cockermouth, a perfect cittaslow start for cumbria...

Cockermouth has become the first town in the North West, and the seventh in the country, to receive a Cittaslow award. The award recognises the town as one that has a good quality of life at a relaxed pace. Cittaslow, which is Italian for "slow city" or "slow town" is an international network of towns. A Cittaslow signs up to working towards a set of goals that aim to improve quality of life, and needs to pass an assessment before being admitted as a member of the Cittaslow network. The assessors visited the town in November last year and were impressed by what they found. They judged it against 60 criteria. The award looks in particular at the environment, high quality local goods and produce and the town's uniqueness, particularly heritage and culture.

There is no shortage of any of these in Cockermouth. It's a beautiful Georgian market town on the edge of the Lake District and home to Wordsworth House. Amidst award winning architecture, a rich local heritage and delightful landscape setting, there is a wide variety of activities for visitors. It has an annual Carnival, and an annual Summer festival. It is also the location for Woolfest, a celebration of nature's finest fibres with everything from rare breed sheep displays and a sale of raw fleeces through to wool products and craft materials. It's home to the Malcolm Wilson rally, the Georgian Fair, an arts festival and an annual rock festival. The shops are traditional and lively, there are cafes and restaurants, antique shops, a microbrewery connected to a pub, and it's also the location of the region's biggest brewer, Jennings, who open their doors for tours. Cockermouth even has its own Farmers market on the first Saturday of the month between 9.30am and 2.00pm. In short, it's a perfect Cittaslow start for Cumbria.

Content and photography supplied by www.artisan-food.com , funded by Distinctly Cumbrian.