Discover Barrow’s Coastline on Foot

With 60km of coastline to explore, Barrow in Furness is a fantastic place to visit for a walking day trip or a walking holiday. Whether you are seeking gentle family walks or a strenuous route around some of Britain’s hidden gems, then Barrow is a wonderful place to stay and visit.

Popular Walking Routes

Walking and hiking is extremely popular in Cumbria, with millions of people visiting the county to walk or hike in the Lake District and tackle some of the mountains, fells and valleys. Visitors want to follow in the footsteps of Alfred Wainwright and take in the beautiful scenery of the Lake District.

But… Cumbria isn’t just about hills, lakes and valleys, it is a coastal county with a long and diverse coast along the Western edge of England. Cumbria’s coast starts at Morecambe Bay and travels around the South Lakes and Barrow in Furness before heading North into Copeland and Allerdale.

Below are some of the popular walks and hikes you can enjoy in Barrow:

• Family Walk | Abbey Cicular
  Starting across from the Red River Club on Flass Lane , this short circular walk is suitable for families and is pushchair and wheelchair friendly. The route is a popular shared path and is often used by small children starting out on two wheels. The iconic Furness Abbey is located at the halfway point and provides a stunning backdrop to stop and have refreshments or to let children play. Find out more about Furness Abbey here

  Distance 3mile
  Flat/Easy with very little traffic
  Pushchair & wheelchair friendly
  Download our route guide here

• Family Walk to Roa Island
  Starting at Morrisons Supermarket, this coastal walk provides stunning views across some of Barrow’s docklands and out over Morecambe Bay. The route is a popular shared path with no traffic until you reach Rampside and then you take a pavement across Roa Island causeway to reach Roa Island. Find out more about Roa Island and Piel Island.

  Distance 8.5mile
  Flat with very little traffic
  Pushchair & wheelchair friendly
  Download our route guide here

• Walney Coastal Path
  Some of Cumbria’s most spectacular coastline  opened to the public in February 2020, when Natural England unveiled 21 miles of paths on Walney Island. The paths are part of the England Coastal Path route and take in some of the most stunning scenery and natural habitats in the UK.

  The new stretch, which takes in beaches, dunes and salt marshes, wildlife and dramatic views, is now open to everyone via a single, circular route for the first time.

  Walkers will be able to enjoy views over the Irish Sea and Morecambe Bay, and across the Walney Channel and the Duddon Estuary to the Lake District fells.

  Natural England Promotional Video for the Walney Coastal Path

  The path takes in the North Walney National Nature Reserve, also running close to South Walney Nature Reserve, famous for its grey seals.

  Distance: 21 miles | The route is flat and can be broken into sections

• Channelside Walk
  This family walk starts at Channelside Haven next to Jubilee Bridge. The walk is along dedicated footpaths running North alongside Walney Channel. It offers views across to Walney and up the channel to the Duddon Estuary and the Lake District fells.

  The walk passes the Dock Museum, which is a great place to visit and find out the history of the town and its ship building heritage. There is also a cafe and a popular children’s playground.

  The route also passes the Urban Extreme Skate Park, an indoor skate, scooter and BMX park for all levels. Why not let your children bring their scooters and enjoy an hour of fun at Urban Extreme.

  The Walney Channel path is approximately 1.5 miles, but can be extended by taking in the slag bank to the North.

  Distance: 3miles | Easy route with lots to see
  

• Guided Walks to Piel Island
  Piel Island is a jewel on the Furness peninsula. It has a castle and a pub, where the landlord is crowned ‘Kind of the Island’. At high tide the only way to reach the island is by the Piel Ferry from Roa Island, but at low tide the island can be reached by guided walk across the sands.

  A local guiding company, Murphy’s Miles is happy to take groups across the sands at low tide to the island. Contact John Murphy on 01229 473746 or email murphysmiles@hotmail.co.uk.

• Cumbrian Cistercian Way
  This 25 mile pilgrimage through the calming landscape of South Cumbria, in the footsteps of the Cistercian monks can be enjoyed in 2-3 days.

  Start your journey by boarding the tiny ferry to Piel Island, whose castle was built in this remote place to store and protect the grain, wine and wool of the monks of Furness Abbey. From there you ferry back to the shore of Roa Island and walk inland to Furness Abbey, once the second wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in England.

  After the Vale of Nightshade, you go via Dalton-in-Furness to Great Urswick church and then over the brow of Birkrigg Common, to where its stone circle overlooks Morecambe Bay. Descend Birkrigg back to the shore and head to the modern Buddhist temple at the medieval site of Conishead Priory.
  Find out more