In 1980 and 1981, three former burgage plots on Main Street, Cockermouth, became available for excavation by the then Cumbria and Lancashire Archaeological Unit. The site suggested continuous occupation from c.1200 to the present day. In keeping with burgage plots elsewhere, domestic dwellings fronted the street, while to their rear there were ancillary buildings, refuse pits, and a well, and behind those, elements of buildings used for agricultural or industrial purposes. Building materials included timber and then clay, followed by brick and stone, and with some evidence of roofing slate. Careful examination of the excavation evidence revealed successive rebuildings, particularly around 1700, and a variety of forms of stairs, hearths, and windows.