Rowrah is a village in Cumbria, England, and spans the civil parishes of Arlecdon and Frizington and Lamplugh.

[4] At the opening of the "Lamplugh Extension" it was also announced that an Electrical telegraph had been installed on the line at the demand of the Iron ore companies at a grand cost of £56.

[6] The Cleator and Workington Junction Railway was founded in 1876 and was given the nickname of "Track of the Ironmasters"[7] due to the fact that its primary purpose was to transport trucks of iron ore down from mines located at Knockmurton and Kelton (via Rowrah) to the Iron works at Workington, Cleator Moor and Distington.

[12] Many of the local older residents have memories of reasonably frequent school services, charter trains, Railtours and various specials from Rowrah into the 1950s and 1960s.

Prior to the construction of the railway the cost of transport via road to Rowrah / Wrights Green was three and six a ton (17.5p).

The Rowrah and Kelton Fell Railway was opened in January 1877 and the track eventually lifted in 1934, the route was only ever used for the carriage of goods, specifically Iron ore.

[24] In the early 1960s Kelton Head quarry was purchased from the owner, farmer Joseph Wren, for £300 by Iredale Edgar[34] for the purpose of converting it into the new home of The Cumbria Karting Club.

[38] The earlier of the two tunnels had a narrow gauge track and the latter was sufficiently wide to allow the passage of road wagons.

The cycle route between Rowrah and Whitehaven follows the disused railway line for its entire length, making it an excellent traffic free and gentle bike ride with a selection of local sculptures to keep the casual cyclist entertained.

Brief History to Present Day Rowrah Hall is a fine, imposing Grade II listed building, originally built in 1703 during the reign of Queen Anne, and was the home of John Skelton.

[40] The Hall and estate were bought by a local farmer, but its upkeep was neglected and for a number of years, it lay derelict.

The building is almost in its original "as built" form and can be seen from the C2C Cycle Route at Rowrah, which runs alongside the Hall's three-acre estate.

The gateway to Rowrah Hall was originally located directly on the main road but was altered in 1861 with the arrival of the railway.

Natural Water Source A natural spring within the grounds, feeds two ponds and is the source of Windergill Beck, feeding into the River Ehen, which supports the largest freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera population in England, and is designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

[41] Grade II Listing Rowrah Hall was given Grade II listed status on 9 March 1967[42] and is a traditional Cumberland farmhouse design of five bays, made of rendered limestone, with local slate roof and originally had sandstone mullions and transoms to the windows throughout.

The Listing gives its building as 1705, from a date on the barns (now gone), but from the evidence of a carved oak cupboard, it was probably built in 1703.

Richard was the eldest son of John, and also built the massive gate piers (also listed), with large acorns on top, and the walled garden.

At the time, there was a long drive straight up to the main road, where the entrance was marked by two beech trees (cut down about 1980).

In 1895 a 300 capacity Wesleyan Chapel was constructed from part rendered local sandstone, now a private residential property.

[9] This chapel later became a Methodist church for the local community until declining numbers forced the closure and sale of the property.

[9] 4 items from the "Wesleyan Chapel Rowrah" are part of the local historical collection housed at The Beacon in Whitehaven.

These items are:- Rowrah is a rural village and has diverse wildlife, including wild deer, cuckoo, barn owl, fox, red squirrel, smooth newt, hare, and rabbit.

[54][55] To the south-east of Rowrah, along the C2C cycle route prior to Sheriffs Gate there is High Leys, which has been designated a national nature reserve.