North Walney National Nature Reserve
Exploring The Dunes And Heathland
Earlier this week I cycled to Walney Island situated on the Cumbrian Coast near Barrow-in-Furness. I set off early in the morning as the weather was set to be very hot, and rode the 50-mile journey on the main A-roads so that I could arrive more quickly. I frequently cycle the coast roads around South Cumbria, and have visited Walney just a few times previously. There is also a nature reserve in the south of the island, where grey Atlantic seals gather and a view of Piel Castle can be enjoyed from the lighthouse region.
The north of Walney offers a far greater area of sand dunes, heathland, mosses and meadows to explore. And in the Summer months it is especially nice to visit as there are clean bathing waters where you can cool off in the sea next to the beach. North Walney is quite expansive and importantly it is accessible only by foot, which guarantees quietude not only for human visitors but also for the wildlife that lives and thrives in this special place. Both sheep and cattle graze in the centre of the reserve, which also includes some freshwater pools.
Photos From The Nature Reserve
My photos were shot using Nikon D700 dslr camera. While I did take some art materials and do a little painting, the heat proved a little too much as the acrylics were dry before I could even put my brush in to them on the palette, at best able to scumble some colour on to the surface. It was at this point that I retired in to the sea
North Walney National Nature Reserve
- by Jordan Fadden
- •
- 21 Jul, 2022
- •
Exploring The Dunes And Heathland
Photos From The Nature Reserve



