Starting from the Market Place and running all the way to Scotch Street the last house on the Roper Street is number 30 which was built by James Spedding. It actually faces onto Scotch Street but as with many corner houses in Whitehaven the entrance is on the lesser street to allow for a fine entrance behind the front range of rooms on the ground floor. The doorway is particularly ornate with panelled sides flanked by ionic columns surmounted by a scrolled pediment which is interrupted at the apex by an acorn, which is part of the Spedding's heraldry. Spedding built the house about 1745 and it lies across from the house built by his father, Carlisle Spedding, on Scotch Street. James Spedding also owned the plot where the six-storey warehouse stands which has now been converted into modern apartments whilst retaining its 18th century external form.
Across the street are slightly more modest houses as built for 18th century tradesmen. The water spout between the first two contains the initials of Thomas Ritson, a plumber, who was apparently using it as an advertisement of his work. A date on the this of 1740 would appear to be the date the house was built as he acquired the land in 1738.
Unusual for Whitehaven the next house has a Dutch style gable facing the street disrupting the roof line which is otherwise parallel with the street.
On the north side we have the house once owned by Captain Daniel Brocklebank which has a rather simply door and pediment an rusticated quern stones.
Next is a mirrored pair of Georgian houses with doors side by side atop a flight of six steps each with a matching pilasters and arched top pediments with a central urn motif. The one on the left was until recently Copeland's area housing office but has been converted back to a domestic property.
For many years this was Michael Moon's bookshop, which has now moved to Lowther Street, this rather disappointing building is on the site of Whitehaven's Theatre Royal.
Beyond we see the Whitehaven New's office described on the Queen Street page.
Behind what used to be the Golden Lion Hotel there is Golden Lion Court which is accessed via an archway with a decorative iron gate.
Within Golden Lion Court is this house, hidden away, plus the backs of the Market Place shops and houses on Roper Street surrounded the cobbled courtyard where there used to be a well.
© WAWL 2009