town (parish), Allerdale district, administrative county of Cumbria, historic county of Cumberland, England, situated where the River Derwent emerges from the mountains of the scenic Lake District and is joined by the River Cocker. The community grew under the protection of a Norman castle, now modernized as a private residence. The 19th-century English Romantic poet William Wordsworth (Wordsworth, William) was born in Cockermouth, and his house in the main street is preserved by the National Trust. In addition to acting as the service centre for an extensive farming area, the town benefits from tourist traffic attracted to the Lake District. Pop. (2001) 7,877.