Silloth

The Victorian seaside town of Silloth is a popular destination for its leisurely atmosphere, seaside recreation and spectacular sunsets. It has a wonderful, extensive town green right in the centre, with children's water play area and a great selection of independent shops. The long promenade provides a good walk with views of the majestic Solway Firth and across the water to Scotland.
 
Silloth borders the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the town has an AONB Discovery Centre, which is a great way to find out about the seabirds, wild flowers, special landscapes and heritage of the area. The natural indentation of the Solway Firth also influenced the building of Hadrian’s Wall in AD 122.
 
The flat landscape makes it ideal cycling territory – and even better there are a number of quiet roads for trouble-free pedalling. The National route 72 - Hadrian's Cycvleway passes through the town and you can obtain a free pack of cycle routes from the Discovery Centre.
 
There is a good selection of accommodation in Silloth from hotels to the highly rated Stanwix Holiday Park. For entertainment, the town has an extensive festival and events programme which includes its famous beer festival and vintage rally.

Culture & Heritage

At its height, the Roman Empire stretched from Africa to the Scottish borders, with the northern frontier demarcated by the building of Hadrian's Wall between Tynemouth and the Solway. The large fort of Maia at Bowness-on-Solway was at the westernmost end of the Wall, guarding the crossings over the Solway, with a series of forts and milefortlets every Roman mile down the coast to Ravenglass.
 
Hardly anything remains of the wall or its supporting forts in the Solway area, as much of the stone was re-used in later buildings. Once the Romans departed new waves of settlers and influences left their mark on the landscape, including the Normans, who added Holm Cultram Abbey and a number of churches and castles at Beaumont and Burgh-by-Sands, both now demolished. The Abbey owned extensive lands and property around the Solway and had a port at Skinburness from which they exported wool.
 
Edward I based his naval vessels at Skinburness to supply troops and provisions prior to his assault on Scotland. His attempts to subjugate the Scots resulted in a series of uprisings throughout the borderlands, and contributed to the lawlessness that dominated until 1603 and the unification of the English and Scottish crowns – mostly in the form of reiving, where border gangs robbed goods and livestock. The towns and villages were forced to add defensive towers to their churches, to guard against reivers, such as the ones at Burgh-by-Sands and Newton Arlosh. Elsewhere, pele towers and fortified houses, such as at Drumburgh Castle, were erected.
 
Smuggling was rife along the Solway coast, with goods such as spirits, tobacco and fine textiles regularly smuggled in from Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man. Wool, by contrast, was smuggled out of the county. Transport was the key to the area's fortunes and decline. The need to link Carlisle with the sea prompted the building of a canal in 1823 from Port Carlisle to the city. By 1854 the canal had been filled in and a railway built in its place, which extended westwards to a new port and docks at Silloth. This was the heyday of prosperity for Silloth.

Surrounding Areas

Solway Coast AONB - The Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, stretching from Rockcliffe to Maryport was designated in December 1964 in recognition of the quality of its landscape and its significant historic and scientific interest.

Allonby - Allonby enjoys some beautiful far-reaching views over to Scotland and the Isle of Man. Its sand and shingle beach follows the edge of a wide crescent-shaped bay that is ideal for windsurfing and kite surfing.

Bowness-on-Solway - The coastal village of Bowness on Solway is charming mix of pretty traditional Cumbrian cottages, house and farms, hugging the shoreline of the Solway Firth - part of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Beauty.