'My duty to keep storm-battered harbour shipshape'

Maintaining a 400-year-old harbour constantly exposed to the elements comes with its challenges, especially on England's windy north-west coast.

Storm damage, failing equipment and a bizarre phenomenon turning the water orange are just some of the issues recently faced by Whitehaven Harbour.

"The main challenge is you're fighting against the weather," says Deanne Shallcross, CEO at Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, which is tasked with looking after it. "Some of the rocks that come out of the sea in the really big storms - it's absolutely incredible."

The first official quay was built there in 1634, with listed buildings now mixing with more modern features built to mark the millennium.

"That was an amazing project 25 years ago, but the problem with that was that over the years there's been very little ongoing maintenance because there have been funding challenges," Shallcross explains.

A decorative wave that lights up at night had to be switched off at the end of last year due to water damage.

Access to a viewing platform known as the Crow's Nest was also halted due to a damaged decking. Both issues attracted criticism from the community here on the Cumbrian coast.

The harbour employs 14 people and turns over an average of £1.2m through income such as car parks and tenancy fees from the operators of the marina.

Shallcross says the authority receives no regular public funding and because of its set-up as a trust port, it is limited as to how it can make money.

"People complain about paying to park, but our car parks, no pun intended, literally drive the mainstay of our revenue," she says.

The harbour also has obligations to provide a safe shelter for seafarers and its sea lock also acts as the town's flood defences.

But its setting within a conservation area means simple repairs can come with hefty bills, due to specialist materials and contractors needed.

Just a year ago, the harbour was left with £100,000 of storm damage.

"A lot of it is covered by insurance, some not, because [some structures] are unique and insurers struggle to put a price on them, like lighthouses," she says.

The lighthouses were fully restored in 2022 and shortly after the Wave was also relit after many years of not working.

Shallcross says this was a pivotal moment.

"It was amazing to see how much it turned around the community perspective, the opinion of the harbour, everybody fell back in love with it."

In a way, she feels the community are the ultimate boss she must answer to.

"There's a lot of love for that harbour and people are really supportive, but they're also very vocal and very quick to tell you when they're not happy about something," she says.

The harbour is a focal point for the town and regulars include parents taking their children for a stroll, fishing enthusiasts casting their rods and office workers heading out for a quick bite to its cafes and restaurants. It also hosts events such as firework displays, markets and music festivals.

Shallcross says she is committed to ensuring all areas look in shipshape condition.

While the Wave has been relit, some sections still need repairs, a process which is ongoing.

Her next big project is to focus on restoring the Crow's Nest, which she says has been "left to look very unloved". It has been closed since just before Christmas. She hopes it can become a focal point once again, providing an Instagram-worthy setting.

But work to bring it back to life would include a full structural survey, replacing a sunken pontoon, rotten decking, repainting and installing lights. The "bare minimum" would cost at least £50,000.

Shallcross says her team is working on plans so that funding or grants can be identified.

The main issue, however, remains the "frustrating" orange water.

Tests identified iron ochre getting into the Queens Dock through a culvert draining water from a railway tunnel.

Since starting her role in July 2023, Shallcross says this has been "the biggest issue by far" the harbour has been dealing with.

"When I say dealing with it, [it's] dealing with the messaging because in actual fact the physical dealing with is not that easy, because we're receiving this water," she says.

A task force led by the area's Labour MP Josh MacAlister is looking at a solution which would see water diverted out to sea through an external pipeline.

The issue has angered residents who fear Whitehaven's image has been marred by the problem.

Shallcross says she has received letters telling her the authority should budget for the more than £3m bill.

"I think people think we're a multi-million pound organisation and we're absolutely not."

But, she says her pledge to the community to leave the harbour in a better condition than she found it and to restore the Crow's Nest was firm.

"You walk through the door on day one to a job, it very quickly becomes a way of life," she says.

"That harbour never stops - it fights back 24/7."

Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.