High Harrington

Harrington Nature Reserve is a Local Nature Reserve and is protected for its contribution to wildlife, geology, education and public recreation. Its landscape includes extensive willow scrub, two meadows and wet woodland. This means several distinct habitat types sit alongside the reserve’s educational and recreational purposes.

Nature and Trails

The walk at Harrington Nature Reserve takes about 15 to 30 minutes. It follows a flat, wheelchair-friendly path, making it a clearly timed segment for travel planning. As path conditions can change, it is advisable to check the latest conditions before visiting.

Another way to combine your stay with exercise is the West Cumbria Cycle Network. The route follows former railway lines through Harrington and runs from Distington to Workington. The endpoints provide a guide to the route; the lines’ former use is also part of their character. Conditions and signage can change, so it is sensible to check for current information before setting out. Compared with the walk in the reserve, the planning considerations here are different: there, an approximate duration and a flat, wheelchair-friendly path; here, the route and the stated endpoints.

Church and Building History

The Church of St Mary in Harrington is a Grade II listed parish church. It was rebuilt in 1634 and again in 1884–85. The west tower contains two stones and a doorway that are believed to date from the 12th century. These features were described during a visit in 2015; their dating remains a supposition. This distinguishes the clearly dated rebuilds from the tower details considered to be older.

Newer stained-glass windows in St Mary’s Church depict the area’s industrial and maritime heritage, including the wind power industry. This adds a cultural perspective to the building’s history: the windows take up themes from the region’s working and seafaring past. If you are interested in church architecture and local history, you will find both structural changes and their representation in the glazing here.

Harbour and Industrial History

At Harrington Harbour, Squire Henry Curwen built a quay on the south side of the River Wyre in 1760. Harrington Harbour now serves as a recreational facility; specific amenities may change. The history of the quay and the harbour’s current use belong to different periods and should not be treated as the same when planning a trip.

The industrial history also goes back to wartime: the “Magnesite” plant in Harrington was established by the Ministry of Aircraft Production during the Second World War. Its intended purpose was to extract magnesium from seawater for aircraft components and incendiary bombs. This historical purpose describes the plant’s planned use, not necessarily the amount actually extracted.

Another architectural point of interest is the Harrington Infant School building. It retains a largely unaltered original floor plan. Preserved features include the roof structure, chimneys, panelling, arched doors and door lintels with carved spandrels. These details give a concrete impression of how much of the original layout and fittings remain.

Discover more destinations: Bowness-On-Windermere, Bassenthwaite, Aspatria, Drigg, Soulby, Greystoke, Ravenglass, Mungrisdale

For the wider travel overview: Cumbria.