On the site of this community garden once stood a close-knit community of around 27 houses called ‘Beck Bottom’. The row of sandstone cottages were situated on the left-hand side of the bottom path. They were built in the 1850s, on the right-hand side there was a very high sandstone wall (some of this wall remains) with the Snebra Beck flowing behind it. Beck Bottom was home to many coal and iron ore miner’s families. The houses shared communal outside toilets and wash houses. There was also a Butcher’s Shop & Abattoir owned by Ben Wilkinson and Hall’s Motor Mechanics and Petrol Garage near the entrance. In the past there were Beer Houses at Numbers 5 and 19 BeckBottom. The Beck Bottom children have fond fond memories of playing together and trying to squeeze through the Duck Holes in the wall next to the beck (these are still visible).
Further up Snebra Beck/Bedlam Gill was Beck Bottom House the premises of Coal Merchant, Ernie Cold, if you look closely, you can see the partial remains of some of the property in “Devil’s Wood”.
This map from 1963 clearly shows the houses 1-23 Beck Bottom on the site which now houses Beck Bottom Community Garden. Numbers 24-27 and Beck Bottom House were further up.
Paintings courtesy of John Read
In 1966 Whitehaven Borough Council conducted a survey of the houses at Beck Bottom, part of Ribton Moor Side and the bottom part of Hensingham Main Street. Most of the houses in the survey were found to be unfit for human inhabitation. The Council proposed to acquire the land by compulsory purchase order and redevelop the land as a public space. The occupants were then re-housed in new houses elsewhere in Hensingham some of the residents were not happy and did not want to leave their friendly community. The houses were then demolished, the land was cleared and transformed into a landscaped council pocket park.
During WW1 Private Albert Hurst (202717) of the 9th Battalion Border Regiment died on 30 August 1917, aged 27. Albert is buried in grave VI 32 of Dolran Military Cemetery, Greece (near the Macedonian border). Albert lived at 17 Beck Bottom with his wife Mary and their children Hewitson and Margaret.
Sadly, during WW2 Beck Bottom lost another resident - Bombardier Francis Ralph Blacklock (89724) of 51st field regiment (Cumberland and Westmorland Yeomanry) Royal Artillery died on the 21st January 1942 age 29. Francis is commemorated on Column 39 of the Alamein Memorial, Egypt. Francis was the husband of Margaret (nee Crowler), who he had married in 1935. They had four children: Margaret, Raymond, Trevor and Audrey. The family lived at 19 Beck Bottom.
Beck Bottom had endured some dreadful floods over the years. Heavy rainfall caused the neighbouring Snebra Beck to block and a surge of flood water pours over into Beck Bottom. Beck Bottom was flooded badly in 1890s. Then on the 10 September 1946 there was a devastating flood which affected many properties at Beck Bottom and Ribton Moorside. There was a flood relief fund set up which raised £237/4/- and eventually Whitehaven Corporation Insurers made a £400 ex gratia payment towards the relief fund. Some families were forced to move out of their homes and were rehoused.
Denise Bridson who lived at 18 Beck Bottom remembers the floods in the mid 1960s. Denise who was a young girl at the time recalls:
I went to the outside toilet at the end of the row when I notice the rain was bad and the gutter was overflowing. I walked to the corner and looked up the beck and the water was pouring down the road. I went in and told my Dad, he walked up the Beck Top just before you got to where Mr Coid’s - The road at collapsed, and water was coming over. Dad came back to the house and said to stay inside he was going to alert those at the bottom about the water. It was awful all the houses at the bottom were flooded and round where Halls Garage was. We didn’t see dad for hours he was helping people move their stuff upstairs. Poor Mrs Hoskins was stuck upstairs with her four children and two very large dogs.
More recently on the 28 of October 2021 Beck Bottom Community Garden was flooded yet again.
The project started in 2019 when Don Messenger and Dave Todhunter planted a few bedding plants using their own money. The gardens had fallen into neglect over the years due to a lack of council staff to care for them. The volunteer group continued to flourish, and Beck Bottom Community Garden Group Committee was formed in 2021. Since 2019 we have helped transform a derelict area of former parkland into a cared for and attractive green space accessible to the community. We have planted seasonal formal flower beds and tubs, rose beds, wildflower/pollinator meadow areas and blossom trees to attract wildlife. We have our own composting area, carried out extensive path improvements and installed benches so visitors have somewhere to sit and relax. Over the last few years we have been accredited with Green Flag Community Awards, RHS Britain in Bloom National Certificates of Distinction, RHS Cumbria in Bloom “It’s Your Neighbourhood” awards and a Whitehaven Town Council Award Community Award. Our volunteers are from all ages ranges and backgrounds that share a passion for gardening and take great pride in the upkeep of the area. We meet up every Saturday morning (see our Facebook page/Noticeboard for more details).
