The market towns of the Lake District are as picture perfect as the natural landscape they are tucked into. With a long history dating back centuries, some areas of the Lake District have been bustling for hundreds of years as unique meeting places for local traders and visitors to partake in regional delights and produce.
Times may have changed and bought electricity, industry and tourism to these thriving centres of Lake District life, but the underlying spirit of the old market towns can be as easily discovered today as it was back then. But to start discovering the market towns of the Lake District would require going way back to the beginning, when they were first formed in the medieval period of Britain.
Original market status was designated to certain areas, differentiating them from village settlements and the larger cities of the area. These sites were specifically selected close to areas where transport was good – such as crossroads or river fords. The market town of Cockermouth, which lies at the intersection of the River Cocker and the Derwent, is a fantastic example of this. These towns were often built near fortified areas and near castles to ensure the townspeople were adequately protected.
Towns were built with a wide “main street” or “market square”, which was a large area to accommodate traders. Often a market cross was erected in the town centre, to ask for God’s blessing on the trading in the town (and discourage dishonesty amongst unscrupulous traders and overzealous local barterers!) Charters were given to these towns to verify them as “Market Towns”, and even now, any town wishing to hold a market must obtain approval by the holder of the Royal Charter (which also goes by the less glamourous name of the local Council…)
After the industrial revolution, many railways were constructed to better transport links between towns, with market towns given priority as trading spread further afield. Many Georgian buildings were built in the market towns of the Lake District, giving them their characteristic picturesque charm. Narrow streets and idyllic paths are also typical of some of the market towns of the Lake District, and remain an existing feature to this day.
Some of the most popular market towns of the Lake District include Kendal, which was granted a market charter way back in 1189. Cockermouth, Keswick Kirkby Stephen, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Egremont and Penrith are all examples of market towns, giving visitors an idea of the varying sizes and types of market town that the Lake District has to offer.
From the quaint to the bustling, from big to small, market towns have always been at the heart of the rural life of the Lake District, providing an essential meet up for local suppliers and farmers. Discover for yourself how the market towns still remain the hub of local life by taking in the cultural and historical delights – and a spot of shopping along the way!
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