Silloth combines an expansive green at its centre with a long promenade along the Solway Firth. At West Beach, you can picnic or fish; cycle routes, long-distance trails and historic buildings offer further ways to explore the town.
Green, beach and promenade
Silloth Green comprises Harbour Green and Skinburness Green. Together, they are among the largest and longest village greens in England. The Green forms a leafy link between Silloth’s townscape and the seafront promenade. The open green space and the route to the coast are therefore central to the character of the town.
The sandy West Beach is ideal for picnics and fishing. The long promenade invites you to stroll with views across the Solway Firth and over the water towards Scotland. The beach and promenade offer different experiences: West Beach is all about sand and the activities mentioned, while the promenade links the waterside route with the views.
Compare cycling and walking routes
Several long-distance routes pass through Silloth, but they vary in length and type. Hadrian’s Cycleway (NCN 72) is a 174-mile long-distance cycle route. The Cumbria Coastal Way passes through the town as a 150-mile long-distance walking route, while the Allerdale Ramble is a 54-mile long-distance walking route. The options range from a longer cycling route to two walking routes of different overall lengths.
Silloth also has paved cycle paths separated from road traffic. This local option is distinct from the long-distance routes mentioned above: the long-distance trails offer a broader scale for planning a journey, while the cycle paths in Silloth provide an option within the town. Which you choose depends on whether you want to focus on a longer route or on cycling paths in town.
Golf and other places to visit
Silloth Golf Course is a natural 18-hole links course. Visitors are welcome at Silloth Golf Club; however, you must be a member of a recognised golf club to play. Check this access requirement before your visit.
Silloth Green is also home to a Water Splash Park. The Solway Coast Discovery Centre is also in Silloth and offers an introduction to the wildlife, heritage and landscapes of the surrounding area. Together, these two attractions add different dimensions to the town: the splash park on the Green and the visitor centre, with its focus on the surrounding area.
Building history and the development of the town
Christ Church is a parish church built in 1870–1871 by Cory & Ferguson. Its large split grey granite blocks were brought to Silloth from Ireland as ships’ ballast. Silloth War Memorial is a monument to the First World War, erected in 1921. These two buildings offer specific points of interest if you would like to include the town’s history in your plans alongside the coast and routes.
Silloth developed as a port and dock location from the mid-19th century, thanks to its proximity to Carlisle. This development adds another historical layer to the experience of the Green and promenade. When looking for hotels in Silloth, you can therefore plan around your interests: would you like to spend time at the beach and promenade, explore cycling or walking routes, or learn more about the town’s history?
Discover more destinations: Dockray, High Harrington, Mealsgate, Bassenthwaite, Orton, Backbarrow, Maryport, Temple Sowerby.
For the wider travel guide: Cumbria.
