Last updated 12:27, Thursday, 03 July 2008

Enjoy a leisurely stroll through an area of outstanding natural beauty - with Vivienne Crow

BRACING: The hill dominating the view on the other side of the Solway is Criffel

MAP: OS Landranger 85, Carlisle and the Solway Firth.

Parking: Mawbray Banks car park (GR NY080469).

Public transport: Bus number 60, Maryport to Skinburness, no service on Sundays (telephone 0871 200 2233).

Refreshments: Lowther Arms in Mawbray; Gincase tearoom near Mawbray.

Distance: 5.1 miles

Total ascent: Negligible

Time: About 2.5 hours

Grade: Easy

Overview: This gentle stroll takes us through the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with its important habitats for a range of plants and wildlife. On a calm, sunny day, it’s lovely to stroll along the beach or through the dunes and take in the views across to Scotland; on a windy day, though, things can get pretty wild – a chance for walkers to wrap up and enjoy the fresh air.

The return route is via easy-to-follow bridleways across farmland and quiet country lanes, passing the popular Gincase tearoom just over half-way through the walk.

The Walk: From the parking area, go through the kissing-gate and head across the boardwalk towards the sea. Ignore the boardwalk off to the left and continue until the constructed path, built to protect the delicate ecosystem, ends. When it does so, continue straight ahead on a wide, grassy track through the dunes.

Looking out to sea to your left, the hill dominating the view on the other side of the Solway is Criffel. On a clear day, if you look through the gap just to the left of Criffel, you might be able to see the tops of the wild Galloway hills far in the distance.

This is access land, and there are paths all over the place on the dunes, but bear in mind the fragile nature of this ecosystem. It is best to keep to the well-walked routes and avoid creating new ones.

Beyond the small, fenced parking area near the nurseries, the view up the coast improves and you can see Silloth in the distance, the spire on the church clearly standing out against the sky.

Having walked 1.25 miles from the Mawbray Banks parking area, the area of dunes narrows and – assuming you are walking on the grass rather than the beach – a large patch of gorse forces you on to the road. Keep to the road until, just after passing Beckfoot Farm on your right, the road crosses a beck. You can now head back on to the grassy path between the road and the beach for about a third-of-a-mile – until you reach a large wooden shed (2.0 miles from the start).

Walk back up to the road, turn left along it for a few yards and then turn right along a wide track between the houses (signpost reads: “Public Bridleway Mawbray Hayrigg”). As the track swings left, you will see green gates in the corner. Carry on for a few more paces and then turn right along a muddy track between two fields – do not enter either of the fields here. You can see Skiddaw and the Northern Fells straight ahead now.

The track ends when you reach a metal gate with two waymarkers on it. Go through the gate and, without a fence or a path on the ground to guide you, head straight across the field, aiming just to the left of the farm buildings at Mawbray Hayrigg. Go through the gate and turn right along the road (2.5 miles from the start).

Ignoring the road turning to Tarns on your left, you soon pass the Gincase’s car park. Turn right at the next road junction. Walk through Newtown and then bear right at the next junction (towards Mawbray and Allonby).

In another 200 yards, turn left and then, when this road splits, bear left, passing a farmhouse on your right (3.6 miles from the start). About a quarter-of-a-mile beyond the farmhouse, turn right through a gate with a fingerpost beside it (signpost reads: “Public Bridleway Mawbray Road”). There is no path on the ground, but you should cross the field in a SW direction towards a gate in the fence opposite. Go through this gate and then turn sharp left. Once in the next field, turn right to walk with the hedge on your immediate right. Beyond the next gate, you find yourself on a muddy farm track with hedges on both sides. This will take you all the way to the road (4.5 miles from the start), along which you turn right.

Walk through the village of Mawbray, ignoring a road off to the left near the pub and then passing the village hall on your right. The road forks as you approach the main road. Bear left here and go straight over the main road to head along a track towards the sea. The parking area is ahead on your right.

Points of interest: This section of the Cumbrian coast forms part of the Roman Empire’s north-western frontier. Although Hadrian’s Wall ended at Bowness-on-Solway, the defences didn’t stop there. The section of coast between Maryport and the wall was a particular problem for the Romans because of its close proximity to Scotland. To combat this weak link, they built a series of fortlets interspersed with small towers. The full extent of these defences is unknown, but there are remains of milefortlets between Port Carlisle and Maryport, and the site of one of the towers can be found just south of Mawbray. The milefortlets appear to have been abandoned after Emperor Hadrian’s reign ended in 140AD.

The Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was designated in 1964 and stretches from Rockcliffe in the north to Maryport in the south. It contains a wide range of fragile habitats, including the sand dunes along this section of the coast. These are home to wildflowers such as wild thyme, ladies bedstraw, restharrow, birdsfoot trefoil and harebell.

You may see curlews, oystercatchers, little terns, bartailed godwits and little plovers, some of which nest in the strandline vegetation. The area is also home to the natterjack toad, and the spread of gorse and scrub has to be managed to improve the habitat for these rare amphibians.

• For walks in the Lake District, try Vivienne Crow’s Walk! The Lake District (North) published by Discovery Walking Guides. Available in bookshops and on Amazon.