December 2006 | Local maritime heritage centre to be built in North West |
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Allderdale Borough Council in Cumbria has commissioned Continuum to design and build a new high-quality interactive local maritime heritage themed attraction in the coastal town of Maryport. The project named “Destination Maryport” is a £3 million scheme with £400,000 ring-fenced for interpretation design and build. The attraction will include a Tourist Information Centre, heritage exhibition and a performance space / cinema.  Maryport has many stories to tell; the connections with the Romans is strong being close to the western end of Hadrian’s Wall, the boomtown years when the local coal industry saw the extensive docks built in the 19th century so full of vessels it was possible to cross from one side to the other by jumping from ship to ship. The town also has strong shipbuilding tradition and an affiliation with the White Star Line and its most famous ship the Titanic. The launching of ships was non conventional due to the narrowness of the River Ellen. Large vessels had to be launched sideways or “broadside” which attracted large crowds of spectators. Working with a local construction company based in Cumbria, Thomas Armstrong and project management company Capita Symonds, it is likely the project will be handed over to Allderdale Borough Council towards the end of 2007. |
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