I have a few days holiday to take before the end of March so on Tuesday I headed off on my own to Whitehaven to explore the coastal path. I’ve heard it is pretty special and after my visit I can say it is indeed very special and I want to see more of it. So after one hour and fifty minutes on the bus I got off near the marina at Bransty Row. There was a bit of sunshine but the wind was cold.
Whitehaven Marina
The Candlestick is a mining relic from the Wellington Pit, it looks like an old chimney but was an air vent
The harbour
Looking back at the Candlestick and harbour as I start to walk south toward St Bees
With the time I had for the walk I hoped to get to St Bees Lighthouse and return the same way.
The view south along the coast toward St Bees
One of the ruined mine buildings on the coast here, this one is Saltom Pit
This was on the information board above the ruin
It made grim reading
St Bees Lighthouse can just be seen now
The path easy so far, now became a bit more “interesting”
The coastal path traverses the cliff on a terrace path
There is a bit of a drop on the right and the path gets quite close to the edge in places
A hazy view of the Scottish coastline
Looking back toward Whitehaven
I got to the Quarry Bungalow once at the end of the cliff terrace. The path now continued even closer to the edge of high cliffs. There was a jcb working in the quarry next to the path and I didn’t fancy anyone watching me dithering along the path
so I diverted from the cliff path and walked on the footpath pointing to Sandwith for a while then turned right and then another right to rejoin the coast path.
Hay bales and Scotland
The cliffs are pretty with the gorse in flower
The path does get very close to the big drop down to the sea here too
I had ran out of time now, I’d walked for 2 hours and I had to have some lunch then return to Whitehaven for the bus. I didn’t quite reach the lighthouse after all. I will definitely return to do the whole route to St Bees. Beefy you will have to come next time but we will have to get up early and get the 7.10 bus from Carlisle
7.10
On the way back
St Bees Lighthouse and a hay bale
I had my lunch here sitting looking at this view along with the view of the sea then set off back the way I’d come.
The fells of Lakeland above Ennerdale, Great Borne and Grike seen from the start of the Quarry Bungalows footpath
Returning on the terrace path
Looking back at the dramatic looking cliffs
What a great day out with dramatic scenery and an interesting history lesson too. I only wish I’d got the 7.10 bus instead of the 9.10 one so I could have spent more time here. I’d walked about 8 miles altogether and I felt alright again thank goodness after feeling leaden legged at the weekend. When do you want to go to Whitehaven then Beefy?
