Cumbria Ways Day 10 - Maryport to Silloth

Distance: 20.2 miles
Ascent: 50m
Weather: warm and sunny, stiff breeze
People flying kites 2
Metal detectorists 2
Enigmatic things sitting on groynes: 2 (1 man in black with a book, 1 seagull)

We left Maryport along the promenade, debating whether there was a bracing wind or a stiff breeze. At the end of the promenade, the England Coastal Path is diverted again on to the Hadrian's Cycle Way because of storm damage. There is definitely a theme here. I do wonder how much of the less organised, not-National-Trail Cumbria Coastal Way that we've been through in the last week would have been diverted due to one thing or another. I suspect quite a lot.

At a random point just before Roman Fortlet 21 we crossed the road and went out on to the sands of Allonby Bay.

The tide was going out and the beach seemed miles wide. We walked in long straight lines until we encountered one of the streams that cross the sands to the sea, when we'd wander out along it looking for a suitable crossing spot. There were a few wet foot incidents.

We had elevenses at Allonby, where we didn't dare have fish and chips (due to previous experience) and didn't use the PCs (due to miscalculation.)

Then it was back to more zigzag sandy beach walking with the occasional wet foot. We had lunch on a rock near the shoreline and then went back onto the smooth sand. There were plenty of families and dog walkers out enjoying the bank holiday sun. Near to Beckfoot there are submerged prehistoric forests out off shore that you can see at exceptionally low tides, unfortunately now is not an exceptional low tide, and I suspect they're over a mile out from where we were. The sand was filled with shiny blue and white mussel shells.

We arrived in Silloth at about 4pm and it is not at all what we expected. There are cobbled streets and a little fair on the large park, which has tall trees sheltering the streets from the front.

We dropped our bags at the hotel and went out to walk five miles in order to save two tomorrow.

We walked up to Grune Point, buying an ice cream to share on the way, as it was all we could afford with the change Rob had in his pocket. Grune Point is a nature reserve, a grassy flat with sheep and birds amongst the gorse. We returned by the path on the other side of the village,  passing the old Skinburness Hotel, which is an impressive building but is closed down; there's a website where you can see pictures of the inside, it's a right mess.

We are now at the Golf Hotel, enjoying a couple of pints of Hobgoblin ale and some big dinners.