England Coast Path

Welcome to Hodbarrow Lagoon.

Get ready to explore 2,700 miles of the England Coast Path. You can start your journey here, on this National Trail, around the amazing Hodbarrow Lagoon.

What’s so special?

As part of the Duddon Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) this is a safe place for you to see and experience nature.

Getting around:

The tracks around the sea wall and lagoon, and into Haverigg and Millom, can be rough in places, but they are stile-free and available to most rugged wheelchairs and buggies. The England Coast Path towards Millom has two kissing gates requiring a RADAR key for all-terrain wheelchair access.

What can I do here?

Walk or use all-terrain wheelchairs.

Stick to the path to protect special plants.

Read the signs – for your safety and to help protect nature.

To keep yourself and wildlife safe, please don’t climb on the banks.

Take your dog for a walk, but keep your furry friend under close control and pick up its poo.

Ride a horse or bicycle only on the main byway track.

Alongside illustrations of curlew, redshank, lapwing, little tern and bee orchid:

Look all around.

Look out for curlew, redshank and knot, which feed and rest on the mud and sand. Spot lapwing and redshank nest sites inside the lagoon, from the hide.

Look up.

Little terns are one of the UK’s rarest seabirds. In summer you’ll see little, common and Sandwich terns flying back from sea dives with beaks full of eels and fish.

Alongside a central map showing the lagoon, the England Coast Path route and the boundary of the RSPB reserve:

Wonderwall. Over 150 years ago this site opened as a busy iron mine. You can see traces of the industry, such as the old lighthouses, windmill and quarry. The sea wall was built to protect the mine but was later flooded to become the lagoon you see.

In an emergency, please dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.