Solway

Flaming June!

A lovely day and we wanted to get out to enjoy it without hitting  the half term crowds.

We headed up the M6 (coffee at Tebay) to Carlisle and then turned off to the Solway coast. The Bowness on Solway common was lovely and quiet. Lanes lined with Hawthorne blossom, gorse and Cow Parsley led us to the coast and I couldn’t resist stopping here to photograph the lovely sea pinks on the side of the shore. The view across the Firth is of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland.

This is a stretch of coast I haven’t been on before. We soon came to RSPB Campfield Marsh reserve and the Solway wetlands centre.  The centre was sadly closed but we were able to walk around the Discovery centre with ponds to encourage Dragon and Damselflies for children to hunt.  Saw quite a lot of elusive butterflies but no photos . They had kindly left access to the toilet which was great but a cuppa would have been nice.

Bowness on Solway is the start of the Coast to Coast Hadrian wall walk hence the signpost in the extra indicating 84 miles to Wallsend at the NE end of the walk and also telling us that it is 1150 miles to Rome from whence Hadrian’s soldiers came!

We continued down the coast past Moricambe Bay (correct spelling) to Silloth on Solway. We walked into town along the extensive promenade and were surprised to find a funfair and quite a lots of holiday makers. There are at least two holiday parks so I imagine that is one reason why. Much more of a holiday town than I expected and we were able to get a cup of tea and drink it overlooking Silloth Green.

We continued down the coast to Maryport passing several more holiday parks before turning off and travelling through the northern Lakes back to the M6. 

Great weather all day and a lovely area that we haven’t explored before. Think we will be back again, there are so many places we often just pass by heading elsewhere.

Also had a quick FaceTime with daughter Grace who got her jab yesterday. So pleased as she had to put it off a week to make her visit to Yorkshire last week and I found I’d won £10 on the church 100 club when I got home. A good week I also won £5 on the RNIB lottery draw which I only really do as a monthly donation!