah Hall is Grade II-listed.

Rowrah Chapel

Rowrah for many years was a religious hub for the surrounding area and in 1895 a 300 capacity Wesleyan Chapel was built, from part rendered local sandstone.

The chapel later became a Methodist church for the local community until declining numbers forced the closure and sale of the property. The chapel is now a private residence.

The Doctor's House

The Doctor's House is one of the largest houses in the original row of terraced houses on Rowrah Road, it is detached and set back from the other houses in the row.

The Doctors House, Rowrah. Now a private residence.

The Railway Hotel

The Railway Hotel, located at 49 Rowrah Road, was the property of the Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth. It is now a private residence.

The Stork Hotel

The Stork Hotel

The Stork Hotel Rowrah is located on the corner of Rowrah Road and Pasture Road, and is the last remaining public house and hotel in Rowrah.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Rowrah)

• J B Pickthall of Rowrah