£5.50 all day for non-members
Whitehaven Coast runs south from the town's 18th-century harbour towards the sandstone cliffs of St Bees Head, land in National Trust care. This was the site of England's first under-sea coal mine: the shaft at Saltom Pit was dug by hand in 1725, Whitehaven had the deepest mines in the world by the 1730s and the last working pit closed in 1986. The Candlestick chimney of Wellington Pit and the Haig Pit still mark the path, the thin spoil-tip soils now grow a carpet of wildflowers, and puffins, guillemots and razorbills nest at St Bees Head. The Trust's Whitehaven colourful coastal walk follows the clifftop for 7 miles from The Beacon to St Bees, with a railway station at each end. Dogs are welcome under close control, on short leads near cliff edges and livestock and at all times in spring and early summer while birds are nesting. Reviewers praise the sea views and open grassland. Parking is free at the Haig Pit car park, and the Trust warns of steep drops and mud underfoot.
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Dog friendly
Starts at The Beacon, Whitehaven; 7 miles (11.2km), about 4 hours, challenging difficulty; clifftop route with some uneven, narrow sections and short steep climbs; free parking at Haig Pit.
