The Rotary Club of Wigton

Alison Miles, President 2009/2010

Wigton is an ancient market town situated on the Solway Plain close to the northeast boundary of the Lake District National Park. The town and immediate surrounding area has a population of approximately 5,000 people and is dominated by two industries - agriculture and the manufacture of flexible packaging materials.  Innovia Films,http://www.innoviafilms.com is a major producer and exporter of cellulose and polypropelene films used predominately for packaging by the food and tobacco industries: in Australia, they also manufacturer the base material for plastice bank notes. 

  Wigton has one of the few remaining livestock auctions in the county, Hopes of Wigton, www.hopesofwigton.co.uk, they hold sales twice each week plus additional specialised sales at frequest intervals throughout the year.  Hopes are also renowned for their twice yearly Horse Sales, attracting sellers and buyers from a very wide area.  Wigton was granted its Market Charter in 1262 and it still functions on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Since Roman times, Wigton has played a strategic role in the communication network of the northwest, the Roman fort of Maglona, commonly known today as Old Carlisle, is located at the SW side of the A595 Carlisle to Cockermouth road, itself built by the Romans, about a mile east of the town. Wigton also has a small railway station on the very picturesque line which runs from Carlisle to Lancaster, hugging the coast from Maryport to Barrow and on to Lancaster, a journey worth taking.

Wigton's other great asset is The Nelson Thomlinson School, www.nts.cumbria.sch.uk, a

comprehensive with approx 1250 pupils on the roll as of September 2009.  Access their web site above to view a list of the school's many distinguished former pupils.

The Rotary Club of Wigton was chartered in 1955 by the Rotary Club of Carlisle, www.rotaryclubofcarlisle.org.uk and we currently we have 15 members including 2 ladies.  The club meets at The Greenhill Hotel, www.greenhillhotel.co.uk on Wednesday evenings, 7.0 for 7.30pm for a two course meal, followed, most weeks, by a speaker.  Visitors and guests are always welcome but we would ask you to advise either the hotel or our Secretary Robin Swindells - 01228 710 944 if you plan to attend one of our meetings; the telephone number for the hotel is 016973 43304.