Cockermouth Old Courthouse: Hope for damaged building

Much of the back of the Old Courthouse fell into the River Cocker earlier this month

An historic building that partially fell into a river should be preserved as much as possible, the local council has said.

The back of the Grade II-listed Old Courthouse in Cockermouth, Cumbria, fell into the River Cocker early on 8 October.

Cumberland Council has issued an official order concerning emergency work needed to make the area safe.

Its owner has told the BBC he is unable to comment.

The building, which is about 190 years old and housed The Honest Lawyer restaurant, has not been used since 2021 after heavy rain left it unsafe.

It was then sold at auction in 2022.

Earlier this week the council announced it had issued a Notice of Intention of Emergency Works under Section 78 of the Building Act 1984 setting out what the owner must do to remove imminent danger.

As that has already been carried out by the local authority - including installing fencing and a covered walkway across the Cocker Bridge - the order is mainly to allow the council to recoup its costs.

A covered walkway is allowing pedestrians to cross the River Cocker but the road is closed to traffic

Jane Meek, the authority's corporate director of economic development, said the council was keen to see as little of the building lost as possible.

"We would much prefer to work with the owner but to ensure the works happen in a timely manner we are also going down the legal route.

"Ideally we want the building made safe and (to) be able to open up the bridge to traffic but because it's a listed building, we want to preserve and retain as much as we possibly can."

While the covered walkway allows pedestrians and cyclists to safely pass, the loss of traffic is having an impact on trade, businesses have said.

Andrew Marshall, of the Cockermouth Chamber of Trade, explained: "What we'd really like to see is the bridge open but we understand the council have to go through the legal process.

"Ultimately, the covered walkway is great but we want the road back open and traffic flowing through, bringing a bit more life back to the town."