Over the years, I’ve bought many travel guides to help plan work or holiday trips away and find them a great way to get to know an area, and in some ways much better than browsing through websites.
From walking and cycling trips, I decided to publish two guides, called ‘The Cumbria and Lake District Coast’ and ‘The Mersey Estuary: A Travel Guide’, and you can read more about them on this page, along with some further reading about the wildlife and history of each area.
The Cumbria guide describes the coast from Fleetwood on Morecambe Bay to the Mull of Galloway in Scotland, including the stretch of coastline that passes through the Lake District National Park. The Mersey Estuary guide describes the Liverpool, Wirral and Cheshire shores of the estuary including the Port of Liverpool.
The description begins with the Cumbria guide but click on this link if you’d like to read about the Mersey Estuary and Liverpool first. I also provide some insights into writing the Mersey book at this link.
The Cumbria and Lake District Coast
This book describes places to visit, the history and the wildlife of the area, which covers approximately two hundred miles of coastline.
Destinations include seaside resorts, picturesque harbours, stately homes, museums, tourist attractions and nature reserves plus many less well known sights such as tidal bores, stone circles and reminders of the Roman Empire.
REVIEWS FOR THE CUMBRIA AND LAKE DISTRICT COAST
“The path less travelled. Discover a host of secret seaside haunts along a coastline that stretches from Morecambe Bay to the Solway Firth …”
COAST MAGAZINE, BOOK OF THE MONTH, JANUARY 2022
“A rich guide to the coastal fringes of the region, Kevin’s new book goes beyond a survey to get into the detail of these unique places… Startling photographs and clear images make this a brilliant companion.
CUMBRIA LIFE MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2021
Following two introductory chapters, the book discusses places to visit and the history and wildlife of Morecambe Bay, the Irish Sea coast and the Solway Firth. Topics include:
- The Roman coastal defences beyond Hadrian’s Wall from Bowness-on-Solway to Maryport
- Hidden gems such as tidal bores, lighthouses, and medieval buildings
- Insights into the role of mining in the growth of ports such as Barrow and Workington
- Sea cliffs, beaches and headlands around the coastline
- Tips on where to see barnacle geese, seals and ospreys
- Hills and other local viewpoints for a bird’s eye view of the coast
- Source-to-sea descriptions of Cumbria’s main rivers
Places featured include:
- Lancashire – Fleetwood, Lancaster, Sunderland Point, Heysham Head, Morecambe
- South Cumbria – Arnside, Cartmel, Ulverston, Barrow-in-Furness, Walney Island
- West Cumbria – Millom, Silecroft, Ravenglass, St Bees, Whitehaven, Workington, Maryport
- North Cumbria – Allonby, Silloth, Bowness-on-Solway, Port Carlisle, Carlisle
- Dumfries & Galloway – Gretna, Annan, Dumfries, Caerlaverock, Mersehead, Wigtown, Mull of Galloway
The following gallery shows some sample pages from the book; just click on this link to see these and more examples in a larger size.
Two videos about Morecambe Bay
The following short videos about the book show images from several locations around Morecambe Bay:
Find out more about Morecambe Bay and the Solway Firth
To find out more about Cumbria, you might also be interested in the following blog posts which discuss some local sights:
- 10 best sights around Morecambe Bay (link)
- A Windermere Watershed Walk (link)
- The England Coast Path in Merseyside and Cumbria (link)
- The Arnside Tidal Bore (link)
- Alien invaders: invasive plant species (link)
The Mersey Estuary: A Travel Guide
Liverpool is famed for its spectacular waterfront and the Mersey Ferry but there is much more to see around the Mersey Estuary. The Mersey Estuary: A Travel Guide describes places to visit and the history and wildlife of the area, including the main tourist attractions and many destinations off the beaten track along its Liverpool, Wirral and Cheshire shores, including the Mersey’s tidal bore.
The book describes places to visit around the estuary from Warrington to Runcorn, Widnes, Liverpool, Wirral and the coast. It also describes the wildlife around the estuary and the history of the Port of Liverpool and ports and docks further upstream.
Destinations include the main tourist attractions such as the Three Graces, Liverpool Cathedral and Royal Albert Dock along with many less well known sights off the beaten track such as lighthouses, nature reserves and medieval buildings. The book includes 15 suggested walks and cycle routes from a couple of hours to a full day out.
REVIEWS FOR THE MERSEY ESTUARY: A TRAVEL GUIDE
“Lavishly illustrated, the book paints a picture of Liverpool and the whole of the Mersey Estuary…“
WARRINGTON WORLDWIDE
“The result is ‘The Mersey Estuary: A Travel Guide’ with colour illustrations throughout and detailed information every step of the way.”
ESSENTIAL RUNCORN (Curiosity Bookshop)
“A cracking book”
BBC RADIO MERSEYSIDE
Additional chapters then describe the environment, maritime history and wildlife of the estuary. Topics include:
- Walk and cycle route descriptions in Liverpool, Wirral and Cheshire
- Hidden gems such as lighthouses, medieval buildings and outdoor art
- Desciptions of nature reserves and country parks around the estuary
- Tips on where to see seals, waterbirds and red squirrels
- Insights into the history of the Port of Liverpool and the Mersey ferries
- Hills and local buildings for a bird’s eye view of the estuary
- Development of the Manchester Ship Canal and the Port of Manchester
- Background on the geology, environment and wildlife of the estuary
Places featured include:
- Liverpool area – city, waterfront, Formby Point, Crosby Beach, Speke Hall, Hale Head
- Wirral/Outer Estuary – New Brighton, Birkenhead, Port Sunlight, Ellesmere Port, Frodsham
- Upper estuary – Runcorn, Widnes, Warrington
The following gallery shows some sample pages from the book:
Two short videos about the book
The following short videos shows selected images and places to visit from the book:
More places to visit in Liverpool, Wirral and Cheshire
To find out more about the Mersey Estuary, you might also be interested in the following blog posts which discuss some local sights and topics under the following headings:
Places to visit:
The 10 best waterfront sights of Liverpool and the Mersey Estuary (link)
Outdoors art of the Mersey Estuary (link)
The Mersey Estuary: a bird’s eye view (link)
Unexpected sights of the Mersey Estuary (link)
England Coast Path in Merseyside and Cumbria (link)
Maritime history
Then and Now: the Port of Liverpool (link)
Development of the Port of Liverpool (link)
Tidal Prediction Machines (link)
Inland ports of the Dee and Mersey estuaries (link)
Timekeeping on steam and sailing ships (link)
RRS Sir David Attenborough and Boaty McBoatface (link)
Wildlife and environment
Wild Mersey: wildlife of the Mersey Estuary (link)
The Mersey Tidal Bore (link)
The lost rivers of Liverpool (link)
