The George Moore Memorial Fountain 1872 in the centre of Wigton.
Drinking fountain memorial. 1872-3 by J.T. Knowles with panels by Thomas Woolner; inscribed THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED BY GEORGE MOORE OF WHITEHALL, HIGH SHERIFF OF CUMBERLAND AD 1872, IN LOVING MEMORY OF HIS WIFE, ELIZA, WHO DIED ON THE 4TH OF DECEMBER, 1858. Polished Shap granite; aluminium bronze panels; gilt decoration. Square base with projecting fountain bowls on each face. Stepped plinth and square shaft, with panel on each face representing the Acts of Mercy, 340 separate castings by Messrs Hardman of Birmingham to designs by Woolner. Egg and tongue decorated cornice, under 4 pediments enclosing medallion busts of Mrs Moore also by Woolner. Pyramid spire with angle decorations and each face cut away in a foliated gilded pattern; ball and cross gilded bronze finial. Cost £12,000. See T.W. Carrick, History of Wigton, 1949.
Wigton is a market town in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies just outside the Lake District in the borough of Allerdale. Wigton is at the centre of the Solway Plain, between the Caldbeck Fells and the Solway coast. It is served by Wigton railway station on the Cumbrian Coast Line, and the A596 road to Workington. The town of Silloth-on-Solway lies twelve miles to the west, beyond Abbeytown.
Wigton today is a thriving market town, with livestock auctions being held regularly at Hopes Auction Company. The main employer is Innovia Films.
The town has its own secondary school, called The Nelson Thomlinson School, which is a well-performing comprehensive with close links to the Innovia factory.
In 2004 the town was the first settlement in the United Kingdom to enforce a curfew on teenagers under the age of 16. It was in place for two weeks, and its aim was to reduce the amount of vandalism in the town centre. It followed nightly vandalism campaigns, which included smashed shop fronts, as well as intimidation of elderly members of the community. The curfew attracted national attention, with the local secondary school receiving visits from agencies such as Sky News. It had some effect, with less vandalism taking place ever since.
Wigton's principal employer is the Innovia Factory (locally known as The Factory) in the centre of the town.
In 1936 the British New Wrap Co Ltd was formed in Wigton, Cumbria, and production of cellulose film began at the site which had previously been a jam-making facility, and then set up to produce "artificial silk" or Rayon. In 1936 the company changed its name to British Rayophane Ltd.
The company's main products are:
- Labels and graphics
- Cellophane and Propafilm – bubble-produced BOPP film
- Substrates for plastic banknotes – used for multiple currencies worldwide including the new British polymer banknotes
- Plastic labels – replacing paper labels due to their resistance to tearing, scuffing and water damage. Clear labels are especially popular as they give the 'upmarket' appearance of graphics printed directly onto a bottle or container
- UV-resistant films – for promotional and POS/POP graphics
Wigton is also home to:
- Reays Coaches is based in Wigton and employs around 200 staff.
- VV Rouleaux, supplier of ribbons and tie-backs, operates its only UK warehouse in Wigton.
Smaill magnetic nano cache, you will need to bring your own pen - tweezers may be needed too!
***Congrats to boobcrack on the FTF***