Discover Roa Island

Until 1847 Roa Island was a true island, being accessible only by boat, or on foot across the sands at low tide. In 1840 a London banker bought the island and in 1846 he built a causeway to connect it to the mainland as well as a deep water pier from where steamers sailed to Fleetwood.

The Furness Railway used the causeway to carry goods and passengers and in 1852 they purchased the lease for the entire Roa Island estate. The pier was demolished in 1891 and the railway continued in use until 1936.

A Visit to Roa Island

Despite its moderate size, Roa Island boasts a yacht club, a former hotel (the Roa Island Hotel built in 1849 and originally called the Pier Hotel), and the Bosun’s Locker cafe, which serves lunches, afternoon teas and Lakeland Ice Cream.  

Overlooking the sea with a south-facing aspect is Villa Marina. This house was built for the Furness industrialist H.W Schneider as a holiday residence. Over the years it has served as a fisheries investigation laboratory and as army premises during WWII. On the lawn are seven cannon pointing out to sea. Other interesting buildings include Trinity Terrace, a row of terraced houses built to provide accommodation for the ten Trinity House pilots; and The Watch Tower, a former Customs and Excise House built in 1847.

Lifeboat Station

Roa Island is home to a lifeboat station of the RNLI, serving Morecambe Bay and the Irish Sea. The station was established in 1864 and was known at the time as Piel Lifeboat Station. In recent years it has been completely rebuilt and enlarged.

Piel Ferry

If planning a visit to Piel Island, you will need to take the Piel Ferry which disembarks from the pier at Roa Island. The passenger ferry runs from Easter until early autumn and as well as ferrying passengers to and from Piel Island, it can also be used for sightseeing trips to see the only seal colony on the Cumbrian coastline. 

Foulney Island

Foulney Island is a low-lying grass and shingle area 1 mile from Roa Island. The island is connected to the mainland via a shingle and rock causeway which was built in Victorian times as a tidal protection measure. The Foulney causeway leaves the Roa Island causeway halfway along its length on the eastern side.

Foulney is a bird sanctuary and is included in the South Walney & Piel Channel Flats Site of Special Scientific Interest. Since 1974 the island has been managed by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. During the summer months the island is wardened and visitors are discouraged from walking in the nesting areas.