Cycling around the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Tourist Information Centres Cycle shops

Silloth Abbeytown Solway Coast Discovery Centre Abbey Cycles, Liddell Street, Silloth CA7 4DD 1 Main Street CA7 4WR tel: 016973 31944 tel: 016973 61231

Carlisle Carlisle Old Town Hall, Green Market Palace Cycles Carlisle CA3 8JA 122-124 Botchergate CA1 1SH Victorian Silloth tel: 01228 625600 tel: 01228 523 142 and a stroll from Skinburness Scotby Cycles Maryport 1 Church Street, Caldewgate A 7 mile (11km) ride and 2.8 mile (4.5km) walk Maryport Town Hall, Senhouse CA2 5TL Street, Maryport CA15 6BH tel: 01228 546 931 tel: 01900 702840 Silloth Following the route Cockermouth Silloth gets its name from the time The route is highlighted on its own 4 Play Cycles when Cistercian monks from Holm Ordnance Survey map (1:25,000 25-31 Market Street CA13 9LS Cultram Abbey stored their grain scale = 21/2 inches to 1 mile / 4 cm in silos known as ‘lathes’ - as these to 1 km). Where the route uses part tel: 01900 823377 were by the sea they were known of Hadrian’s Cycleway, you should as ‘sea-lathes’. Not until 1855, be able to follow the distinctive blue when it was decided build a dock signs (number 72 with a Roman and a railway, did the town of helmet) but otherwise you’ll need to Silloth start to develop. Wide streets use the map and numbered route in a grid pattern, a gasworks, a directions, especially in urban areas. hotel, baths and lodging houses The ‘Key to map’ explains the were also built and Silloth became symbols on the map and the a popular Victorian seaside resort. abbreviations in the route Grune Point The famous artist JMW Turner was descriptions. The general rule is to Solway Firth inspired to paint ‘A Sunset Scene keep to the road you’re on unless Across the Solway’from here. otherwise directed. Please note that all distances are approximate. Skinburness & Grune Skinburness Long House, on the beach at Key to route instructions Skinburness, was immortalised by R Right Skinburness Sir Walter Scott in ‘Red Gauntlet’ L Left Marsh as the inn where a meeting took place between Charles Edward SA Straight ahead/across Stuart (the ‘Young Pretender’ Jct Junction Silloth who’d stealthily landed on the X roads Crossroads Solway shore with his Jacobite NCN72 National Cycle Network supporters). It was from route number Skinburness quay that many troops m Metres from the north of England were shipped to the Crimean War. km Kilometers Scale 1:25,000 Grune Point is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of The Solway Coast AONB its importance for breeding Management Unit Natterjack toads, wading birds and Liddell Sreet, Silloth-on-Solway over-wintering wildfowl. Maps reproduced from Ordnance Survey Cumbria CA7 4DD digital map data © Crown copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Telephone: 016973 33055 Licence Number 0100031673 www.solwaycoastaonb.org.uk great in Cumbria cycling Cycling from Silloth

Gently spin along Silloth’s cobbled 1 Turn R out of the Discovery Centre main street (part of Hadrian’s car park and follow the cobbled main Cycleway) for a closer look at the road through the town to the harbour town’s small working harbour and (Port of Silloth). west beach, then on its broad 2 Bear R in front of Silloth Golf Club to promenade with lovely views join a rough track to the West Beach across the Solway Firth to car parking area for good views and Scotland. Reach Skinburness access to the beach. Come back to the village on the level road and then town centre and turn first L into Lawn walk on the footpath around the Terrace. small finger of land called Grune 3 Turn right by the RNLI lifeboat station to see tidal marshes, creeks, sand and cycle along the promenade and and mud banks; all a haven for then sea wall past the little lighthouse wild flowers and wading birds, on stilts. Join the road and cycle on to before returning to Silloth. Skinburness village. 4 If doing the walk, turn L along Dick Trod Lane and secure your bikes to the Route basics racks just inside the gate at the bottom. Follow the public footpath signs from Start Solway Discovery Centre here via Grune Point and back to Skinburness, turning R along the road 4 Distance 7 miles (11km) cycling and and then lane to retrieve your bike. an optional 2.8 miles (4.5km) walk. Grade Very easy Refreshments Choice in Silloth Public loos Discovery Centre and on the green in Silloth Before cycling back to Silloth on the road, turn L and venture along the Sea Dike road beyond the village for more views across Skinburness Marsh - or just for the pleasure of being out on the bike.

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