Haverigg and Hodbarrow Nature Reserve • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	Haverigg and Hodbarrow Nature Reserve
Date of walk	2016-04-21
Distance walked (miles)	6
Duration of walk	2 hours 30 minutes
Weather	Blue skies and sunshine
Peaks on walk	None
Walked with	On my own
Parking	Haverigg Village

It has been many years since I have visited Haverigg. Today was warm with gorgeous blue skies, sunshine and not a breath of wind. Brendan had a meeting in Haverigg so I could amuse myself for a couple of hours. I chose to do the waterside walk around Cumbria’s largest coastal lagoon. This would take me along the causeway and include visits to the restored lighthouse, a hide, an old wind mill, the old lighthouse and an opportunity to spot numerous birds. The lagoon at Hodbarrow is an RSPB Nature Reserve and SSSI.

Haverigg.

View out to sea.

The beach.

View back from the beach.

I cross the bridge and pass by the houses and take the back entrance to the causeway.

View back to the beach from the start of the causeway. The bonfire is to be lit this evening as a beacon to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday.

The sea is totally still.

Looking towards the north end of walney Island.

The Eider ducks beside the causeway see me and make a swim for it. I can hear their distinctive call for most of my route round.

View back to Haverigg.

Looking back towards Blackcombe.

At least one duck finds my company tolerable!

Port Haverigg Marina.

In 1866 the Hodbarrow Mining Company built a lighthouse on Hodbarrow Point to guide ships to its dock. When the company built this sea wall in 1905 to protect its mineworkings, it established a new lighthouse on the wall and abandoned the old one, which I will visit later. This is the newer lighthouse which was abandoned in 1949, then refurbished and relit in 2004 as part of a local community initiative.

The way to the hide.

Painting on the side of the hide.

It is a fair size.

View out through one of the windows.

I return to my route along the causeway. View across to Barrow Town Hall and my home bell tower, St. James on the right.

I head for the old lighthouse.

The mountains are very clear today.

Looking back towards the new lighthouse.

Looking at the old sea wall. The Old Sea Wall of concrete was completed in 1890 and stands 50' from top to bottom. The Old Sea Wall only stood for ten years before subsidence took its centre section, but it still remains an impressive Victorian industrial edifice to this day.

The gorse is looking wonderful!

Before heading for the old lighthouse I detour right for the beach.

View back to the sweep of the causeway.

View from Hodbarrow Point.

The walk extends along the shore to Millom, but I am to be heading inland.

First I take in the old windmill. Hodbarrow Windmill stands high above Hodbarrow Point and looks the same today as it did in photographs taken of the first pit heads near by in the late 1850's, it is often mistaken as a third lighthouse.