Workingon is situated on the West Coast of Cumbria on the mouth of the River Derwent. it is a town with a long history that includes a roman fort to protect the area from Scot (Irish tribe) and Celedonii (Scottish tribe). The most notable building in the area is Workington Hall which was originally built as a pele tower in 1362 and became a fortified tower house. It once belonged to the Curwen family and once had Mary Queen of Scots as a guest. The house was used by the Curwen family until the 20th century before passing to the Chance family and was later requisitioned by the War Office and suffered fire damage during this time. Although the family passed ownership to the local council to be used as a town hall, it has not be converted as such.
Workingon town came to prominence during the industrial period when Henry Bessemer invented a new process to produce steel leading to a large development in iron and coal production in the area. It also lead to the development of the port for exporting the steel.
As an industrial centre, Workington had three theatres including an opera house and was popular stopover with variety acts.
During some violent storms in 2009 the River Derwent rose to such levels that some of the bridges in the area were damaged including one being washed away.