Some cookies are essential to make our website work we'd like to set other cookies to show us how our website is being used The creation of a new contemporary extension to one of Maryport’s landmark buildings is about to transform another part of the town centre The former Carlton Cinema on Senhouse Street is being converted into a centre for the arts music and theatre as part of the £12 million UK Government funded regeneration of Maryport which is being carried out by Cumberland Council.  Work is already well underway on the interior and exterior of the existing structure and now a new entrance bar and disabled access is being created where a neighbouring derelict building has been carefully removed This new single storey structure has a contemporary design which stands out in its historic surroundings It will be clad with metal with a golden finish and also provide access to a new courtyard at its rear Wheelchair and disabled access will be provided via a lift which will take visitors from pavement level to the new ground floor event space which will accommodate up to 280 people for events like concerts while seated shows will be able to accommodate up to 180 in the audience A second lift inside the building will give access to the upper floors The first and second floors will become commercial space which could be creative spaces or office accommodation The new era for the Carlton will complement other regeneration projects in the town centre while nearby shop fronts have also been improved and attracted new businesses First floor properties have been brought back to life as accommodation Shipping Brow Gallery has opened and a new Maritime Museum in Christ Church is nearing completion there’s a new event space and play area on the harbourside and Maryport Activity Centre has also undergone massive improvements “This is the exciting next stage of the Carlton’s reinvention.  “The new entrance and box office takes the place of a derelict building which was an absolute blight on the town centre Now we are building a bright new addition to the historic former cinema and it will really add to the streetscape in this part of town as well as providing the practical things the building needs like the box office and proper disabled access.  “The building’s conversion will be completed later this year and then the Carlton will be a destination to be proud of once more.” Subscribe today and we'll email you the latest newsletter updates about your new council Choose from a range of topics so that you only receive emails about the areas and services which interest you the most Subscribe to news updates New Help improve this site by giving feedback A 33-year-old man reported as missing from Maryport has been found Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates direct to your inbox *We hate spam as much as you do. Privacy Statement Phone: 01768 862313Email: admin@cumbriacrack.com Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited No: 12475190VAT registration number: 343486488 © 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme Maryport Athletic lifted the Cumberland County League Premier Division for a second consecutive season They travelled to Cockermouth who started the day two points behind them in the title race Ethan Weir netted for Maryport in the opening five minutes to give them a 1-0 lead Despite Cameron Carter getting sent off just before half time for a second yellow card and Cockermouth trying hard for a equaliser Maryport hung on to lift their third trophy of the season Premier Division Wigton Harriers took on Whitehaven AFC Reserves for Division One in the quarter final of the Whitehaven Cup Tom Gosling scored for Wigton and Will Starkey netted for Whitehaven to end the tie 1-1 Workington Juniors have the League 1 final to look forward after edging past Mirehouse in the quarter final The game ended 1-1 after Conner Hammell netted for Workington and Mirehouse goal was provided by Callum Wilson Footfall in Maryport has risen by more than 35% compared to this time last year amid the town’s £12 million regeneration projects the number of people passing the Town Hall on Senhouse Street increased by more than a third during March 2025 Senhouse Street is the main route connecting the town centre with the Harbourside and Promenade all of which are areas benefiting from the regeneration projects The Love Maryport Living scheme awarded grants to bring empty accommodation above shops back into use and increase the number of people living in the town centre while the Shopfront Scheme has transformed the look of many properties and attracted a wealth of new businesses New public realm and signage has also improved the high street and its surrounds the colourful Shiver Me Timbers splashpark and play area the new attractions at Maryport Activity Centre and the creation of Shipping Brow Gallery have given people more reasons to visit The majority of the schemes were funded by UK Government and managed by Cumberland Council with additional funding from Sellafield Ltd for transformation of the Carlton When Maryport Maritime Museum opens in Christ Church the former Carlton Cinema becomes a cultural hub and the new café opens on the Promenade there will be even more reasons to visit I am very pleased to see that footfall is already on the up - even before the summer tourist season This is great for the local economy which is the whole point of this work.” Mark Vollers owns the Lake District Coast Aquarium and assists Cumberland Council and Maryport Town Council by managing the Shiver Me Timbers play area and splashpark He said: “An optimistic air was detectable as soon as regeneration funding was confirmed and this has grown as projects take shape The fact the much-loved Shiver Me Timbers has been totally renewed has more than lived up to expectations reflected by much increased ice cream and cafe take-out sales for us It is now a fantastic free facility and will draw Cumbrians and visitors alike in increased numbers. Well done to private and council employees who are planning ahead to keep the positive momentum." Michelle Mayman has The Three Frogs clothes and gift shop and has just opened The Rusty Crab menswear store with her partner Edd Woodthorpe in buildings improved by the Shopfront Scheme She said: “We are over the moon with the increase in footfall It’s wonderful to know people are realising what Maryport has to offer We have definitely noticed more custom from locals With all the new businesses and attractions I really believe 2025 is going to be amazing for Maryport!” For more information about Maryport’s regeneration visit www.cumberland.gov.uk/maryport Four men have today (April 30) been jailed for conspiracy to supply drugs at Carlisle Crown Court Operation Gall began in 2023 after officers stopped a black Audi travelling on the M6 and located cocaine in a bag for life on the back seat The operation has led to the following people being sentenced for the supply of controlled drugs namely Class A Cocaine and Class B Cannabis: with Haider Ali pleading guilty on the third day of his trial officers stopped a black Audi driven by the sole occupant Haider Ali on the M6 northbound between J39 and J40 Officers conducted a section 23 misuse of drugs act search on the vehicle when officers asked Ali if they would find anything he replied ‘There’s a bag on the back seat’ In the bag officers located eight 27.5g bags of Cocaine and two 122g bags of Cocaine Officers also located a phone with message between Ali and since identified Richi McMillian ‘what you got’ and in response Ali sent a nose emoji officers searched his vehicle and located 3g of Cocaine and his phone Evidence collected of numerous chats showed McMillan was receiving Cocaine and Cannabis from Umbar Ali to sell in west Cumbria It also showed him communicating with Paul Simpson to arrange the supply of drugs and supplying drugs for others to sell  Simpson was arrested on 22 November 2023 for his role in the conspiracy to supply drugs Messages found on McMillian’s phone evidenced Simpson’s involvement in the conspiracy alongside financial transactions showing he sent money to Umbar Ali Messages on Haider Ali’s phone connected him to Umbar Ali who was orchestrating Haider on who he should contact and visit in west Cumbria The messages included discussion on cash collected and suggested that Haider was collecting drugs from Umbar before travelling to Cumbria.  officers stopped a black VW Golf on Hall Brow Workington with two occupants in the vehicle with Umbar being a passenger The vehicle and males were searched with officers locating 231g of Cocaine split in to four packages located inside a shoebox in a sports bag Umber and the driver of the vehicle were arrested The investigating officer Detective Constable Lewis Young from Cumberland CID said “We have contempt for anyone coming to Cumbria to exploit individuals supplying drugs within our communities “Operation Gall has led to disruption across the supply chain from supplier to dealer and we are committed to continue this by proactively targeting criminals.” Detective Inspector Lee Brumpton from Cumberland CID said: “Convicting those involved in organised crime is a priority for the Constabulary “The public are urged to report any suspected drug supply activity in their community “We continue to actively target county line drug dealing to protect our communities and vulnerable people from those that seek to target them “Report any suspicious or drug dealing activity in your area that one piece of intelligence could be the key to taking drug dealers off the streets of our county.” You can report information on drug activities online - Report | Cumbria Police or call 101 – or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 Work is underway to transform a West Cumbrian town’s former cinema into an arts The Carlton Cinema in Maryport is being revamped as part of the £12 million Government-funded regeneration of the town It will include a new extension to house the entrance which has replaced a neighbouring derelict building The new single-storey structure will be clad with metal with a golden finish and also provide access to a new courtyard at the rear Other regeneration projects in the town centre include major work at Maryport Town Hall first floor properties brought back to life as accommodation A new home for the maritime museum in Christ Church is also nearing completion There is also a new event space and play area on the harbourside and the Wave Centre has also been revamped and is now known as Maryport Activity Centre said: “This is the exciting next stage of the Carlton’s reinvention “Now we are building a bright new addition to the historic former cinema and it will really add to the streetscape in this part of town like the box office and proper disabled access “The Carlton will be a destination to be proud of once more.” The conversion is due to be completed later this year The transformation of Maryport Activity Centre is almost complete and it will reopen to the public in January 2025 has undergone a major refurbishment to create new bigger and better facilities for all to enjoy The public opening is set for Friday 17 January an opportunity to get a ‘first look’ is planned on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 January when the Centre opens for tours At the Centre’s heart is a spectacular adventure play attraction which has been created for young visitors with a Roman watchtower and a Northern Lights display seaside wildlife and shipbuilding games – all made from colourful soft play materials designed to be fun and safe There have also been exciting improvements to the Clip n’ Climb attraction a new multipurpose studio space and party rooms have been built and the gym and fitness offer has been expanded This now has changing facilities for the first time There’s also a new café for drinks and snacks The work on Maryport Activity Centre is part of the £12 million regeneration of Maryport and Cumberland Council is managing the regeneration projects.  said: “It is fantastic to see the transformation of Maryport Activity Centre new attractions and a new vision will really put this venue on the map “Public consultation showed that we needed a big family focus for our investment in Maryport and the adventure play and enhancements to Clip n’ Climb along with the new Shiver Me Timbers outdoor splash park and play area we’ll see the new Maryport Maritime Museum in Christ Church open along with the new outdoor event space on the Harbourside Then there is the construction of the Promenade café and the massive project to bring The Carlton back to life as an arts and entertainment venue “All this good news shows no sign of stopping in Maryport and it is going to be another exciting year.” For more information on all Maryport’s regeneration work A link to a YouTube video showcasing the adventure play design a new calendar of fitness classes and lots of fabulous feedback - they have all kick started the new era of one of Maryport’s most prominent attractions The reopening of Maryport Activity Centre has been marked with a Valentine’s Day ribbon cutting bringing together the partners who have transformed it into a bigger brighter destination on the town’s historic harbourside The event kickstarts a week of celebrations at the centre including free sessions and family activities Children from Grasslot Infants School were invited along to try out the new facilities along with former Netherhall School student Taylor Stables who was the person who came up with the new name for the building which was formerly known as The Wave Young people in Maryport were consulted to see if they thought there was a title which better represented the venue’s future who operate the Centre on behalf of the Council and members of many community organisations came together to see what has been achieved The gathering was in addition to a visit by local dignitaries MHCLG and members of the business community a couple of weeks ago The work on Maryport Activity Centre is part of the £12 million regeneration of Maryport and Cumberland Council is managing the regeneration projects working with architects at Align Property Partners who have offices in Cockermouth and Kendal Maryport Activity Centre now has a bespoke adventure play area and a range of multifunctional spaces perfect for children’s parties and community groups Bookings are now being taken for the community rooms and membership packages are available for the fitness facilities “It has been fantastic to see how popular the new attractions have been at Maryport Activity Centre This really is a venue that Maryport can be proud of It complements the new Shiver Me Timbers play area and skate park on the Promenade perfectly in terms of the age range it caters for and will be a year-round destination for locals and visitors alike.” "We are thrilled to bring these exciting new features to the Maryport community," said Tom Rice "Our goal has always been to improve the health and well-being of local communities and with the enhanced facilities at the Maryport Activity Centre we can offer even more opportunities for people to get active For more information on all Maryport’s regeneration work visit www.cumberland.gov.uk/maryport A link to a YouTube video showcasing the adventure play design is available here: https://youtu.be/QlHrm67VFBQ The foundations have been laid for Maryport’s new Promenade café and this great new venue in West Cumbria is about to take shape With its views across the Solway Firth to Scotland this promises to be a must-see destination It is part of £12 million of central government-funded regeneration projects in the town and is due to open its doors this Spring “This is going to be another great reason to visit Maryport What a fantastic place to sit and watch the world go by the transformation of Maryport Activity Centre and the coast is the place to be this Summer there is the new Maritime Museum which will be opening in Christ Church and the new arts and entertainment hub opening in the former Carlton Cinema The operator of the new café will be announced in the coming weeks director of Workington-based contractor Stobbarts Ltd "The installation of the raft foundation this week is a major step forward in the creation of a seaside cafe on Maryport Prom as it is one of the most important parts of any construction project "Stobbarts is delighted to be involved in the multi-million pound transformation of the town and I am sure that this café will prove to be popular with residents and visitors alike with the stunning views over the Solway adding to its appeal." A new pirate-themed adventure play area is about to open to young – and young at heart – visitors in Maryport exciting new destination on the town’s Harbourside and will launch for the public to enjoy from Wednesday 18 December Much-loved wooden play equipment on the site had reached the end of its useful life so it has been replaced with a modern attraction for all the family to enjoy The location will get even more exciting in the spring when the weather warms up and a new splash park opens there too Children from Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Primary School Grasslot Primary School and Ewanrigg Junior School became the playpark’s first official visitors and gave the equipment their seal of approval The park’s nautically-inspired design features slides Cumberland Council has installed the colourful new equipment as part of £12 million of central government-funded regeneration projects in the town The public were consulted on the design and more than 1,500 people responded Seventy per cent of those who took part chose the pirate theme Maryport Town Council will be managing the play area now the work is complete with support from the team at the neighbouring Lake District Coast Aquarium “This is a fabulous new attraction on Maryport’s historic harbourside and will appeal to children of all ages and we have made sure there is some great accessible equipment too “Work is also well underway on the neighbouring outdoor event space and the major improvements to the Maryport Activity Centre which will also feature an indoor adventure play alongside a bigger and better Clip n’ Climb attraction and a gym They are all creating even more reasons to visit Maryport – with yet more destinations still to come.” adrenaline rushes – the new and improved Maryport Activity Centre opens its doors this Friday (17 January) and will offer all of this and more The venue has undergone a dramatic refurbishment with changing rooms and showers added for the first time There’s also a café and catering facilities Maryport Activity Centre will be open from 2pm to 6pm this Friday (17 January) before normal opening hours recommence from 8am on Saturday with the adventure play area and Clip n’ Climb open from 9am The new adventure play attraction is aimed at under-10s and has all the slides and obstacles you would expect There’s a special area for the youngest children too with games to clean up the ocean in the ball pool examples of Maryport landmarks to discover as well as a treasure trail to find the pirates’ gold coins “We held a ‘first look’ at Maryport Activity Centre last weekend and the feedback has been absolutely fantastic People are amazed by the transformation of this building “I need to thank the council’s Maryport regeneration team for pushing so hard to create something so impressive that will become a destination for locals and visitors alike thank you to our partners at GLL and our contractors Thomas Armstrong Construction This is a flagship project in the £12 million regeneration of Maryport and it is fantastic to see the results.” Maryport Athletic clinched their second trophy of the season as they won the Cumberland County League Benevolent Cup on Friday evening who have been crowned champions of Division One Logan Bosward grabbed himself a brace with Aaron Hoad Williams also netting to give Maryport a 3-0 victory and another trophy in a match being played at Derwent Park Wigton Harriers booked themselves a Whitehaven Cup quarter final place after a 3-0 victory against Keswick in round two with goals coming from Robbie Woodburn and Shea Johnston with two Whitehaven AFC Reserves have a final to look forward to after they narrowly won against Unisun Athletic Youth Development 3-2 in the League Cup 2 semi final Joe Martin and Luke Blaney all scored for Whitehaven with Thomas Lamming and Logan Riley getting Unisun goal In the last group game of the League Cup 1 Aspatria earned themselves a 5-1 win against Mirehouse with Andrew Trestianu (2) Jack Coyne and Harry Creighton all getting on the scoresheet This result means Aspatria will play Dearham United in the semi final and Workington Juniors will host Mirehouse in the other tie In the last Division One match of the season Braydon Walmsley netted for Whitehaven Miners Social Development to help them to a 1-1 draw against Bransty Rangers with Corben Irvine getting their goal Maryport Athletic v Whitehaven Miners Social (6.30pm)  Silloth’s Golf Hotel has been sold to a Midlands hotelier as its owners put Maryport’s Golden Lion on market for £775,000 The 23-room hotel was run by the Cueto family and has been sold for an undisclosed sum to Thurai Sivalingam The Cueto family have also put the 16-bedroom Golden Lion Hotel in Maryport up for sale for £775,000 lounge and a function room with capacity for 110 people which currently generates a letting income The business had an annual net turnover to year end March 2024 of £575,907 Thurai said: “I’m delighted to have bought the Golf Hotel and look forward to continuing to run the existing mix of business and our long-term plans are to undertake a programme of refurbishment to further enhance the already impressive trading accommodation.” said: “The sale of the Golf Hotel again demonstrates the ongoing high levels of demand for well-established hotel and hospitality businesses “The Lake District and wider Cumbria area continue to be in high demand and the Golf Hotel is our 65th Cumbrian hotel sale since the beginning of 2021 and follows in the footsteps of our confidential sale of Borrowdale Gates Hotel in recent weeks “Cumbrian hotel owners should take note of the fact continued demand for all sizes of hotels in the region.” Sue Scott of Brockbanks Solicitors acted for the seller Sixteen empty properties have been brought back in to use in Maryport thanks to Cumberland Council’s Love Maryport Living initiative Work is now complete on all the upper floor accommodation most of which had stood empty for many years The aim of the Love Maryport Living project was to transform unoccupied spaces above shops encouraging more people to live research showed that around 70% of upper floor properties in Maryport were not in residential use either because they had been historically used as storage or office space for the businesses below because shopkeepers no longer traditionally live on the premises or because residential tenants had moved on and not been replaced while others are being rented out as holiday accommodation Building owners were awarded grants funded by central government and managed by the council Eligible property owners received funding of up to £60,000 per residential unit but had to pay at least 20% of the renovation costs themselves One of the town’s most distinctive buildings at the junction of Senhouse Street and Crosby Street with other properties on Senhouse Street also benefiting “The Love Maryport Living scheme is breathing new life into the town I am so pleased to see all this accommodation completed and that these upper floor spaces are no longer empty and wasted “The vibrancy of our town centres is a real priority for the council and getting people to live in them Maryport is a great town and I hope those who move into the properties “I have been hugely grateful to be part of the Love Maryport Living scheme which has enabled me to turn some run down unused space above shops into a range of seven excellent flats with the help of contractor Mike Armstrong who has managed a team of trades who all hail from the town.  “Without the grant assistance these properties would never have been financially viable but now we have seven flats which are sublet to a local business as serviced apartments This mix of tourists and contractors brings much needed footfall to the area which in turn benefits local businesses “When one looks at the money invested in national schemes it is often difficult to see any visible benefits but the very obvious regeneration visible at the addresses where grant assistance has been made is proof that the money is being used for exactly the purpose that it was designed a super little town called Maryport.”  A woman was rescued from Maryport harbour by a passer-by Emergency services were called at around 2.10pm yesterday the North West Ambulance Service and the Great North Air Ambulance all attended The woman had been pulled out of the water by a member of the public Medical care was then provided to the woman and she was then taken by stretcher to an ambulance and was taken to hospital for treatment Clubs were back in league action this weekend in the Premier League and the game of the round lived up its billing Seaton Rangers travelled to Maryport in an Easter bonanza watched by a large crowd and Maryport won 54-12 Maryport coach Mark Foster said he expected a really rough game from Seaton and was pleased his side got on top early managing to score early points Mark added that it was good to see Seaton back in CARLA this season and he was under no illusion that Seaton will come back stronger as the side progresses Maryport’s points came from Liam Anderson Seaton’s tries were scored by Matt Dixon and Luke Crossman Glasson had to make the tough call and concede against Lowca due to a combination of injuries and work commitments left them without a side Askam took to the rails as they travelled on the train to face Flimby Flimby registered a mammoth 104-6 victory which has moved them to second in the table Player of the match scrum half Blake Miller amassed a huge 38 points with three tries and possibly a record breaking 16 goals with lots of players scoring a brace of tries Carl Grima with Lewis Robinson and Karl Hine also scoring Dale Lambton scored Askam’s lone try Cockermouth held an ex-players reunion for their home match versus Wath Brow Hornets The game had to be abandoned due to a serious injury to one of the Hornets players Everyone involved with CARL wishes him a speedy recovery and the game will be rearranged for a later date in the season Distington A hosted Kells A on a sunny Friday evening with Kells winning 12-44 as the middle dominated the field setting field position for their outside backs Centre and MOM Jamie Jennings scored one try Aaron Burns at full back claimed a hat trick Daniel Grears and Dan Starkie both grabbed two tries with Kieran Halcrow scoring Kells’ other try Distington’s tries came from Kelton Lynch and Brendon Walker who also added 2 goals Early league leaders Egremont A were home to Hensingham A and maintained  their 100% start to their league campaign with a tough 20-16 victory It was 10-10 at half time and Egremont had to dig deep to earn the result instrumental in the creation of the skate park came together with council staff and members of Maryport’s Town Board Construction expert Bendcrete Leisure Limited was appointed to build the new skate park using a wish list from the town’s skating and BMX-riding communities which included ramps The Skatepark for Maryport panel of local people of all ages was set up so their knowledge of skating and biking could decide the priorities for the new facility Bendcrete was asked to make the design unique to Maryport and to ensure it was laid out so that people can skate together who played a key role in Maryport Future town board skate park sub-group said: “I think it’s great that Maryport finally has a skatepark of its own knowing the impact that parks around the UK have had on my passion for bike riding “I’m optimistic that the town’s new skatepark will bring about similar opportunities for the local community and encourage people of all ages and abilities to keep active and hopefully take up a new hobby.” The project has been managed by Cumberland Council Leader Mark Fryer said: “It is fabulous to see this attraction proving so popular and I want to say a huge thank you to the local people who made up the skate park panel “We knew a facility like this had to be designed by those who were going to use it and that we needed an expert contractor who specialises in this sort of work “I am really looking forward to seeing the Prom becoming even more of a destination next year when we open the new café the new Maritime Museum and the new outdoor event space on the harbourside “Add these to the other major regeneration projects taking place here totalling more than £12 million of investment © 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.