Where the Lakes Meet the Sea
Coastal villages and towns in the Lake District
Famous for its majestic mountains and lakes, the Lake District also offers visitors some of the most intriguing seaside resorts in England. If you are planning a trip to the Lake District, and you want to explore some of the coastal villages and towns, the following information may be helpful to you:
Seascale
Seascale is the only village on the Cumbria coast, and was once an early Norse settlement, and years later, a Roman settlement. Once a favourite seaside resort amongst Victorian visitors, Seascale was accessed by the Furness West Coast Railway Company. Nowadays, visitors to Seascale can enjoy a range of attractions, including golf, bowling, local village cricket and beautiful coastline views across to the Isle of Man. Today the village retains much of its Victorian charm, including the Water Tower, a listed building used, before Seascale had a proper water supply, to pump water to 'The Banks', from a large water tank on the hill where the golf course is now. Visitors with time on their hands should explore the nearby villages, which offer some of the most scenic countryside in the lakes.
Visit Muncaster Castle, with its 77 acres of gardens, world owl centre, maze and playground, the Millom Folk Museum, which documents the history of Millom and the Seascale Golf Club, with an 18-hole course, practice range and putting greens.
Solway Firth
Travelling along the west coast takes you through many historic towns and villages. The Solway Coast is renowned for spectacular sunsets and provides a haven of peace for you to enjoy. The area is home to a wide range of bird life, rare plants and wildlife.
Silloth has a small population, and nestles on the shores of the Solway Firth, facing southern Galloway, with a backdrop of fells and open countryside. Silloth is known for its mild climate, its tranquil atmosphere and for its stunning sea views and sunsets. The Green is a 36 acre grassy area in the middle of town, which attracts thousands of visitors to this scenic spot.
Taking its name from Cistercian monks at Holme Cultram Abbey in Abbeytown, Silloth was named after the sea lathes in which grain was stored. The hamlet was painted by famous landscape artist, Turner, and is also situated on the Cumbria Coastal Way and the Cumbria Cycle Way.Great places to visit in Solway Firth include: Paramount Amusements, with a soft play area for kids, Solway Firth Discovery Centre, which is a family friendly museum, situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty and the Gincase Craft Barn at Silloth, with farm park and tea rooms.
Maryport and Workington
Henry Ismay founded the White Star Line, builders of the Titanic, and was born in Maryport in 1837. Once known as the most attractive hrbour town in the UK, Maryport´s history is highlighted with a host of Roman, Georgian and Victorian industrial markings.Nowadays, visitors flock to the Senhouse Museum, which is thought to have been one of the largest Roman forts in the North of England, and also to the cliff top Roman fort of Alauna. Both Maryport and Workington were both important industrial towns during the industrial revolution, and were built up on coal, iron and steel mining. Industry in the towns prospered because of their close proximity to Ireland, and major Irish cities, including Dublin, were built off the back of Cumbrian coal.
Visit the Lake District Coast Aquarium in Maryport, the Maryport Maritime Museum with exhibitions about the Titanic and the Bounty, the Senhouse Roman Museum, the West Coast Indoor Karting track, and The Lakeland Heavy Horse Centre with stables, a demonstration centre and a pet´s corner for the kids. If you are visiting Workington with the kids, spend a few hours at the Monkey Madhouse, which is a play area with free parking, Go Higher Mountaineering at Distington, which specialises in outdoor pursuits, or visit the Helena Thompson Museum.
Whitehaven
Whitehaven was the first post-Renaissance planned town in Britain when Sir John Lowther began construction of the streets (he was inspired by Sir Christopher Wren's designs for the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666). Streets were laid in a grid pattern with St Nicholas Church sitting in the middle. Unfortunately, the town´s prosperity declined due to the shallow waters of the Solway - this limited the size of ships that could enter the harbour. As the displacement of shipping continued, the deep water ports of Liverpool and Glasgow prospered at the expense of Whitehaven.
Today´s attractions in Whitehaven include: The Rum Story, a family-friendly museum, dedicated to the history of rum, The Haig Colliery Mining Museum, which was Cumbria´s last deep coal mine, The Beacon, which is Whitehaven´s museum, and documents the history and industry of the town, and Whitehaven Marine Adventures, which include a 90-minute boat ride to the nature reserves in St.Bees.
Barrow-in-Furness
If you are visiting Barrow-in-Furness for the first time you won´t fail to be impressed by the excellent food, sport, entertainment, nightlife, sea and sandy beaches.With the stunning drama of the Lake District National Park nearby, it's perhaps easy to overlook the nearby beauty of long and narrow Walney Island, connected to Barrow-in-Furness by a small bridge and tucked between the Duddon and Morecambe Bay Estuaries. Barrow is known for its ship-building, and has a heritage of building large naval warships.
Now a perfect haven for wildlife, the sand dunes, shingle, open pools, salt marshes and mudflats are typical of the Morecambe Bay environment and here at Walney they're home to Europe's largest colony of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Eider bree.
Projecting into the Irish Sea, Barrow-in-Furness is close to Morecambe Bay in the south and the Duddon Estuary in the north, and attractions include: Portland Walk Shopping Centre, Hollywood Park multiplex cinema, Forum 28, which is an award-winning theatre, and the ancient market town of Dalton, which is home to the South Lakes Wild Animal Park.If you prefer to explore the long, sandy beaches on horseback, you will find a choice of bird sanctuaries and nature reserves nearby to explore at your own leisure.
Ulverston
Ulverston is a market town, which is probably most famous as being the birthplace of Stan Laurel, part of the famous comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy.Historically part of Lancashire, the town of Ulverston is situated in the Furness area, just north of Morecambe Bay, and its most visible landmark is Hoad Monument, which was built in 1850, to commemorate the statesman and local resident, Sir John Barrow.
Today, Ulverston offers visitors some great attractions, including: The Lantern, a contemporary arts centre, specialist shopping, top restaurants, cafés and tearooms and some of the best pubs in the Lake District. Also known for its coarse fishing, Ulverston Canal and Sandhall Ponds attract keen fishermen from all over the UK, and trench, pike and carp can all be caught here.Popular Ulverston attractions include: The Laurel and Hardy Museum, Stott Park Bobbin Mill, Ulverston Heritage Centre and Fell Foot Park.
Ravenglass
Ravenglass was an important coastal base for the Romans, who occupied the area for 300 years. It was also a busy port in the Middle Ages when goods were imported across the Irish Sea. Ravenglass thrived from 1208, when King John signed a charter to create a market in the village.
The Romans had a thousand soldiers in their fort, Glannaventa. Today, little remains of the fort except for the bath-house, one of the biggest remaining Roman buildings in England. The Roman road from Ravenglass went up to Hard Knott Fort in Upper Eskdale and over to a third fort at Ambleside.
Much of the village trade was taken over by smugglers in the 1800s, the market closed down and Ravenglass became a sleepy village, which still boasts a shingle beach and cobbled main street.The miniature Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway still attracts visitors to the area, and was first used in the 19th Century to bring iron ore, mined in Eskdale, to Ravenglass for onward distribution. This is the oldest narrow gauge line in England, and travels through 7 miles of stunning countryside to Dalegarth at the top of the Eskdale Valley.
At the Ravenglass terminus, there is a museum with an in-depth history of the railway, with memorabilia, models and photographs and free admission. Other Ravenglass attractions include the Millenium Garden, designed with the help of local schoolchildren, where a cobble mosaic represents local history. A local cycle route from Ravenglass Station is the Eskdale Cycle Trail, which runs almost parallel to the railway line, and covers 10 miles to Eskdale Green. It is possible to cycle one way and catch the train back.
Fifteen minutes away from Ravenglass is Wasdale, home to Scafell Pike, which is England´s highest mountain, and Wastwater, the region´s deepest lake. If you are after some liquid refreshment or a delicious lunch, visit the Ratty Arms, which was once Ravenglass´s station, and browse the fascinating displays of memorabilia.
