The last Mob walk of the winter season (Winter is all year apart from summer holidays) was a 'B' walk from Silloth to Grune Point and back.

It's a walk by the seaside so we would like sea, sun and ice creams please . . . and that is exactly what we got on the walk today.

What was unexpected was the overall total mileage due to starting the walk in Silloth itself and not parking out on the seafront.

We all met up at the Silloth Library where there was plenty of free parking.

We were the last to arrive due to stopping on the way for petrol . . . well that's my excuse !

Silloth was built as a seaport, for importing grain for Carr's Biscuit factory in Carlisle.

With the train link established it rapidly expanded to become a seaside holiday resort for the West Cumbrian and Carlisle workforce.

Due to it's proximity to the west Atlantic it also became an important wartime aerodrome . . . hence the sculpture on the seafront.

It is a scale model of a Lockhead Hudson coastal reconnaissance aircraft, unveiled to celebrate 100 years of the RAF,

and in particular RAF Silloth, the No1 Operational Training Squadron which was based just outside the town.

The walk proper started along the promenade, made even more attractive by the tide being in this morning.

There's plenty of space to walk on the grass but usually the promenade was easier and Dougal could run down and play in the sea.

Here we're looking north across the Solway at the recognisable outline of Criffell in Dumfrieshire.

We must walk that hill one day . . . but I've been saying that ever since we moved north !

Also looking out to sea is "The Big Fellah" and his dog . . . and my dog.

He's actually quite a big fellah as this photo with Ann and myself shows.

The sea wall has been extended over the years . . . and continues to Skinburness, away in the distance.

The sea wall below the prom varies as you go along, but dougal enjoyed running down into the sea to cool off.

The concrete promenade is later replaced by large, stone sea defences as we reach the group of houses known as Skinburness.

The long seafront houses along the front (the five chimneys) was apparently the old Greyhound Pub

which was mentioned in Sir Walter Scott's novel Red Gauntlet, as a the scene of the meeting of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites.

- - - o o o - - -

As Peter mentioned, the village was set up in AD 1100 by the Monks of Holme Cultram Abbey, as a harbour for export of wool, fish and salt from the area.

A major storm some time later caused the sea wall to breach which inflicted serious damage on the harbour and the village.

Beyond the houses, the sea wall comes to an end and we take to the beach to move forward.

The Coast Path however soon dives inland and provides easy walking for the next section.

Note a crop of maize (sweet corn) is being grown in the fields here, but it is thought to be for animal fodder rather than being grown for the 'corn on the cob'.

In the heat, Peter called for a coffee stop at a wartime concrete structure, probably an old jetty for loading and unloading supplies.

The sea however has toppled the heavy concrete structures so the true purpose of the place may have been completely different.

The coastal path now continues more to the centre of the peninsular and passes a recently built but redundant kissing gate.

The structure was opposite the end of a farmers field, but there was no sign of it ever being connected to any fence of its own.

It even had a locking mechanism to allow wheelchairs to pass through !

The path avoids the top end of Grune Point and instead aims for a wartime structure, now partially hidden in the trees and undergrowth.

Inside the camera captures the unusual interior, highlighting the unusual method of construction.

While people looked around I made a slight detour up the beach to see the Radio Masts at Anthorn on the other side of the bay.

The masts are still in use for military and civil radio broadcasts, but their one-time ability to transmit the radio-clock signal ended a while back.

On the beach at this point were numerous patches of Thrift flowers, though they seem to be 'past their best' in the heat of the summer.

Another oversized kissing gate but this time it was incorporated into a fence line.

Despite coffee on the other side of the peninsular, it was a committee decision to stop for an early lunch.

The gate here led over to the field of maize we saw earlier.

The reason for the early lunch decision was the nice view across the marsh to the distant Cumbrian fells.

Can you identify them ? . . . the tallest is Skiddaw with the ones to the right being Grisedale Pike and the other North Western fells.

Back to Skinburness and its old houses . . . I took the picture from the top of the protective sea dyke on this side of the peninsular.

Greek Cottage had a wonderful wild garden front and back, with the chance to buy a few plants, if you had the ability to carry them !

It was thought that the house belonged to a relation of the film director Ken Russell.

Crossing the village green in Skinburness.

The small building to the left was Pool Cottage, suggesting either a harbour for boats or the pond of a local salt pan, where people would have evaporated sea water into salt.

Remnants of the old wartime aircraft hangers, now seemingly part of the farm infrastructure.

Crossing the fields to the "Holiday Village", a chalet park developed on re-purposed wartime airfield land.

At East Cote we crossed back to join our outward walking route, arriving there part way back along the sea wall.

Ahead was the familiar outline of Criffel mountain once again.

Yes . . . we've been here earlier too . . . this was, and still is, a leading light for boats coming up channel towards Silloth Harbour.

"Located on Criffel Street, this Victorian Gothic church was consecrated in 1870 and is known for its tall spire and for being built with split grey granite originally used as ship ballast." Google

We pass on the opportunity of a cuppa at Mrs Wilson's Cafe, even though it was once the home the renowned singer Kathleen Ferrier CBE