Allonby.
A few weeks ago the forecast in Cumbrias Eden Valley was a little damp, so time to head out to the coast, where there were better weather conditions. 😊 We found ourselves in Allonby, a small seaside village on the North West Coast. I must admit we seem to gravitate here whenever we need a sea air fix.
I appreciate Allonby because in common with most areas on Cumbrias coastline, it’s beautiful but never too busy. There’s always somewhere to park up and the beach is dog friendly.
The settlement looks out over The Solway Firth towards Scotland and is in an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The village has a shabby charm with coastal cottages and genteel old buildings, harkening from an illustrious past.
Once a Herring fishing port and a Salt panning community, Allonby also has ties to the Quaker movement. Many of its most impressive buildings were built by the Quakers ,including The Old Reading Rooms and The Old Lodge. Another grand residence is the former Bath House, once in vogue with Victorian visitors flocking to the village for sea water cures.
Victorian visitors included writers Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens who stayed two nights in The Ship Hotel , as part of their 1857 tour of Cumberland. Possibly meaning to only explore The Lake District, the two writers alighted here after Collins sprained his ankle whilst walking up a misty Carrock Fell. Dickens announced that recuperation by the sea would be a great idea, Allonby pinpointed on a map was chosen to help Collins recovery. There are conflicting reports concerning their thoughts on Allonby. Dreary and primative seemed to be two descriptions, though the Ship was proclaimed ‘ a capital little homely inn ,looking out over the sea’ by Dickens. The pub looked to be quite abandoned and shut on our visit though…
A famed artist, Percy Kelly resided in and around Allonby for much of his life. His paintings and etchings of industrial coastal landscapes brought him many celebratory admirers including royalty. Despite this Kelly rarely exhibited and didn’t like to sell his art , at the time of his death he had accumulated a mass hoard of paintings stashed in his home. Glen Cottage in the village was the artists house for twelve years and is now a sympathetically restored holiday cottage.
Sadly a few businessess in Allonby seem to have closed since our last trip, including The Codfather Fish & Chip Shop. 😟 Happily the villages famous ice cream store Twentymans is still going strong, so we all treated ourselves before heading 7 miles North to Silloth.
Silloth.
The Victorian Seaside Town of Silloth- On -Solway is a leisurely place with a three mile promenade and a large town green. It looks out over The Solway Firth towards Dumfries & Galloway in Scotland. The sunsets on this part of the coastline are noted to be stunning. Like nearby Allonby there are no dog restrictions on the nearby beaches. We are however yet to find the supposedly sandy shores here and reason they must be on the outskirts. On both our visits we have headed along the long promenade and not walked far enough it seems….
A quite recent addition to Silloths promenade is Big Fella, a 12 feet steel sculpture of a man sat on a bench with his dog, looking out towards the sea, perhaps he is admiring a Solway Sunset. He was commissioned by a local man Peter Richardson, am admirer of Ray Lonsdale, it’s creator. Sadly Peter died before Big Fella was completed. I’m sure he would be delighted with the result.
We have yet to discover more of Silloth. Apparently ( as well as beaches) there is an AONB Discovery Centre in town, a motorcycle museum and miles of coastal walks.
Are you a fan of the Solway Coast?
sunshine and celandines 