Strolling around Hodbarrow Nature Reserve at Haverigg

We were up in the Duddon Valley for a weekend, went out for a very nice meal at Da Vinci restaurant in Millom and helped put up the Christmas lights on the exterior of our friends house in Seathwaite.

The following morning we had to make a trip to Haverigg and so decided to enjoy a walk around the nature reserve and get some sea air.

I hadn't realised how much the static caravan site had grown and now was called Port Haverigg. It looked nice all the same, very clean and tidy. The last time I was here it was half the size.
There is also a site which will allow tents, called Harbour Lights camping. It seems that the minimum price is £23 per night but that is for a tent, 4 people and a car. They may allow backpackers to camp for less but it isn't advertised.

On our walk around and not far from the camp site is a very nice cafe/Band B called Herdwick's, which we had a look around and decided to partake in a brew. It's not huge inside and considering how busy this area would be in the summer its a good job they have a large outside seating area. Its worth a visit all the same.

View across the lagoon to Port Haverigg with Black Combe in the background.

There is plenty of industrial archeology in this area with the now closed iron works which at one time  produce high grade iron from the highest grade ore in the world. There can still be found large chunks of iron slag around the nature reserve.

The first structure we came to was the old Hodbarrow Haverigg lighthouse which is now just a historical landmark. It was built around 1905 by the owners of the iron works. It also built a large protective sea wall. The original lighthouse was built just a bit further around the lagoon also by the mining company which guided ships into the port. Built in 1866. The older lighthouse was abandoned and also the new one in 1949. It was rebuilt and re-lit in 2004 but today it looks abandoned again.

 Hodbarrow Light house. (click on the name for more info.)

 Commemorative stone on completion of the outer barrier wall.
It says:- Hodbarrow Mines

This block was laid

On the 13th April 1905

By

Harry Arnold Esq.

Chairman of the Hodbarrow Mining Company Limited

On the completion of

The Outer Barrier

Commenced April 1900

Iron Slag

Across the way, which is where the iron works stood, is the RSPB hide with its Tern Sanctuary.

Further on a second structure can be seen on a slight rise which does look like a collapsed lighthouse, it is very similar in shape to the folly in Ulverston. This is not a lighthouse but an old windmill called Towsey Hole Mill and ground grain, probably oats. It became an office for the iron works but was not in great condition when the works closed down.

There are many paths to chose from around the area of the old mill which includes a couple of picnic areas, an OS trig point and a nice beach. We had to met our friend Tina and so took the easy path around the shore of the lagoon where we passed a new stone pillar put in place by the RSPB, I am surmising.

Wind Mill (remains)

Today we had some clear skies with the Scafell and Coniston mountains covered in snow, it was looking great and I wished I was up there.

We walked past the original lighthouse, now derelict. It's a real shame that this cannot be put to some usefulness by the RSPB, it would make a great lookout and a hide could be built atop.

 Two shots of the original lighthouse.

RSPB standing stone.

All too soon we were back at the car where we met Tina. So a late lunch was called for and we headed of to the Beach Cafe at Silecroft.

 Silecroft Beach Cafe.

Terrific weather on Silecroft beach

Route 5.5km (Excludes route to Silecroft which was by car)