Solway Coast

The Solway Coast AONB, in green.

The Solway Coast is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in northern Cumbria, United Kingdom. It incorporates two areas of coastline along the Solway Firth, the first running from just north of the city of Carlisle, at the estuary of the rivers Esk and Eden, in a westerly direction as far as Silloth-on-Solway, including the villages of Bowness-on-Solway, Burgh-by-Sands, Port Carlisle, and Skinburness. The second area begins just north of the hamlet of Beckfoot, and runs south down the coast to the southern end of Allonby Bay near the village of Crosscanonby. Included in this area are the villages of Mawbray and Allonby, and the hamlet of Salta. Beginning at Silloth, the B5300 coast road runs in a south-westerly direction, entering the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty just north of Beckfoot, and exiting near Crosscanonby. As indicated by its local name, the road sticks close to the coast, and travels the entire length of the southern section of the Solway Coast AONB.

The track leading to the beach near Mawbray Yard, in the civil parish of Holme St. Cuthbert in the Solway Coast AONB.

Solway Coast Discovery Centre

In the town of Silloth-on-Solway is the Solway Coast Discovery Centre, an exhibition detailing the geography and history of the Solway Coast AONB. As of 2014, the centre attracts around 12,000 visitors per year, and also provides tourist information for other attractions within the AONB.

The main exhibition in the discovery centre looks at the wildlife, geography, and communities along the Solway Coast, and how things have changed over time, from the last ice age to the present day. This includes looking at the arrival of various groups which conquered the region, including the Romans, Vikings, and Normans, and how the establishment of the Abbey at nearby Abbeytown had an effect on the coastal region. The exhibition was designed to be interactive. There is also an art exhibition, where local artists showcase their work, as well as a cafe and a tourist information office.

The Solway Coast Discovery Centre in Silloth.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Solway Coast's designation as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a film was produced and is available on DVD at the Discovery Centre.

The Discovery Centre opened in 2002, and was funded by a number of local, national, and trans-national agencies, including Cumbria County Council, British Nuclear Fuels, and the European Regional Development Fund.