West Cumbria Coast

The West Cumbria coast runs from Maryport in the north to Ravenglass in the south, with the Lake District fells as a backdrop and the Isle of Man on clear evenings. On this site it covers Whitehaven, Maryport, St Bees and Ravenglass, along with the inland market town of Cockermouth, which is the natural base for this side of the county.

It is an industrial coast with deep history. Whitehaven was laid out as a planned Georgian town and grew rich on coal and the tobacco and rum trades. Maryport has one of the best Roman collections in the north at the Senhouse Roman Museum. St Bees has red sandstone cliffs, an RSPB seabird reserve and the start of Wainwright's Coast to Coast walk. Ravenglass, the only coastal village in the national park, is where the narrow gauge railway sets off up Eskdale.

Come here for sunsets over the sea, uncrowded beaches, cliff walking and a different, more local Cumbria. It pairs well with the western lakes: Ennerdale, Wastwater and Loweswater are all closer to this coast than to Windermere. Late spring is the time for the seabirds at St Bees, and long summer evenings are the time for the sunsets; in winter the coast is bracing, empty and often clearer than the fells.

The downside is distance. The coast is a long, winding drive from the M6, the A595 is slow, and the Cumbrian Coast railway runs a limited service. Some town centres have seen hard times, so pick your stops: the harbours, the cliffs and the museums are the reasons to come.