The tower of St Nicholas’ Church stands in the busy centre of Georgian Whitehaven. There has been a church on this site since 1693 (the first Church in the town), although the current Chapel is the remains of an 1883 built church, most of which was burnt down in August 1971. 

Surrounded by its beautiful award winning gardens, St  Nicholas’ Centre and Chapel stands as an unmistakable landmark amongst the busy commercial and retail life of the town. It is a focus for a whole variety of activities – café, meeting place, chapel for worship and private prayer and contemplation, as well as the administrative centre for the work of the busy and active Parish of Whitehaven. St Nicholas’ provides a Christian presence at the heart of a busy community; a place where Church and world can meet on common ground.

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The cafe is usually open Monday to Friday and most Saturdays from 10am to 3pm (see the parish website above for any variations to opening times)- Saturday openings are run by and on behalf of a variety of local charities. All food is freshly made to order and our prices are very reasonable.

There is also a wide variety of local information in the porch, which usually includes availabilty of Parking Discs and local bus and rail timetables (subject to availability).

On certain lunchtimes there is a shop in the porch, selling a variety of cards, local books, home made knitwear and gifts- this is subject to volunteer availability. When the shop is open ask to go up the 42 step unusual left-handed spiral staircase to the Tower Exhibition Room to see the workings of the clock and various historical displays. 

There is a Holy Communion service in the Chapel at 9.30am every Thursday to which all are welcome, and an ecumenical service at 3pm on certain Sunday afterrnoons- which is shared with the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church.

In the grounds there are several memorials to the mining past of the town (and a memorial book in the Chapel which gives the names of all killed in the pits- available for inspection by prior appointment only) and several war memorials. The remaining standing gravestones are to the family of an Archbishop of York who came from Whitehaven.