Sandscale Haws – Roanhead
The Sandscale Haws National Trust Reserve is an outstanding coastal dune habitat situated on the Duddon Estuary near Barrow-in-Furness.
The estuary itself is the mouth of the River Duddon, a wonderful 25-mile journey that begins high on the fells near Wrynose Pass, descending past Cockley Beck and Ulpha before becoming tidal near Duddon Bridge.
The Duddon Valley is one of the Lake District‘s most unspoilt and least visited corners, rich in prehistoric heritage — with Neolithic and Bronze Age stone circles and settlement remains scattered across the surrounding fells.
Swinside Stone Circle, regarded as the most impressive in the Lake District, sits close by, its 55 stones remarkably intact after thousands of years.
It was this same valley and estuary that so inspired Wordsworth that he dedicated a sequence of 35 sonnets to the River Duddon alone.
At Sandscale Haws there are wonderful views overlooking the stunning Lakeland Fells, and this sandy beach surrounded by grassy dunes is home to a unique range of flora and fauna.
These dunes are classified as one of the most threatened habitats in Europe for biodiversity loss, making the reserve all the more precious.
The dunes at Roanhead provide a refuge for the rare Natterjack toad, very much at home in such sandy places.
In late spring and early summer evenings, the sound of natterjack toads floats across the dunes of Sandscale Haws — one of nature’s more magical experiences.
They tend to dig burrows in soft dunes and breed in shallow pools.
Several characteristics differentiate the natterjack from the common toad: notably the distinctive yellow line down the middle of its back, while it is also smaller and more olive-green in colour, with shinier and smoother skin. Natterjack toads are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and it is illegal to disturb them or handle them without a licence.
Populations are declining nationally, and beyond the north-west and Solway coasts, natterjacks cling on at just a handful of dune sites in East Anglia and on sandy heaths in Surrey and Hampshire.
This stunning area is also home to greater crested newts, butterflies and dune pansies.
In winter, thousands of migratory waders and wildfowl arrive, and the coastal habitats are of international importance for wildlife — sharing much in common with the wider Morecambe Bay estuary system that stretches eastward along the coast.
Where to Stay near Sandscale Haws – Roanhead
Kents Bank Holiday Cottage in Grange-over-Sands is well placed to access Sandscale Haws and Roanhead, being around 40 minutes away by road.
For anyone looking for Lake District holiday cottages this is a pefect choice.
Please ring 07785944194 or visit www.kentsbankholiday.co.uk to enquire about staying in this beautiful part of Lakeland.