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 Holm Cultram Abbey tel: 01228 625600 tel: 01228 523 142 & Mawbray Bank Scotby Cycles Maryport 1 Church Street, Caldewgate Maryport Town Hall, Senhouse CA2 5TL A 20 mile (32km) ride from Silloth Street, Maryport CA15 6BH tel: 01228 546 931 tel: 01900 702840 Mawbray Bank Nature Reserve Following the route Cockermouth Some of the finest sand dunes in the The route is highlighted on its own 4 Play Cycles Solway Coast AONB are found here Ordnance Survey map (1:50,000 25-31 Market Street CA13 9LS and form part of a Site of Special scale = 11/4 inches to 1 mile / 2 cm Scientific Interest . These dunes are to 1 km). Where the route uses part tel: 01900 823377 unique habitats and home to rare of Hadrian’s Cycleway just follow animals like the Natterjack Toad. It the distinctive blue signs (with the breeds in shallow pools, which often number 72 and Roman helmet on), dry out in the summer, and is but otherwise you’ll need to read recognised by a yellow band on its the map and numbered route back and yellow eyes - but don’t try directions. The ‘Key to map’ explains and catch one as they are a protected the symbols on the map and the species and cannot live in any other abbreviations in the route directions. conditions. Dune grasslands merge The general rule is to keep to the Seaville into an area of dune heath, which is road you’re on unless otherwise Silloth now very rare in Cumbria The dense directed. Please note all distances banks of gorse and broom scrub are are approximate. Silloth Dunes Bitterlees important for birds and invertebrates, B5302 but are invasive and have overtaken Key to route instructions the dune heath. The dunes are also R Right important for breeding and roosting L Left birds such as oystercatcher, curlew, Beckfoot Abbeytown stonechat, the rare little tern, bar- Jct Junction tailed godwit and ringed plover. SA Straight ahead/across X roads Crossroads Mawbray Bank NCN 72 National Cycle Network B5301 route number m Metres Mawbray km Kilometers Scale 1:50,000

The Solway Coast AONB Management Unit Liddell Sreet, Silloth-on-Solway

Maps reproduced from Ordnance Survey Cumbria CA7 4DD digital map data © Crown copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Telephone: 016973 33055 Licence Number 0100031673 reat www.solwaycoastaonb.org.uk g in Cumbria cycling Cycling from Silloth

Head inland for a brief look at the 1 Turn L out of the Discovery Centre 5 Go SA at the far end of the village remains of 12th century Holm and the follow the road to the first jct. and carefully cross the coast road into Cultram Abbey in Abbeytown, and Look for the blue Hadrian’s Cycleway the nature reserve. Continue by turning then back out to the coast at sign and follow it and other similar signs L back onto the coast road and carefully Mawbray Bank Nature Reserve on all the way to Abbeytown. For the take the first R turn (just past Bank a gentle circular route that tearoom in Seaville, take the first L turn Mill).Keep bearing L to go through undulates only slightly in the having crossed the B5302 and keep Newtown and take the first L turn middle. Allow extra time to roam bearing L for less than a mile. towards Beckfoot. the beach and dunes at Mawbray Bank, and for calling in at the 2 Turn L in Abbeytown and turn L again 6 Here (at the tearoom and farm park) 1 reptile and tropical butterfly off the main road to have a look at Hadrian’s Cycleway comes in from the house (Bank Mill) and farm park Holm Cultrum Abbey. Go R back at the right and you follow its blue signs all (The Gincase) that are further on. main road, cycle out of the village and the way back to Silloth and the The route starts and finishes on take the first L as the road bears R. Discovery Centre. Hadrian’s Cycleway – with lovely 3 Keep R along the country lane (turn views of Lakeland fells and the R in Highlaws if you’re taking the short- Route basics Solway Firth coastline as standard. cut marked on the map back to Silloth) to then bear L at the former Foulsyke Start Solway Discovery Centre. Holm Cultram Abbey Chapel. Distance 20 miles (32km) with a Founded in 1150 by French Cistercian 4 Turn R at this country X roads and possible short cut. monks based at Melrose Abbey (the follow the road to and straight over the Grade Easy – no steep bits. All on road. Solway coast area was then in Scottish next X roads. Bear R through tiny Holme hands). English king Henry II took St Cuthbert and keep on this road to Refreshment Choices in Silloth, farm custody of the Abbey in 1157 but Mawbray. tearoom at Seaville, pub and small shops confirmed the original grant of land in Abbeytown, pub in Mawbray, coffee and property to them. The Abbey shop at Bank Mill, and farm tearoom at became immensely wealthy and was Mawbray Hayrigg. often raided by the Scots, including Robert the Bruce who sacked it in 1319, Public loos Discovery Centre and on despite the fact that his father was the green in Silloth. 2 buried here. The dissolution of the Cycle hire There are buses to monasteries saw the Abbey surrendered Abbeytown and Abbey Cycles (tel: to Henry VIII in 1538. The surviving 016973 61231) will hire you a bike, in centre of the Abbey served as the parish which case follow the route from church which was badly damaged by Abbeytown. fire in 2006 and is currently closed to 0 1km (0.6mile) the public. 3 6

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