Works will get underway this autumn to improve access across the top of the small beach within Maryport Harbour.
Contractors have been appointed by Cumberland Council to build the Boardwalk - a new stretch of accessible pathway that will link the town’s harbourside and promenade. It will cross the patch of sand on the small beach, following the route of a well-used informal path.
The Boardwalk will become a new focal point of the seafront, drawing people from the harbourside to the promenade and vice versa, and also improving connectivity with the town. Its proximity to Christ Church, the new location for the Maritime Museum, and the new Shipping Brow Gallery is another plus, as is the fact it will become a useful link between the harbourside and its tourist attractions and Hadrian’s Cycleway.
The new Boardwalk will incorporate a very strong and durable decking surface made of glass - reinforced plastic. This material is highly durable, non-slip and has a honeycomb structure so rainwater and sea-spray won’t pool on it. The Boardwalk will be located above the mean high water mark but has been designed to cope with the impact of very high tides and storm surges.
A Cumbrian contractor has won the competitive tender to build the Boardwalk. Cowran Estates Services Ltd, based in Ulverston, will be using the skills of local subcontractors to complete the project.
Contractors are due to start work on site in early autumn 2023 after the steel has been fabricated.
It is anticipated that construction on site will take around 10-12 weeks. During this time access to the small beach will not be permitted. Pedestrians and cyclists travelling between the promenade and the harbour area will need to travel via Strand Street or King Street.
The Boardwalk is part of the transformation of Maryport’s public realm using money from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund. Elsewhere in the town, the old Maryport Maritime Museum building, an historic former pub, is currently being reinvented as Shipping Brow Gallery, which will open in summer 2023.
Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said:
“I know how much fondness local people have for La’al Beach and hope this new investment will make sure the area is open to even more people. It is great to see the many restoration projects in Maryport coming to fruition.”
Simon Diss, Managing Director, Cowran Estate Services added:
“Cowran Estate Services is delighted to be leading construction of the new Maryport Boardwalk, on behalf of Cumberland Council, and as part of the Cumbria Manufacturing Alliance.
“We consider this to be a valuable contribution to sustainability and a circular economy within Cumbria. We recognise the significance of the Boardwalk, the harbourside and promenade to the people of Maryport and understand its importance in the overall regeneration of the area. The Boardwalk represents our first project as a member of the CMA, an organisation uniting engineering businesses in Cumbria, who will collaboratively tackle significant projects throughout the county and beyond. We hope the Boardwalk is the first of many projects that we can tackle as a Cumbrian team!”
A pop-up museum has just opened on Curzon Street and will be the temporary location for the Maritime Museum until Christ Church becomes its new home in 2024. There is also the Shopfront Scheme, funded by Historic England’s Heritage Action Zone, with many buildings’ upper floors being turned into new homes through the Love Maryport Living project which is restoring more town centre accommodation and also is supported by the Government’s Future High Streets Fund.