Villagers want Brits to keep overlooking gem on way to Lake District | UK | Travel
Arnside is beautiful but it also has a dark side (Image: Photos by RA Kearton via Getty Images)
A picturesque coastal village in England is being overlooked as tourists flock to a popular nearby destination – and locals are happy with the oversight.
The Lake District is world-famous for its spectacular landscapes that have inspired poets, writers and musicians throughout history. While tourists rush to well-known spots such as Lake Windermere, Kendal or Keswick, a small but beautiful seaside village, recognized by The Times as one of the best seaside places to live in the country, is often overlooked.
Arnside offers a fascinating mix of lush rural landscapes, where pheasants can be spotted as well as seagulls soaring over the white sands.
Jackie Ellis, 69, a resident of Penrith in Cumbria’s Eden Valley, drove the 50 miles from her home to this stunning seaside spot. “I love being by the sea. It’s close to me and it’s very charming. It’s a peaceful oasis and it’s beautiful,” she said. But he believes the tourism board’s focus on promoting the Lake District means delightful places like Arnside remain relatively unknown.
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Trevor Brown, 72, has lived in Arnside for 14 years (Image: Andy Commins/Express)
Author Jackie added: “The Cumbria Tourist Board are obsessed with the Lakes and they don’t care about us! Who wants to go to Beatrix Potter? [a famous Lakes’ museum] If you can come here! What’s the point? There is beautiful countryside on your doorstep. “It’s a bit cheaper than Ambleside so people come and stay here and use it as a starting point.”
But he said residents continued to experience a quiet atmosphere compared to Cumbria’s more popular tourist spots. He noted: “But if I lived here I would be so grateful to be overlooked.”
Daytrippers to Arnside should be aware that the village has two geographical facts that make it a little trickier to get to grips with than your average seaside spot.
The village is famous for its tidal bore, an unusual tidal phenomenon that occurs when a rising tide meets resistance from the sandy channels of the bay. As the tide surges up the waterway, an alarm goes off in the village, warning locals and day-trippers of the approaching tide.
In its current form, Arnside, located on Morecambe Bay, is famous for its treacherous quicksands and mudflats; these are regularly used by Coast Guard crews and Gulf Search and Rescue teams to rescue people and animals stranded in treacherous, water-saturated sand at low tide.
Arnside is above the bay, the site of a particularly famous tragedy. On the evening of February 5, 2004, at least 22 Chinese workers drowned due to a wave while illegally collecting mussels from the shore. There were many other near misses, including at Arnside.
In 2009, a woman fell on her hands in a swamp. It started to sink but was rescued at the last moment; his nose was six inches from the mud. The Guardian reported.
Swamps and tides have claimed lives before (Image: Loop Images, Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Apart from the holes and bogs, Arnside is a beautiful place. Trevor Brown, 72, moved to Arnside from East Sussex 14 years ago. He recalls how his first visit to this picturesque village completely convinced him. The former industrial chemist now dabbles in landscape photography, capturing stunning images of the environment he loves.
He recalls: “Someone said to me ‘go and see Arnside’ because the sunsets were the most beautiful in the world. When I first came here the rain was beating horizontally on me but I came back when it was sunny. I fell in love with it.”
Although there were almost no tourists during our visit, one observes the increasing attractiveness of the area. He commented: “If you come here in the summer it will be very crowded; you won’t find parking like in Brighton!”
Leonie Punter, 53, has run She Sells, a seaside business, for 15 years. Originally from Manchester, he now lives in Lancaster, about 25 minutes away by car. He said: “It attracts a lot of people on a sunny day but gets overlooked because so many people go to the Lake District. Only people in the know come here. It’s a hidden gem.”
Tracey Leigh, 59, who runs Homeleigh Vintage, has called Arnside home for four years. Originally from Skipton, he bought a village property to renovate “from scratch”. She explained: “I fell in love with this property and of course the views.”
Beyond the stunning views, Tracey highlighted the area’s connectivity as another key draw for the business owner.
He continued: “Train connections are good and you can reach Manchester Airport in an hour and a half. Since we are only 15 minutes away from the M6, our transportation is also very easy.
