Silloth

The Victorian seaside town of Silloth is a popular destination for its leisurely atmosphere, seaside recreation and spectacular sunsets. It has a wonderful, extensive town green right in the centre, with a children's play area and a great selection of independent shops. The long promenade provides a good walk with views of the majestic Solway Firth and across the water to Scotland.

Silloth borders the Solway Coast National Landscape and the town has a Discovery Centre, which is a great way to find out about the seabirds, wild flowers, special landscapes and heritage of the area.

Its flat landscape makes it ideal cycling territory – and there are a number of quiet roads for trouble-free pedalling, as well as tarmacked off road cycle paths. The National route 72 - Hadrian's Cycvleway passes through the town, with the Solway Coaster route linking Silloth with Allonby.

History & Heritage

Silloth itself developed from the mid-1800s, as a port and docks thanks to its proximity to nearby Carlisle. However, the history of the town’s location goes back thousands of years.

At its height, the Roman Empire stretched from Africa to the Scottish borders, with the northern frontier demarcated by the building of Hadrian's Wall between Tynemouth and the Solway - not far from Silloth. The large fort of Maia at Bowness-on-Solway was at the westernmost end of the Wall, guarding the crossings over the Solway, with a series of forts and milefortlets every Roman mile down the coast to Ravenglass.

Little remains of the wall or its supporting forts in the Solway area, as much of the stone was re-used in later buildings. Once the Romans departed, new waves of settlers left their mark on the landscape, including the Normans, who added Holm Cultram Abbey and a number of churches and castles at Beaumont and Burgh-by-Sands, both now demolished. The Abbey owned extensive lands and property around the Solway and had a port at Skinburness from which they exported wool.

Edward I based his naval vessels at Skinburness to supply troops and provisions prior to his assault on Scotland. His attempts to subjugate the Scots resulted in a series of uprisings throughout the borderlands, and contributed to the lawlessness that dominated until 1603 and the unification of the English and Scottish crowns – mostly in the form of reiving, where border gangs robbed goods and livestock. The towns and villages were forced to add defensive towers to their churches, to guard against reivers, such as the ones at Burgh-by-Sands and Newton Arlosh. Elsewhere, pele towers and fortified houses, such as at Drumburgh Castle, were erected.

Smuggling was rife along the Solway coast, with goods such as spirits, tobacco and fine textiles regularly smuggled in from Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man. Wool, by contrast, was smuggled out of the county. Transport was the key to the area's fortunes and decline. The need to link Carlisle with the sea prompted the building of a canal in 1823 from Port Carlisle to the city. By 1854 the canal had been filled in and a railway built in its place, which extended westwards to a new port and docks: Silloth.

This was the heyday of prosperity for Silloth, and saw the town develop across the years. As well as operating as a port and railhead, it also welcomed daytrippers from Carlisle who came to enjoy its milder climate and seaside location. A popular Victorian seaside resort in the 19th and 20th centuries, today it continues to welcome visitors as a scenic seaside town. 

FAQs

Where is Silloth located?

Silloth is located on the north-western coast of Cumbria, just a short distance west of Carlisle and south of Scotland.

Where is there to stay in Silloth?

There is a good selection of accommodation in Silloth from hotels and B&Bs to holiday parks

Where is there to eat in Silloth?

Silloth is home to a good variety of places to eat, including traditional restaurants, tapas, fish and chips and ice cream by the sea.

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Surrounding Areas

Solway Coast National Landscape - The Solway Coast National Landscape, stretching from Rockcliffe to Maryport was designated in December 1964 in recognition of the quality of its landscape and its significant historic and scientific interest.

Allonby - Allonby enjoys some beautiful far-reaching views over to Scotland and the Isle of Man. Its sand and shingle beach follows the edge of a wide crescent-shaped bay that is ideal for windsurfing and kite surfing.

Bowness-on-Solway - The coastal village of Bowness on Solway hugs the shoreline of the Solway Firth - part of the Solway Coast National Landscape. It marks the end of the Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail.

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Did you know?

RIGHT OLD DING DONG!

In 1626 the bells of St Michael’s Church at Bowness were stolen by Scottish raiders who jettisoned them in the Solway whilst being pursued back to Scotland. Bowness villagers retaliated by taking the bells from Dornock and Middlebie churches in Dumfriesshire, where they are kept at the rear of the church to this day.

SMUGGLING

Smuggling was rife along the Solway coast, with goods such as spirits, tobacco and fine textiles regularly smuggled in from Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man. Wool, by contrast, was smuggled out of the county to avoid high export duties.

ST CUTHBERT’S CHURCH

St Cuthbert’s Church at Holme St Cuthbert (NY 104 472) contains the stone torso of an armour-clad warrior, fancifully believed to represent Robert the Bruce. It was discovered by a group of boys who overturned a drinking trough at nearby Goodyhills to reveal the carving on the underside.

HOLM CULTRAM ABBEY

Holm Cultram Abbey is the resting place of Robert the Bruce’s father, who was buried here in 1294, but this did not stop Robert the Bruce himself sacking the abbey in 1319 in an act of rebellion against English attempts to rule Scotland.

BURGH MARSH

Sea-washed turf from Burgh Marsh was once highly prized and used on bowling greens, football and cricket pitches throughout the country, including Wimbledon and the old Wembley Stadium.

WOLSTY CASTLE

Wolsty Castle to the south of Silloth (now a moated site) was built by the monks of Holm Cultram Abbey as a stronghold repository for their ‘books, charters and evidences against the sudden invasion of the Scottish’. One of the chambers was named after Michael Scot (c. 1175–1235), a wizard who housed his books of spells in the castle.