Workington /ˈwɜːrkɪŋtən/ is a coastal town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast in Cumbria, England.

Between 79 and 122 CE, Roman forts, mile-forts and watchtowers were built along the Cumbrian coast,[2]: 10  as defences against attacks by the Scoti of Ireland and the Caledonii, the most powerful tribe in what is now Scotland.

In 2006, Washington Square, a £50 million shopping centre and mixed-use complex, was opened to replace the run-down St John's Arcade, built in the 1960s and 1970s.

[6][7] In 2007, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors named Washington Square the "best commercial project" in North West England.

[22][23] Campaigners opposed the sale, stating that the land was common ground and belonged to the people of Workington.

[25] In 2011 a closed meeting of Allerdale councillors discussed the sale of the site,[26] but the council rescinded on its decision to sell it to Tesco in June 2011.

Tesco stated that it was still seeking a site for a store of around 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2) Workington to replace the established one.

[27] In 2014, North West MEP Julie Ward closed her Workington office and relocated it to Manchester.

It is bounded to the west by the Solway Firth, part of the Irish Sea, and to the east by the Lake District.

On the south side are the districts of Stainburn, Derwent Howe, Ashfield, Banklands, Frostoms (Annie Pit), Mossbay, Moorclose, Salterbeck, Bridgefoot, Lillyhall, Harrington, High Harrington, Clay Flatts, Kerry Park, Westfield and Great Clifton.

The Cumbria iron-ore field lies to the south of Workington, and produced extremely high grade phosphorus-free haematite.

[43][44] The Moss Bay Steelworks closed in 1982, despite receiving notable infrastructural investment and improvement almost immediately before the closure.

Employing some 200 people, its primary purpose was the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of continuous casting machines.

The plant was closed in August 2006, but welding work on rails produced at Corus Groups' French plant in Hayange continued at Workington for another two years, as the Scunthorpe site initially proved incapable of producing rails adequately.

Industries in the town today include chemicals, cardboard, the docks (originally built by the United Steel Co.), waste management and recycling old computers for export, mainly to poorer countries.

The Cumbrian Coast line provides rail connections from Workington railway station to Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, with occasional through trains to Lancaster and Preston.

Workington North railway station opened on 30 November 2009 as a temporary means of crossing the river after road bridges had been closed by flooding.

Artists included The Chairmen, Novellos, With Lights Out, Volcanoes, Breed, Colt 45, Relics, Telf, Thir13een, Slagbank, Hangin' Threads and Hand of Fate.

[47] In 2008, the Paint Your Town Red Festival invited Liverpool comic and actor Ricky Tomlinson.

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Border.

[59] "Dronnies", a group of steel workers that had migrated to the town from Dronfield, Derbyshire,[60] formed the nucleus of the original Workington F.C.

Workington's first golf club appeared in 1893 and played north of the River Derwent near Siddick.

Five-times Open Champion and renowned course architect James Braid was consulted on the layout.

Speedway returned to Workington,[67] and the team has operated with varying degrees of success, but in 2008 it won the Young Shield[68] and the Premier League Four-Team and Pairs Championships.

[69] Workington Cricket Club plays at the Ernest Valentine Ground, on the High Cloffock near the River Derwent and the town centre.

Cumbria Cricket Board Open Courses are led by coaches at the town's Stainburn School.

[71] Workington and District Sea Angling Club takes part in regular monthly matches.

All of its schools and clubs are affiliated to the Cumbria Athletics Association,[74] except orienteering which is organised through its own national federation.

The West Cumbrian motorcycle club, the Roadburners,[80] was established in 1989 and regularly features at local and national motorbike rallies and charity road runs.