Cumbria: spring days around Cockermouth and the Solway Coast

This is the first of two posts from our recent break in Cockermouth and the Solway Coast.

This post is split into three sections each with it’s own photo set.

We made the trip for a late‑spring change from our usual Manchester routine. Quieter roads and streets, time on the wide beaches along the Solway Coast and some relaxing afternoons and evenings. It made for a change from the noise and colour of the recent trip to Wembley that we made in April. You can read about that here.

We had a loose list of places to check out, but it stopped short of a dedicated plan.  In practice we had a really enjoyable trip. Pretty much just wandering round new places, noticing small things, taking pictures and enjoying our time.

Cockermouth itself is much quieter and less ‘touristy’ than the areas that make up the western Lake District. There are plenty of independent shops and traditional Cumbrian pubs. It’s a pretty good place to base yourself for the north western part of the Lake District.

Picture set one – Cockermouth

Cockermouth is pretty interesting. It’s a town with neat Georgian streets and some really well kept and presented old buildings. It’s well worth a slow wander and I’ll let the picture set below tell the story

Click an image to open the picture gallery

Along the Solway Coast and a few miles from Cockermouth

After an enjoyable first afternoon and evening in Cockermouth we headed out to the coast at Allonby and then onto Siloth before finishing our day off at the RSPB reserve at the Solway Wetlands Centre at Campfield Marsh on the Solway Firth.

Allonby sits quietly on the Cumberland coast, about five miles north of Maryport and eight miles south of Silloth.  Carlisle is a little further to the north‑east. Despite the proximity to the main tourist area of the Lakes it feels a world away.

The beach at Allonby is vast and easy to walk, and it was almost empty when we arrived in the early, blustery chill. I would think it’s far busier when the weather turns warm.

We stopped for coffee and cake in Silloth, which, like Allonby, felt a little like stepping back in time in the best possible way. The quietness across the area for most of our trip was pretty noticeable, and I think was helped by the absence of street sellers and the usual push to spend at every turn. There was probably more at Silloth than we saw, and we only used it more or less for a refreshment stop before heading to the RSPB reserve at Campfield Marsh.

The reserve Campfield Marsh sits on the edge of the wide Solway Firth, a quiet sweep of reserve and mudflat.

The site felt almost empty during our visit, of both people and wildlife – though we did catch sight of an Osprey nest.

Campfield Marsh is a sort of mosaic of saltmarsh, peatbogs, farmland and wet grassland.  There are three decent size hides for viewing and each of them give decent views out over the saltmarsh’s.

Check out the picture set below.

Picture set two Solway coast and sandy beaches – all within striking distance of Cockermouth

Click an image to open the picture gallery

Old tools, trains and an oil can

Back in Cockermouth there was a store that was closed on the Sunday we got there but was an absolute must for me to go back to. The store is called J.B. Banks & Son, and on the corner of the main street through  Cockermouth.

The windows are just packed with tools, tins and small curiosities. Once you go inside it really is fantastic – wooden drawers, old counters and floorboards that creak. There is even a small museum at the rear of the store.

It really is like going into some sort of time capsule. The store itself was  started by John Banks in 1836 and you can find out more at this link, but if you are ever in Cockermouth you just have to visit this place.

Silver Meadows nature reserve

We headed off to the Silver Meadows nature reserve, which is less than seven miles from Cockermouth and we had been led to believe that there was a good chance of seeing a decent selection if wildlife.  It was a nice enough place to wander but as for wildlife we saw nothing, zero, zilch whilst we were there!

Just next to the reserve is Braithwaite Lake station. It’s no longer a working rail station but is home to a replica of the Orient Express train.  It was originally built as a full‑size film set for the 2017 movie Murder on the Orient Express before being on the old Cockermouth–Keswick–Penrith line. The train now runs as a restaurant/cafe and with good service and reasonable prices is well worth visiting.

Sunshine and rain in Penrith

We ended our day out with a visit and wander around Penrith. The town is in the Eden Valley and sometimes referred to as the gateway to the Lake District National Park.

Whilst we were there it the rain was torrential at times and then light at time interspersed with bright warm sunshine, it was an odd mix of weather.

Despite the showers it was worth it for the shopping because amongst other things I was able to pick up a terrific Revel Petro oil can.

The oil can is an Italian‑made pump oiler, probably dating back to the mid 1950’s. Oilers like this were often used for precision lubrication on motorcycles and other machinery. The long curved spout and thumb‑lever pump were designed to deliver a controlled drop of oil exactly where it was needed.  The can is another for my modest collection.

All in all we had enjoyed another good day in Cumbria

Click an image to open the picture gallery – and note that Part 2 is coming soon