There are many Facebook features which I have a somewhat bitter-sweet opinion of. The “on this day” feature reminds us how fast time is passing by, but also helps us to recall some great days.

Last week up popped some pictures of a ride I did up to Silloth and around the Anthorn Peninsula. It reminded me of how fabulous our coastline is, and how I should go out and explore it more.

The ride started in Cockermouth and I took the A594 to Maryport. While this is the quickest route, this isn’t much fun and I do prefer to take the back routes via Tallentire and Crosby Villa.

What made this ride so attractive was the lack of hills. In fact from the downhill into Maryport it was dead flat for another 50-odd miles. With the wind behind me up the coast, it wasn’t long before I made it to Silloth, which looked glorious in the sunshine.

This area is rich in historical and natural interest. My ride followed the route of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site as well as some of the attractions of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). So, if you want, there are plenty of places to stop and explore.

From Silloth I headed inland along the B5302, through Abbeytown and onto the B5307 to pass Newton Arlosh’s fortified church – a reminder that our area was once very much on a dangerous frontier.

Crossing the River Wampool I joined the peninsula. Turning left after the bridge at Whitrigg meant I followed the line of the estuary with its mud flats teeming with birds, and on past the Anthorn Radio Station masts – the literal home of time. Heading on past Cardurnock, the road was so free of traffic I even had to open a gate which was closed across it to keep the cows out. Eventually I made it to Bowness-on-Solway where the tea rooms and pub make a great place to stop. It’s also the start of the Hadrian’s Wall Path across England – hence the road sign to Rome.

Unfortunately my tea-room of choice was closed for a wedding, so I continued on over the peninsula passing the Glasson Moss and back to Abbeytown where a village fair at Holme Cultram Abbey provided more tea and cake than I could wish for. Only part of the abbey’s original structure remains but it continues to be an impressive site.

The route home took me back to Silloth and then onto Aspatria via Pelutho. It was long at over 75 miles, but I’d loved every bit of it.

As it’s Active Coasts Week this is the perfect excuse to get out and explore all the great things the Solway Coast has to offer.