St. Bees Head, Cumbria

The Cumbrian village of St Bees lies approximately fifty miles south of the Scottish border and has been a popular holiday destination for over 150 years. The Norman Priory dates from 1120 and is dedicated to Saint Bega, the legendary daughter of an Irish king who is reputed to have washed ashore in a small boat after fleeing to avoid an arranged marriage.

The long sandy beach of Seacote stretches away to the south while to the north are the red sandstone cliffs of St Bees Head, the most westerly point of Cumbria. This area is the only designated Heritage Coast between Scotland and Wales and is an important seabird reserve.

 This anchor is from the SS Izaro, a Spanish steamship which was shipwrecked in fog on the rocks below the cliffs in 1907.

Fortunately the crew were able to scramble to safety and the cargo of iron ore was successfully unloaded before the ship finally broke in two.

The South Head is known locally as "Tomlin" and dominates the beach.
During the Great Depression of the 1930’s  local mines closed and unemployment rose. Rather than sit idle, many of the men who had lost their jobs undertook a project to build an outdoor swimming pool in the rocks at the foot of Tomlin.
The project was led by Isaac Spedding, an unemployed marine engineer. Land was leased from Lowther Estates, and work started in 1933 to remove 600 tons of rock with the aid of explosives. A rectangular pool was constructed which could hold 80,000 gallons of sea water and even had a diving board.
The pool was opened on a hot sunny day in July 1934 and was maintained by the St Bees Unemployed Mens' Club. Pensioners and the unemployed had free access, children paid a penny and adults two pence. Sadly, by the end of WW2 the pool had silted with shingle and rocks and was never used again. The remains of the structure can still be seen.
 
The footpath hugs the edge of the cliff, affording walkers spectacular views in all directions.
 















On a clear day the panorama includes the Lakeland Fells...

                                               



 ...the Isle of Man (a little misty out to sea on this particular day) ...










 ...and the Scottish hills of Dumfries and Galloway.

The sandstone cliffs are 200 million years old and home to a diverse array of flora and fauna. The RSPB reserve is home in the nesting season to Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Razorbills, Cormorants and Puffins to name but a few. It is also the only nesting place in England for the Black Guillemot.

Kittiwake

At the time of our visit the vast majority of birds had raised their young and departed, with just a few remaining in the area.

Wheatears are spring and summer visitors to the UK, spending their winters in Africa.

Wheatear

The cliffs drop dramatically to the sea below; a flimsy fence being the only safety barrier. A pinnacle of rock named Cloven Barth leans precariously away from the main cliff face. This is known locally as Lawson's Leap after a character who thought, fatally, he could make the jump across. The gap is not wide, though the crevice is very deep.

The path drops steeply down between the North and South Head to reveal the lovely shingle beach at Fleswick Bay. Accessible only on foot or by boat, Fleswick Bay is enclosed by towering cliffs and is a popular area for rock climbers and boulderers to hone their skills.

There has been a lighthouse on the North Head since 1718. This coal fired lighthouse was the last of its kind to be used in Britain. It was destroyed by fire in 1822. A new lighthouse, this time running on oil, was built in 1825 and still operates today.

Birkhams Quarry, still in use today, is thought to have produced the stone which was used in the plinth of the Statue of Liberty. Situated as it is in an important SSSI, the owners work with local geologists and a nature consortium to ensure sensitivity is maintained.

If the abundance of butterflies, birds and wildflowers is anything to go by, they appear to be upholding their responsibilities.

Wall

Small Whites

Small White

Painted Lady

Gatekeeper

Peacock

Linnet

Stonechat

Kestrel

Our circular walk now took us back in the direction of St Bees, although there was a temptation to keep walking all the way to Whitehaven which could be seen in the distance.

Scafell Pike

Rainclouds descending over the Isle of Man

Back down to St Bees, to catch our train home.

Thanks for visiting my blog; I hope you've enjoyed the photos!

Four and Twenty Blackbirds (and their assorted companions).

Many people would shudder at the "messiness" of my garden. I myself shudder at the "tidiness" of some gardens as I feel that there can be not much room for wildlife in such manicured, slug free, weed-sprayed surroundings. A garden without wildlife is a very sterile and uninspiring place, in my opinion. Each to their own, of course, but this post is for those who love nature as much as I do!
This has been a bumper year for fledglings in my garden, despite a few nest raids by the local magpies. In particular a pair of blackbirds have been dogging my footsteps looking for food for their four hungry chicks.

Three of the blackbird fledglings, soaking up the sun

Blackbirds love overripe pears or apples. I always check the "Whoops!" counter in the supermarket for a cheap (no pun intended) purchase. Note the daisies in the lawn, messy but beautiful.

Feed me!

Occasionally breakfast is a bit more of a mouthful. This huge moth took some swallowing, but after several attempts it finally went down.

 
A family of Blackcaps spent a few hours looking for insects in my rambling Rose, one afternoon. 

As some of you already know, we had nine Blue Tit fledglings from our nesting box.They stayed around the garden for a few weeks, being fed by their parents.

 

One of my favourite garden birds is the Long Tailed Tit. I've had a flock of at least ten visiting the feeders for the past couple of weeks. They are so sweet!

 Mr & Mrs Bullfinch are shy, but they do come down to the feeders from time to time. 

The resident Wrens are now on their second brood. Heard more often than seen, they call endlessly to one another under the dense cover of the native hedging we've planted along the perimeter of the garden. Occasionally, when the cat is out and about, the parents will come out of hiding to shout at the offending feline.

  A family of Dunnocks is also on its second brood. The youngsters are following Mum backwards and forwards as she teaches them how to find food for themselves.

Last but definitely not least, Britain's favourite bird the Robin is also on its second brood in my garden. In fact, if you include a nest that was abandoned with five eggs in it after a blackbird built its nest on the roof of the Robin nestbox, this is technically the third attempt!

Thanks for visiting, I hope you've enjoyed the photos!