On the cusp of the Lake District National Park and just 4 miles from the coast of Cumbria, Cleator Moor is a busy little town with a huge amount of potential. In an area once riddled with mines and railways, Cleator Moor is a town built for the mining industry in and around Workington. Known affectionately as ‘little Ireland’ due to the influx of Irish immigrants in the 19th century, the town grew quickly and prospered from the mining of iron ore.
Today the mines are closed but Cleator Moor enjoys an excellent position as the gateway to Ennerdale and Ennerdale Water in the west of the Lake District. Following successful application for regeneration funding in 2022, the fortunes of Cleator Moor and its residents is on the rise. Situated in the lee of Dent Fell, or Long Barrow as it is sometimes referred to, the town offers easy access to the mountains and lakes of the Lake District, as well as the stunning remote Cumbrian coastline.
Many people arrive in Cleator Moor on foot as they traverse the neck of England on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk from St. Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay. Dent Fell is one of the first peaks trekkers will summit and the views from the top across northern Cumbria, the western Lakes and the Cumbrian coast are exceptional. With plenty of other walking and cycling routes to explore around this overlooked corner of the county, Cleator Moor is a great base for those wanting to delve into Cumbria’s industrial heritage without paying a premium for accommodation by staying within the national park.
Northwestern Cumbria is riddled with fort remains, colliery towers, ancient churches and glimpses into the industrial past of this fascinating region. There is no better way to spend a day in Cleator Moor than following a walking or cycling route and trying to spot one of the many landmarks history has left behind. With Whitehaven just a short distance away, a stay in Cleator Moor offers an excellent opportunity to enjoy all that western Cumbria has to offer.
Cleator Moor is found within the triangle of Frizington, Egremont and Whitehaven and can be reached by the A595 from the south or turning south off the A66 from the north. There is a wide choice of country pubs, rural self-catering cottages and beautiful places to visit scattered across the landscapes in and around Cleator Moor making it an interesting place to explore.
Funded by the UK Government though the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by Cumberland Council and Sellafield Limited. .
