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5 of the best beaches in the Lake District
Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and 14 counties can be seen on a clear day.
Get yourself set-up for a DIY trip as there isn’t a beach café, but the beach is perfect for a picnic and a sneaky ice-cream from the mobile van. There is golf and a horse trekking centre at Silecroft, however and the beach is ideal for kite-surfing (Cumbria Soaring Club), kayaking and long dog walks.
Ravenglass Beach, Ravenglass
The village of Ravenglass, within the Lake District, lies on a coastal estuary where 3 rivers meet before joining the Irish sea and so the beach here is a mixture of mud, shingle and sand.
This is a very picturesque beach, with former fishermen’s cottages running along the seafront. There is a lovely circular family walk which takes in a Roman Bath House as well as the popular Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, one of the oldest and longest narrow gauge railways in England and superb for families.
Arnside Beach, Arnside
Close to the sleepy Lake District village of Arnside, this beach is best enjoyed from the Victorian promenade, which leads to a coastal path that is popular for dog walkers. Along the promenade visitors gather to enjoy the popular fish and chip shop and other quirky boutiques. This is the beach to bring a loved one to enjoy a picture-perfect sunset, with views over Morecambe Bay and the Lakeland fells behind.
There are dangerous quicksands and so it is best to enjoy the coastal view form the promenade or from the coastal path at the end of the promenade.
Paul Liddell is the Managing Director at Lakelovers.
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The beaches along the Lake District’s western shore are sandy and shingle jewels waiting to be discovered. Whilst there may not be lifeguards and bright shops selling inflatable toys, pack your bucket and spade and enjoy a Lake District beach holiday.
From seals watching to sunset horseback rides; dog walking to paddling. Lake District beaches are quiet and unique gems. Let’s take a look at the top 5.
Haverigg Beach, Millom
This award-winning beach at the mouth of the Duddon Estuary sits just outside the Lake District, on the outskirts of the delightful seaside town of Millom.
Haverigg Beach is a superb place to bring the family to enjoy kite flying, watching the boats in the little lake, playing in the golden white sands or taking to saddle back to enjoy spectacular sunsets on horseback.
And the picture of Haverigg, the picture-postcard English fishing village, is complete with the pretty little newly refurbished lighthouse.
Enjoy a Latte at the beach café, free beach parking and a good-sized kids Play Park too. It is a beautiful shallow sandy beach, perfect for paddling and sand castle building.
Walney Island Beach, Barrow-in-Furness
Heading further south of the Lake District, is the beautiful island of Walney.
A lush, green, elongated island, swathed in white sands and tranquil blue water. This is what you come to enjoy when visiting the island of Walney off the south coast of the Lake District. To bask in the 11-mile stretch of sand dunes, head over the Jubilee Bridge from Barrow-in-Furness to the north of Walney island where you’ll enjoy glorious dunes. South of the island is a Nature Reserve where you can experience the wonder of seal watching, as well as looking out to Piel Island.
Alternatively, take in the beach island from above. Fly into Walney Island Airport privately or take the Beechcraft King Air B200 from Farnborough, Bristol or the East Midlands. Or, enjoy the spectacular island and mountain scenery from a Glider with the Lakes Gliding Club from the island’s airport.
You can also catch the ferry from from Roa Island to Piel Island to visit the famous 14th Century Piel Castle.
Silecroft Beach, Millom
This is the only beach that is within the Lake District and benefits from the majestic 600-metre Black Combe Fell breaking up the flat landscape. The views from Black Combe are also worth a trek, whether on horseback or foot. It is claimed that Did you enjoy this article?
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Wow, these photos are breathtaking. I didn’t realise the lake district had beaches-it’s so close to me (well, compared to some places anyway!) I’ll definitely head over to explore some of the beaches mentioned in this post.
Love it! For all the luxury trips in the world, I still come back to England. It has so much to offer and being so close to home as I get older is a massive advantage. I don’t think I’ll be doing the horseback riding but my children would love to ride a pony on the beach. I actually didn’t know there were so many hidden gems in the Lake District. I have been to the Lake District before, but never stayed near the beach – so now I have something to tick off the list for next time.
I think one thing we in England forget is just how beautiful the country we live in is. We chase the sunshine to foreign climes but on a sunny day, there is nowhere more gorgeous than England. The Lake District is somewhere I visit at least once a year and am always looking for new places to visit.
The Lake District is one of my favourite places in the world, the locals are friendly, the air is so fresh, and its so beautiful – in my opinion, a British getaway is quite difficult to beat. Unfortunately I did not have time to visit these lovely looking beaches whilst I was there, but a couple will definitely be on my list for next time! Arnside Beach looks like the perfect place to have a great photo shoot, I could spend all day there. Will be sure to avoid that quicksands though!!
The lake district is a great place to getaway. I always forgot how many great places there are to go in the UK. The sandy beaches look beautiful and its such a peaceful destination. Great place to go and do outdoor activities.
The photos all look very beautiful, I’ll definitely have to check these places out!
I feel like there’s so much to explore in the UK and I’ve kind of overlooked it. I mean, these places are simply perfect.Imagining enjoying a sunset there or seals watching with my partner, such a romantic getaway spot. Thanks for sharing this, I honestly can’t stop reading all your suggestions for great spots all over the world!
I have never been to the Lake district but it looks and sounds amazing! I think sometimes we overlook beautiful holidays we can have right here in the UK!
The beaches are stunning I think Walney Island sounds like my favourite it just seems so magical.
Silecroft now has a cafe, even better for a day out now.
I have never been to the Lake district but it looks and sounds amazing! I think sometimes we overlook beautiful holidays we can have right here in the UK!
I am planning on the Lake District this year as I think Cornwall/Devon will be heaving and a nightmare to get to. Is the Lakes likely to be busy? Any areas you would recommend staying that are likely to be less crowded?
My daughter and her family have just moved to haverigg a beautiful little fishing village with a real sense of community togetherness all looking out for each other and making people welcome,something long gone with 2nd homes, losing this community spirit,where everyone values the place where they live and do their utmost to keep their post office,local shops,doctors,dentists,+locals 365DAYS A YEAR who live,work+welcome visitors to the caravan park,hotels+bed+breakfasts guest Houses,all maintained by their community friendliness to us when we visit!!!one of the best beaches in cumbria by far!!!