The Cumbria Coastal Way - A Walker's Guidebook

This continuous 298km (182 mile) walking route from Silverdale, on Morecambe Bay, towards Gretna on the Scottish border, links a number of gems of landscape, wildlife, archaeology and history along this often little-known coastline. A walk of 10–14 days suitable for all levels of ability.

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Stage 5

Broughton-in-Furness to Millom and Silecroft

23.8km (14.5 miles)

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From the far left-hand corner of Broughton Square go left down Griffin Street, keep right at the Old King’s Head and walk up the Millom Road. Turn right at the junction by High Cross Inn and go down the main road. At the end of the left-hand wall go left down a gated enclosed track over a bridge across the River Lickle, and continue over a stile by a gate to follow the right-hand boundary until you reach a gate by the riverbank. Through the gate, follow the riverside track, near an old quay, to reach the road at Duddon Bridge. Cross the bridge with care (1.7km).

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Duddon Bridge to Millom

Norse Influence

From Duddon Bridge to between Whitehaven and Workington the route passes through the borough of Copeland. The name was taken from the Norse kaupland, which means ‘bought land’. The Scandinavians were seen as pirates, arriving by way of Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man in the late 9th/early 10th centuries. Eventually they settled and played a formative role in the history of the area. Norse place names still dominate the map of Cumbria, and Norse influence is apparent in many dialect words in use today. The Norse people may have been encouraged to settle in some coastal areas by the local rulers. Evidence from pollen deposits indicates that there was extensive tree clearance around this time, suggesting that land was brought into cultivation.

The Norse people created new farmlands from the wilder uplands, probably using these as summer pastures, and they almost certainly laid down the groundwork for later Norman estates, hunting chases and parish boundaries. The present borough boundary is very close to that of the Norman baronial hunting forest of Copeland, which was once a refuge for deer, wolf and wild boar. The borough now boasts England’s highest peaks – Scafell Pikes and Scafell – and contains its deepest lake – Wastwater.

The Duddon Iron Furnace

This was one of eight charcoal-fired furnaces set up in the southern Lakes in the early 18th century. The site was adjacent to charcoal-producing woodlands, not far from a supply of iron ore, and had access to water power for the furnace bellows. Dating from 1736–7, this furnace was working until 1867. The site is managed by the Lake District National Park Authority.

Note The official route from Duddon Bridge to the railway viaduct is still under development, but the map on page 81 suggests a 3km route that bypasses this section. The route shown on OL6 to Lady Hall is wrong and involves dangerous road walking.

From Lady Hall go down Causey Lane to the riverbank common, and follow the track to the right until you reach the railway embankment through a gate. Continue on this track but, just short of the next gate, turn left to cross the railway by a pair of stiles. Rejoin the embankment by a further stile down to the left. Follow the embankment along and beyond Low Shaw Farm come down the farm access track, cross the inlet stream and go to join the metalled road. Green Road railway station lies just to your right. Go left on the road and turn right to rejoin the embankment to continue around the edge of the salting. The route gives an elevated view of the estuary and leads you, through bridge abutments, into Lancaster Road, Millom. Continue along Lancaster Road and the bridge over the railway by the station (6.8km).

To continue the walk from Millom station retrace your steps to the bridge abutments by the estuary.

Swinside Stone Circle
On the Duddon estuary’s west bank, high above Green Road station, lies Swinside stone circle. Known locally as Sunkenkirk and over 2000 years old, the 50 stones form a circle 30m in diameter. If you have time and energy to spare, it is well worth a visit. See your map and work out a route from Lady Hall.

Millom
The slag banks and pigeon lofts welcome you and in many ways tell the history of Millom, a town that exists because of iron. It collapsed economically and socially when the mines and furnaces closed in 1968, but since then has fought for greater economic activity.

The original settlement was on Holborn Hill, above the railway. Those buildings below the rails are Newtown, an industrial settlement of slate-built houses constructed on former dunes, saltmarsh and swampy fields in 1866. On the outskirts of Millom Holy Trinity Church (worth a visit) can be found next to the remains of Millom Castle, now the house of a working farm.

Next to the track on the landward side of the railway lies a weatherbeaten block of sandstone whose inscription reads ‘Here the Lords of Millom exercised Julia Regalia’, the power of life or death over their tenants. In short, they were hanged here at their Lordship’s pleasure. The stone was positioned on the landward end of the usual cross-sands route to the castle. Time and neglect have almost eaten away the inscription.

In Millom the church of St George’s central tower and recessed spire is a dominant landmark. The avenue of limes leading to the church was funded by local 19th-century iron barons. A stained glass window commemorates local poet and author Norman Nicholson.

The Millom Folk Museum and TIC are located at the railway station and tell the tale of the iron industry that strongly influences the next section of the walk.

Millom to Silecroft

From the salting side of the bridge abutments at the seaward end of Lancaster Road, climb up left to the track bed of the former ironworks railway line, and continue ahead when this meets a wider track. On the left is a slag bank, whilst that to your right has been planted as part of the Millom Ironworks Local Nature Reserve, home to natterjack toad and bee orchid. Continue to reach the Duddon youth hostel, complete with blue boat. Turn right just after the building to go inshore, by the former ironworks pier, now a scrapyard, to reach the road junction. The old ironworks site is to the right (1.5km).

Millom Ironworks
Until 1968 you could see plumes of orange flame spewing into the darkness from the Millom blast furnaces at night. The works are long gone, and only slag banks, now planted, remain. The ironworks and mines shipped out their products from Borwick Rails harbour. Though the long quay is now decaying it is still an evocative sight, and served Duddon ships from the 1750s. Until around 1920 it was the setting for the local regatta. Now used for ship breaking and sometimes as a port, the quay gives wonderful views up the estuary towards Scafell and the Coniston fells.

Go left on the road, pass the waste-water treatment plant, continue through the small gate ahead and then through a kissing-gate on the left before the field corner. Cross the remains of Salthouse Pool and follow the track ahead to reach the remains and then the end of Borwick Rails quay where fine views of the estuary are obtained. Retrace your steps for a few metres to find a gap in the fence, now on your left, and then go along the seaward edge of the long field. Continue until a small wall forces you onto the foreshore, beyond which you turn half-right to follow a left-hand wall. Go through the gate facing you and up the path to pass the right-hand side of the remains of a windmill. Then go downhill, and then left to the track to follow the arc of the barrier to your left and the flooded Hodbarrow Hollow to your right to reach the iron lighthouse (3km).

Hodbarrow Mines
Before their closure in 1968 these were the most productive iron ore mines in the world. The ore is found in the limestone that continues under the Duddon estuary into Furness and, geologically, links to the earlier stages of the walk. The ore deposits were discovered in 1843 by an agent of the Earl of Lonsdale, and large-scale extraction of rich 30m deposits began after he leased the rights in 1855. The old windmill served as the first company offices and are adjacent to Towsey Hole, the first mine. At the height of their prosperity these mines employed 2000 people.

The outer barrier was the third, completed in 1905, to protect the mines from the sea. The second eventually collapsed; both had permitted extension of the mines under the sea. When Hodbarrow mines closed the pumping system was switched off, allowing the mines and the hollow to flood. A metal lighthouse was built to replace the redundant stone one on the middle barrier.

In the late 1980s the RSPB turned most of the site into a nature reserve. Great-crested grebe, tufted duck, ringed plover, oystercatcher and little tern can be seen, whilst natterjack toad spawn nearby. Bloody cranesbill and orchids can be found in the surrounding grassland.

Continue past the iron lighthouse, turn left at the end of the embankment, and continue round the edge of the sea defences to reach the River Lazy at Haverigg. Cross the bridge, go left on the road to the front, playground and toilets, and then go up the steps and right along the top of the sea defence until it comes to an end by the first sand dune (1.6km).

From the first dune go down to the beach and follow the coast until you arrive at Silecroft. The walk will be on smooth sand accompanied by the call of seabirds, if you time your arrival for low tide. If not, you will be on leg-tiring shingle. Please avoid walking on the dunes or disturbing roosting birds, and look out for the flowers (5.9km).

Haverigg
Once you round Haverigg Point – which seems so close to Barrow – you have really turned the corner to head north. Now the Irish Sea will accompany us to the Solway.

Just over the sand dunes, on a former airfield that houses Haverigg Prison, are two wind power stations, first erected in 1992. Haverigg is also the site of a prehistoric middin where archaeologists have found shells of oyster, winkle, mussel, cockle and limpet, along with a pelican’s foot, showing the importance of the sea as a food source for ancient Britons.

Shingle Beaches and Sand Dunes
Loose shingle beaches are very difficult areas for plants to root in. On the higher reaches, however, you might find the yellow-horned poppy or sea holly, as well as smaller species. Turnstone and oystercatcher frequent these areas, particularly when the muddy beaches are covered by water. Washed-up crabs and other invertebrates provide food for ringed plover, whilst dunlin and turnstone feed lower down the beach.

Sand dunes are also important habitats, especially at Sandscale Haws, along the raised beaches north of Maryport, and between Allonby and Silloth. Once the sand has been stabilised by plants such as marram grass, other species can start to colonise. The resulting dunes also provide habitats for nesting birds and rare species such as the natterjack toad and orchids. These habitats can be damaged easily by trampling, so it’s important to keep to the path.