Beach in Cumbia

[ReviewingTheSituation]

I'm hoping the wisdom of MN can help me here...

I'm going to the Lakes at the end of July, but would quite like to combine with a day or 2 by the sea on the way home (midlands, south of Birmingham).

What is the coastal part of Cumbria like, and can anyone recommend somewhere to stay? I just want to see the sea/walk on the beach, but I can't see anywhere logical to stop on the way home that isn't miles out of the way. Any local info/wisdom appreciated!

I've just booked a few nights in September near Grange Over Sands so I'm interested as well. Looks lovely on Google but I've never been to this part of the world.

Grange isn’t really beachy. It’s nice for a walk along the prom but Morecambe Bay is notorious for quicksand and tides. They have these signs along the beach.

I live in Cumbria. Don't expect anywhere to be too commercialised along the coast of West Cumbria.
Nowhere will be full of things to do such as amusement arcades, big choices of beach cafes and rides for children, also no donkey rides etc.
You have St Bees which has a small cafe with ice cream for sale , nice sandy beach, small playground for young children, no other beachside shops. Small village 5 mins away in car , no real facilities for holiday makers. St Bees has a hotel near the beach ( think older person's coach holiday ) serves meals, open to non residents.s
You have about 30 miles up the coast a place called Allonby , has one of two pubs, and a fish and chip shop, and another shop serving ice creams.
Further up again you have Silloth which has a few more shops, a couple of cafes , ice cream, fish and chips, a large grassy area, a very small amusement area which rides for small children, gets busy when it's lovely weather .

Came on here to say St Bees.

Quick sand is scary, I went to a beach as a 12 year old with my older sister and got stuck in the sand, my sister was laughing away not realising I was stuck. Eventually got free but be careful and look for the signs.

Morecambe is just over the border from Cumbria as you head back south, so approx 30 minutes from Kendal/Grange etc. The town is a bit run down (like most seaside resorts), but it has a good sandy beach, and a few miles of a promenade with lovely views over Morecambe Bay and the Lake District hills, a fair amount of hotels/guest houses, etc.

Other than that, you'd be looking at Blackpool.

Arnside might suit - its as you start to head south on the M6 (north of Carnforth).

Don't forget sellafield is in the middle of the Cumbrian coastline: i wouldn't go in the sea. Bowness on Windermere is quite seaside town-like, and plenty of the lakes have walks along the edge and nice spots to swim in.

@VictoriaBun

I live in Cumbria. Don't expect anywhere to be too commercialised along the coast of West Cumbria. Nowhere will be full of things to do such as amusement arcades, big choices of beach cafes and rides for children, also no donkey rides etc. You have St Bees which has a small cafe with ice cream for sale , nice sandy beach, small playground for young children, no other beachside shops. Small village 5 mins away in car , no real facilities for holiday makers. St Bees has a hotel near the beach ( think older person's coach holiday ) serves meals, open to non residents.s You have about 30 miles up the coast a place called Allonby , has one of two pubs, and a fish and chip shop, and another shop serving ice creams. Further up again you have Silloth which has a few more shops, a couple of cafes , ice cream, fish and chips, a large grassy area, a very small amusement area which rides for small children, gets busy when it's lovely weather .

Sounds perfect. Adults and dogs so no kids wanting donkey rides here.

As an aside I went to Morecambe once. Years and years ago when the kids were small. We ended up having lunch in a restaurant called The Copper Kettle in town. The owner/manager was the most sullen person I've ever met and spent most of lunch yelling at people. Food was awful.
We still use it to this day as a comparison of awful eateries (It's bad, but it's no copper kettle)

Do you mean you want a beach on the way home to Birmingham from Cumbria in which case anywhere in the North West or North Wales? Or do you mean a beach in Cumbria?

In the south west of Cumbria I like Silecroft and Sandscale Haws but I'm not sure either is somewhere you'd stay at - more just go for the day if you're in the general area. Piel Island off the coast near Barrow-in-Furness is also worth a visit but I'm not sure you can get there at the moment. The crossing is in a small, open boat and I'd have thought social distancing would be impossible!

@MinesAPintOfTea

Don't forget sellafield is in the middle of the Cumbrian coastline: i wouldn't go in the sea. Bowness on Windermere is quite seaside town-like, and plenty of the lakes have walks along the edge and nice spots to swim in.

Maybe years ago but the sea is absolutely fine now, there's nothing wrong with the water. There are lovely places like Grange or Arnside, but the beaches are all mud and not great if it's not hot and sunny. Some beautiful walks though.

The beaches in Cumbria are fine. On the way back though, I’d go to Lytham for something a bit different but still nice.

Thanks for the ideas.
It's only me and DH, so no need for anything for kids. Un-commercialised is perfect for us!

We're staying in Bowness for a couple of days, but I definitely want to see the sea - I've never been so long without seeing it before, and I need a fix. I'm not worried about going in the water - I just need to see/hear the sea!

I was wondering about Grange over Sands, so it's interesting to see that come up.

Despite the Lakes being a long way from home, there's not actually that much coast - Wales gets in the way! If we venture along the north Wales coast, it actually adds a lot to the journey time, which is why I'm looking at the area from the lakes south to Morecambe I guess (ie - not far from the M6).

Grange is lovely for a walk along the edge of the salt marshes. You can also get to the sea if you go through ulverston, but it is not proper beaches.

I would go to Blackpool and Lytham St Anne’s. not too far out of the way and proper seaside

Depends how far you want to drive really.

You have St Bees on the north which is lovely - white sandy beach, a nice cliffside walk if you fancy it.

Further down but a lot more isolated you have Silecroft and Haverigg - Silecroft is not remotely commercialised but has a temporary cafe up and toilets. Haverigg's cafe re-opens next week and they also have toilets - both lovely sandy beaches but very dog-friendly. Not sure if that's good or bad for you.

Then you have places like Silloth and Allonby though I've not been to either so I couldn't tell you what they're like!

Grange isn't really a beach, it's more estuary mud, but it's a very pretty area to wander around and pass a few days!

Here are some pics of Silecroft/Haverigg from the past couple of weeks. It's beautiful but very isolated in comparison to the Lakes itself.

Oh, and if you want some help for accommodation there's a lovely caravan park at Haverigg with an ice-cream parlour nearby, as well as the new Lakes Aqua Park on site, plus a bar/cafe/restaurant too. Feel free to PM me :)

The beaches on the west coast of Cumbria are nice in my opinion - quite wild and uncommercialised as others have said. However, they are in the wrong direction if you want to go somewhere on the way home from Windermere.
You could consider a day trip from Windermere out to Ravenglass and take in Muncaster Castle if its open, if you just want to see the sea, but if you want to actually stop off somewhere on the way home I would be more inclined to go for somewhere on the Lancashire coast. There's a lot more to that stretch of coast than Blackpool. Depends what you after really, but if you want a quiet little village then somewhere like Glasson Dock near Lancaster is nice, or for a more developed place how about St Annes?
Arnside and Grange are very nice too, though as others have said, Morecambe Bay is muddy rather than sandy. Good if you are interested in birds though. Piel Island is interesting. I've done a lot of sailing in Morecambe Bay in the past and never tired of going to Piel.

Allonby!! Always Allonby

Came n to say Allonby and Silloth. Haven’t been for years but remember them to be great beaches and beautiful places.

Come to Ulverston. 5 mins from the beach. Beautiful friendly town. 👍

Sandscale Haws is my favourite beach, beautiful views and sandy. Just outside Ulverston you have the Coast Road which runs from Ulverston to Barrow-in-Furness, again nice views across the estuary but stony. I would recommend staying in Ulverston if you come to this area and it's only about half an hour from Bowness.

Sandscale Haws

This is all so helpful - thank you!

I'm having second thoughts about Grange over Sands now - it sounds like it's not quite the type of beach I'm after.

It looks like I need to head north to get proper seaside (rather than estuary). Ulverston does look lovely, but I fear I won't persuade DH to go towards Barrow in Furness - he did his MOD apprenticeship there in 1989 and says he has no desire to return! Although I imagine it may be different now from 1989...

I'm wondering now about staying a couple of nights slightly inland but in the north of the lake district, and day-tripping to the sea.

To be fair, Barrow hasn't changed much

But, the beaches on Walney are stunning and you can see seals there if it's the right time of year. We often take the dog down there and we can be there over an hour and not see a soul.

Silecroft and Haverigg are about 45 minutes drive from Ambleside.

I'd stop at Lytham St Anne's, its Lancashire rather than Cumbria but it has a decent beach and good walking.