From Morecambe Bay to the Solway Firth
The Cumbria coast stretches from Morecambe Bay to the Solway Firth and passes through the beautiful Lake District National Park. The recently published book The Cumbria and Lake District Coast describes places to visit, history and wildlife off the beaten track from Fleetwood to the Mull of Galloway.
This page shows some highlights from the book and includes links to several articles on the wildlife and environment of Cumbria and additional photographs of the area.
“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
Quick Summary
The book describes places to visit around the Cumbria and Lake District coast and coastal areas along the Lancashire shores of Morecambe Bay and the Solway Firth in Dumfries & Galloway.
Destinations include seaside resorts, picturesque harbours, stately homes, museums, tourist attractions and nature reserves plus many less well known sites such as stone circles and reminders of the Roman Empire.
More details
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 to visit along the Cumbria and Lake District coast
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
Sample pages from The Cumbria and Lake District Coast
The following gallery shows some sample pages from the book; just click on this link then on individual photographs to see more.
A video about Morecambe Bay
The following short video about the book shows images from several locations around Morecambe Bay:
More about Cumbria and the Lake District
To find out more about Cumbria, you might also be interested in the following blog posts which discuss some local sights:
- A Windermere Watershed Walk
- The England Coast Path in Merseyside and Cumbria
- The Arnside Tidal Bore
- Seeing seals in England, Scotland and Wales
- Murmurations: dance of the dunlins
- Alien invaders: invasive plant species
There are also more photographs of Morecambe Bay, west Cumbria and the Solway Firth on my Alamy stock photography page, including a selection from the book:
https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/meteowriter/cumbrianwengland.html
A Windermere Watershed Walk
Windermere is the largest lake in the Lake District with some superb places to walk in the surrounding watershed. While thinking back to past trips, I thought I’d share a few highlights from a walk around the lake’s catchment a few years ago…continue reading
The England Coast Path in Merseyside and Cumbria
After years of planning, the England Coast Path is close to completion, which is a fantastic achievement and will include sections through Merseyside and Cumbria. A few years ago, on a project in southern Africa, by chance I met a colleague whose coastal exploits I’d heard a lot about….continue reading
The Arnside Tidal Bore in Morecambe Bay
On the highest tides, a most unusual sight can be seen in the Kent Estuary in Morecambe Bay called the Arnside Bore. This is one of about twenty tidal bores that occurs in the UK and is named after the village of Arnside. It is quite a spectacle and often draws crowds of onlookers…continue reading
Seeing seals in England, Scotland and Wales
Seals are some of the largest and most entrancing mammals to see around the UK coastline. The two main types are the Atlantic grey seal and the smaller harbour or common seal…continue reading
Murmurations: dance of the dunlins
From nature documentaries such as the BBC’s Blue Planet, we know that some fish species swim in huge shimmering shoals to confuse or deter predators. Perhaps less well known, though, is that some birds such as dunlins do this too, in aerial displays called murmurations…continue reading
Alien invaders: invasive plant species
The Victorian era was famed for exploration and this included the so-called plant-hunters, who roamed the world in search of ornamental plants, fruits, vegetables and medicines. However, some of their finds now cause problems in the form of invasive plant species, more colourfully known as alien invaders. Whilst some finds are now popular with gardeners…continue reading