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The Solway Coast
In Cumbria the marshes extend between Grune Point at Morecambe Bays mouth to near Gretna at
the estuarys head. Sheep graze in these marshes as they have done for centuries past. The grasses
of the salt marsh created by the tides are growing yearly. One of these marshes, Rockliffe, leads
to Esk Boathouse. There are three more marshes on the Solway Coast, all located on Moricambe (not to be confused with Morecambe) Bays south shore. Cardurnock Flatts marsh is home to the villages of Bowness-on-Solway and Port Carlisle. Skinburness Marsh is the site of the village of Skinburness, sitting on the narrow spit of Grune Point. Newton Marsh is the third marsh in the Moricambe Bay area. The marshes are a breeding ground for ducks and geese.
Farm fields and hedgerows extend over what was forest land until the 1400s. Badgers, foxes, voles, and hedgehogs live here. Local red sandstone can be spotted in some of the farm and village buildings. Glasson Moss and Bowness Common form part of the rare wildlife reserves of bogs and mosses. Butterflies and red grouse feed on the purple heather. Butterworts and sundew eat the local insects.
The Solway Coast is located off the B5302, A74, and a minor road from the B5307.
Photos courtesy of Ann Bowker and Tony Richard and Allerdale Tourism © 1997-2008 by The Cumbria Directory. Reproduction of this work in whole or in part, including images, and reproduction in electronic media, without documented permission from The Cumbria Directory is prohibited. |
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The Solway Coast is a tide-washed estuary between southwest Scotland
and northwest Cumbria. Mud flats and marsh are created by the narrowing of Solway Firth, the bore
tides and strong currents, and the flat land. Salmon and sea trout are caught in nets with the
incoming tide.
Reedy Burgh Marsh is home to a Victorian monument to
Edward I, who died here. A footpath leads from the village of Burgh-by-Sands to the spot.
Diverse animal and bird life inhabit all areas of the Solway Coast. Thyme,
spiny restharrow, yellow kidney vetch and pale blue harebells nestle in the sand dunes while
skylark and barn owls fly overhead. Wading birds such as lapwing, oystercatcher, and curlew cover
the sands at low tide.
The Smugglers Route is a walking route in the Solway that
provides an introduction to the history, heritage, flora, fauna, and landscape of the Solway
coast and plain. Sand dunes, salt marsh, farm fields, and bogs and mosses all make up this
windswept Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Solway Coast Contact: