Arnside

Arnside is a small seaside village on the eastern shore of the Kent estuary where it opens into Morecambe Bay, facing Grange-over-Sands across the water. It lies within the Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape, a compact area of limestone hills, woods and coast, and its promenade, pier and cafes make it a lovely place for an afternoon. It was once a small port, and the pier and promenade date from its Victorian heyday as a resort.

The estuary is crossed by the Arnside viaduct, which carries the Furness line, and the views from the promenade across the sands to the Lakeland fells are wide and constantly changing with the tide. The incoming tide sometimes produces a bore, a small wave running up the estuary, and on big tides people line the promenade to watch it.

Arnside Knott, the wooded limestone hill behind the village, is a short climb with a superb view over the bay and the estuary and is good for butterflies in summer. The coast path south towards Silverdale passes Arnside Tower and small coves. The village is a lovely place to watch the light change over the estuary at any time of year, and the promenade cafes are a good place to wait for the tide.

The tides here are extremely dangerous: they come in fast and the sands are soft. Arnside has a siren that sounds before the tide arrives, and you should leave the sands immediately when you hear it. Never cross the bay without the official guide.