Whitehaven
Departure Route
As you leave Whitehaven harbour you will join the Whitehaven- Rowrah cycle path, which links the sea to the fells.
First, detailed instructions for getting onto the route proper: Out of the harbour head right up Quay Street.
Left past the Tourist Information Centre through Market Place and into Preston Street. Look out for signs on the left for the path behind Focus DIY.
Onto Esk Avenue, only to rejoin the path by the school. You then cycle along Croasdale Avenue and Wasdale Avenue before linking up with the path to exit the town.
You now fol ow the railway line built in the 1850s to carry limestone, coal and iron; it is now a sculpture trail interpreting the geology and industrial history of the region. You might find yourself stopping to check signage; this is routine, there are several other routes around here including the Egremont link.
Cycle Shops
Haven Cycles, Cycle Hire/Repairs, Preston St Garage 01946 63263. havencycles@yahoo.co.uk, web: www.havencycles-c2cservices.co.uk Only 500 metres from the start of the c2c. They now have 60 high quality alloy cycles for hire, Hybrid or Mountain bike. Comprehensive Motor Trade insurance covering secure parking & car transfers to your finish destination, they can offer a complete package or individual service of baggage transfer,on route cycle repairs & recovery service, cycle collection and transport back from the finish if required. Minibus service with cycle trailer for Newcastle or Manchester airports. Offering their services to all c2c, Hadrian's Wall, Reivers or Lake District route cyclists.
Braemar Bikes, Rescue/Repairs/sales/cycle hire, 71 King St. 01946 693009 or 07793 559755. braemarelectserv@talktalk.net. New town centre shop set up at the end of 2009 by Billy Gair. If you find yourselves in trouble along the route, or need to stock up on spares before setting off, or prefer to hire a bike from Whitehaven, Braemar Bikes can help you out.
About the town
Whitehaven has the distinction of being both the starting point of the C2C and the finish for the Reivers Cycle Route. It may not be quite the place it was in the 18th century, when it played a significant role in the British slave industry and was the main importer of tobacco on the west coast, but it has undergone a major transformation in the last couple of years and its fine Georgian architecture is now looking spruce and proud again.
Perhaps the most impressive feature is the large harbour, which has undergone a £68 mil ion facelift. There is a fine 100-berth marina, now choc-a-bloc with pleasure craft of all sizes and shapes. The town has, in short, re-acquired some of the prosperity it lost in the years after it became the world's first new town.
Not so long ago it would have been hard to imagine that early Manhattan's street grid system was based on the pattern the Lowther family laid out for Whitehaven in the late 1690s, when it became apparent that the Cumbrian settlement was destined for great things.
Shortly afterwards the streets fil ed with rum and sugar merchants, slave traders and tobacco speculators as well as America-bound settlers waiting for their boat to come and take them off to a new life in the New World. The harbour was teeming with coal transporters, which plied the Irish Sea to supply Dublin's houses and industries with black stuff dynamited from under Whitehaven's seabed.
There was also shipbuilding; more than 1,000 vessels were built in the Whitehaven yards, and one of the oldest surviving iron-built ships was constructed here. After London and Bristol, this was the busiest port in England.
Places of Interest
The Beacon (01946 592302) Local maritime and industrial history within the Harbour Gal ery and magnificent views over the town. Done up during 2007.
Michael Moon's Bookshop & Gallery (01946 599010), 19 Lowther St. One of the largest bookshops in Cumbria, "vast and gloriously eccentric!"
The Rum Story (01946 592933), Lowther Street. Exhibition celebrating the Jefferson family business, the oldest booze empire in Britain.
The Haig Mining Museum (01946 599949) Solway Road, Kel s, Whitehaven. Memories of the last deep pit in Cumbria.
American Links
Whitehaven's connections with America go deep: John Paul Jones, founder of the American navy and erstwhile scourge of Britain's own, gained his sea legs as a merchant seaman from Whitehaven. Indeed, the last invasion of the English mainland, in 1778, was perpetrated by Jones upon the town. The incursion was part of the only attack on British soil by US forces; and we should not forget that George Washington's granny, Mildred Warner Gale, lived here and is buried at St Nicholas's churchyard.
The town has been impressively preserved, one suspects, because a sudden lack of prosperity after the boom years disinclined planners from bulldozing in the name of progress. This left the Lowther architectural heritage preserved, as it were, in aspic. It is worthwhile walking the streets, admiring this memorial to an earlier and prosperous age, when sea captains and merchants lived in style.
There are many interesting and quirky sculptures around the harbour, a number of street mosaics featuring different aspects of the town's heritage, plus a mural in Washington Square and a plethora of shiny plaques above doorways giving clues to the past. It is one of my favourite places on the whole route and it seems a shame just to use Whitehaven as a point of departure without spending the previous night exploring. There are plenty of distractions, in the form of pubs, restaurants and venues. The fol owing day's ride out of this port is nothing if not leisurely - a stark contrast to the undulations that are to follow. A late night is not going to spoil it.
The traditional way to start this route is by christening your bike on the slipway behind the big C2C sign by dipping the front wheel in the briny. Then you might wish to get your first route stamp at the New Espresso café in the Market Place.
Where to eat
The Vagabond, 9 Marlborough Street. 01946 693671
Georgian House, Church Street. 01946 696611
Casa Romana, Queen Street. 01946 591901
Jasmine Palace, Duke/Strand Street. 0871 5297754
Blue Wine Bar & Restaurant, Tangier Street. 01946 691986
Westminster Coffee Bar, Lowther Street. 01946 694404
Askash Tandoori. 01946 691171
Ali Taj Restaurant , 34/35 Tangier St. 01946 592679
Howgate Brewster & Travel Inn. 01946 66286
Zest Harbourside. 01946 66981
The Wellington Bistro, at the Beacon (see page 14), 01946 590231
Accommodation
| Chase Hotel, Inkerman Terrace, Whitehaven CA28 8AA | |
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Privately owned Victorian former gentleman's residence in two acres of grounds. Quiet and comfortable with plenty of parking space, yet only a short stroll from the town centre. Cyclists are welcome to leave their bikes for the duration and there is a secure lock-up for bikes. Has been looking after C2Cers since the route opened. |
Run by: Jackie Sisson 
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Telephone : 01946 693656 |
Rooms : 23. 6S, 4T, 13D. |
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Have you stayed here? Let us know! |
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| Waverley Hotel, Tangier Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 7UX. | |
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Licensed restaurant. Privately owned hotel. Town centre location. Close to habourside. |
Run by: Cheryl Twinn 
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Telephone : 01946 694 337 |
Rooms : 10S, 5D, 6T, 3F. |
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Have you stayed here? Let us know! |
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| The Mansion, Old Woodhouse, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 9LN | |
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Friendly, relaxed and with all mod cons. Super big screen TV and swimming pool opening this year. |
Run by: Tom & Philip 
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Tel : 01946 61860 |
Rooms : 12 |
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Have you stayed here? Let us know! |
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| Chestnuts, Low Moresby, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 6RX | |
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Comfortable b&b accommodation in small quiet village 2 miles from Whitehaven. Two lovely guestrooms, double with en-suite shower and king with en-suite shower. Substantial breakfasts and packed lunches if required. Secure overnight cycle storage and parking for your car for the duration of your C2C ride. Local pub 5 minutes by footpath (or car) and captive owls to visit during your stay and to hoot you on your way! |
Run by: Norah Messenger 
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Tel : 01946 61612 |
Rooms : 2 D - 2 bunks |
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Have you stayed here? Let us know! |
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| Glenard Guest House, Glen Ard Guest House, Inkerman Terrace, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 7TY | |
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Large detached family run Victorian Guest House set in its own grounds. Breakfasts from 6am for those wishing for an early start. Secure cycle storage. 0.25 from start of C2C. |
Run by: Mrs. E. Armstrong 
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tel : 01946 692249 |
rooms : 2D, 1S, 2T, 3F. |
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Have you stayed here? Let us know! |
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| Read Guest House, 5 Cross St, Whitehaven, CA28 7BX | |
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Elegant 18th century house in the town centre offering 10 twin rooms well suited for groups. Ideal at weekends as it tends to be booked during the week. This house - in fact two houses knocked into one - was built by the Whitehaven artist, Mathias Read, whose paintings captured much of the town's splendour in its Georgian heyday. Surrounded by pubs and restaurants, this is an ideal start point for weekend C2Cers. |
Run by: Jacky & Ann Walker |
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tel: 01946 61515 or 07771 553819 |
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Have you stayed here? Let us know! |
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| Tarn Flatt Barn, Tarn Flatt Hall, Sandwith, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 9UX | |
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Traditional sandstone barn on a working farm. 1 mile from Sandwith and 3 miles from Whitehaven. Basic communal accommodation for 12 visitors. Sleeping on raised wooden platform, coin operated shower. 2 WCs. Wood burning stove. Parking for cars and bikes, also long stay parking available. |
Run by: Janice Telfer 
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tel: 01946 692162 |
bed only price : £8 at weekends. |
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Have you stayed here? Let us know! |
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