MARYPORT

maryport, a market town and seaport in the cockermouth parliamentary division of cumberland, england, 25 m. w.s.w. of carlisle, on the maryport & carlisle railway. pop. of urban district (1901), 11,897. it is irregularly built on the shore of the irish sea and on the cliffs above, at the mouth of the river ellen. until 1750 there were only a few huts here, the spot being called ellenfoot, but at this time the harbour was built by humphrey senhouse. in 1892 maryport became an independent port with workington, whitehaven and millom subordinate to it. coal and pig-iron are exported from the mining district inland, and shipbuilding is carried on. there are also rope and sail works, iron-foundries, saw-mills, breweries and tanneries. on the hill north of the town there is a roman fort which guarded the coast, and many remains of this period have been discovered. the fort was called uxellodunum.