St. Bees Head
Encyclopedia
St Bees Head is a headland
on the North West coast of the English
county of Cumbria
and is named after the nearby village of St Bees
.
It lies on the Cumbria Coastal Way
and WainwrightCoast to Coast
long-distance footpaths, it is the only stretch of Heritage Coast
on the English coastline between the Welsh and Scottish borders, and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Both long-distance footpaths follow the edge of the cliffs, which rise to 200 ft above sea level, and afford spectacular views of the Cumbrian mountains and coast.
and is the site of St Bees Lighthouse
. During WW2 a radar station was operated from here, and some of the buildings can still be seen adjacent to the lighthouse. The foghorn building is to the west of the lighthouse, but is now disused. The lighthouse is still operating, but is unmanned. Next to the coastal path north of the lighthouse is Birkhams quarry which is still in use for extracting St Bees sandstone.
The rocks on the sea platform at the North Head are now a very popular bouldering area for climbers and there are a number of bolted climbing routes on the cliff itself.
- Thrift armeria maritima, scurvygrass - Cochlaria officinalis, sea campion - Silene maritima, sea spleenwort - Asplenium marinum, rock samphire
- Crithmum maritimum and the rare rock sea lavender - Limonium binervosum. Near the cliff top is bloody cranesbill - Geranium sanguineum, Wood vetch - Viccia sylvatica, Orpine - Sedum telephium and soft shield-fern - Polystichum setiferum.
Along the cliff top, there can be found Dyer’s greenweed - Genista tinctoria, western gorse - Ulex gallii, heather
- Calluna vulgaris
and bracken
- Pteridium aquilinum.
maintains a reserve, which includes kittiwake
s, fulmar
s, guillemot
s, razorbill
,
cormorant
, puffin
, shag and herring gull. It is the only breeding place in England for black guillemot
s. Several other birds are known to use this site regularly for breeding and these include the tawny
owl, sparrowhawk, peregrine
, raven
and the rock pipit
, which is known to breed in only one other
site in Cumbria. There are observation stations on the North Head footpath.
and Triassic
sandstone about 200 Million years old. The SSSI citation carries a description of the interesting geological features. On the headland itself is evidence of erosional features, wave cut notch and a wave-cut platform
. On St Bees Beach to the south to lessen the effects of longshore drift
, a row of nine groyne
s have been put in place. St Bees Beach is backed by small mud cliffs which are an excellent place to study the glacial moraines that formed them. The shingle both at St Bees and Fleswick show a huge variety of glacier-borne stones.
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
on the North West coast of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
and is named after the nearby village of St Bees
St Bees
St Bees is a village and civil parish in the Copeland district of Cumbria, in the North of England, about five miles west southwest of Whitehaven. The parish had a population of 1,717 according to the 2001 census. Within the parish is St...
.
It lies on the Cumbria Coastal Way
Cumbria Coastal Way
The Cumbria Coastal Way is a long distance footpath allowing users to travel from Cumbria's southern border to just north of the English - Scottish border. It follows some interesting scenery such as the red sandstone cliffs of St...
and WainwrightCoast to Coast
Coast to Coast Walk
The Coast to Coast Walk is a 192-mile unofficial and mostly unsignposted long distance footpath in Northern England...
long-distance footpaths, it is the only stretch of Heritage Coast
Heritage Coast
A Heritage Coast is a strip of UK coastline designated by the Countryside Agency in England and the Countryside Council for Wales as having notable natural beauty or scientific significance.- Designated coastline :...
on the English coastline between the Welsh and Scottish borders, and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Both long-distance footpaths follow the edge of the cliffs, which rise to 200 ft above sea level, and afford spectacular views of the Cumbrian mountains and coast.
North Head
The true geographical head is the North Head, which is the most westerly point of Northern EnglandNorthern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
and is the site of St Bees Lighthouse
St Bees Lighthouse
St Bees Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on St Bees Head near the village of St Bees in Cumbria, England.The first lighthouse on the site began its life in 1718 on land brought by Trinity House, one of the UK's General Lighthouse Authorities. It was constructed by Thomas Lutwige who paid a lease...
. During WW2 a radar station was operated from here, and some of the buildings can still be seen adjacent to the lighthouse. The foghorn building is to the west of the lighthouse, but is now disused. The lighthouse is still operating, but is unmanned. Next to the coastal path north of the lighthouse is Birkhams quarry which is still in use for extracting St Bees sandstone.
The rocks on the sea platform at the North Head are now a very popular bouldering area for climbers and there are a number of bolted climbing routes on the cliff itself.
South Head
The South Head is known locally as "Tomlin" and dominates the long sandy St Bees Beach. At the top of the footpath from St Bees are the remains of the coastguard lookout. This now has a viewing table in its ruins.Fleswick Bay
Between the two headlands is Fleswick Bay. This is accessible only on foot or from the sea, and is a spectacular location consisting of a shingle beach on a wave cut platform bounded by high sandstone cliffs. The coast to coast walk descends to the bay en route to the North Head.Flora
The rugged cliff face supports diverse flora mainly due to the nature of the rock formations. Species found lower down are: sea pinkArmeria
Armeria is the botanical name for a genus of flowering plants. These plants are sometimes known as "thrift" or as the "sea pinks" as they are often found on coastlines...
- Thrift armeria maritima, scurvygrass - Cochlaria officinalis, sea campion - Silene maritima, sea spleenwort - Asplenium marinum, rock samphire
Rock samphire
Samphire or rock samphire, Crithmum maritimum, is the sole species of the genus Crithmum. It is an edible wild plant found on southern and western coasts of Britain and Ireland, on mediterranean and western coasts of Europe including the Canary Islands, North Africa and the Black Sea...
- Crithmum maritimum and the rare rock sea lavender - Limonium binervosum. Near the cliff top is bloody cranesbill - Geranium sanguineum, Wood vetch - Viccia sylvatica, Orpine - Sedum telephium and soft shield-fern - Polystichum setiferum.
Along the cliff top, there can be found Dyer’s greenweed - Genista tinctoria, western gorse - Ulex gallii, heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
- Calluna vulgaris
and bracken
Bracken
Bracken are several species of large, coarse ferns of the genus Pteridium. Ferns are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells . Brackens are in the family Dennstaedtiaceae, which are noted for their large, highly...
- Pteridium aquilinum.
Bird reserve
The RSPBRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
maintains a reserve, which includes kittiwake
Black-legged Kittiwake
The Black-legged Kittiwake is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae.This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Larus tridactylus....
s, fulmar
Fulmar
Fulmars are seabirds of the family Procellariidae. The family consists of two extant species and two that are extinct.-Taxonomy:As members of Procellaridae and then the order Procellariiformes, they share certain traits. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called...
s, guillemot
Guillemot
Guillemots is the common name for several species of seabird in the auk family . In British use, the term comprises two genera: Uria and Cepphus. In North America the Uria species are called "murres" and only the Cepphus species are called "guillemots"...
s, razorbill
Razorbill
The Razorbill is colonial seabird that will only come to land in order to breed. It is the largest living member of the Auk family. This agile bird will choose only one partner for life and females will lay one egg per year. Razorbills will nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed...
,
cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
, puffin
Puffin
Puffins are any of three small species of auk in the bird genus Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among...
, shag and herring gull. It is the only breeding place in England for black guillemot
Black Guillemot
The Black Guillemot or Tystie is a medium-sized alcid.Adult birds have black bodies with a white wing patch, a thin dark bill, and red legs and feet. They show white wing linings in flight. In winter, the upperparts are pale grey and the underparts are white. The wings remain black with the large...
s. Several other birds are known to use this site regularly for breeding and these include the tawny
owl, sparrowhawk, peregrine
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
and the rock pipit
Rock Pipit
The Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus, is a small passerine bird species which breeds on rocky coasts of western Europe northwards from Brittany. It is mainly resident in Ireland, Great Britain and France, in the west of its range, but the Scandinavian and Russian populations migrate south in winter;...
, which is known to breed in only one other
site in Cumbria. There are observation stations on the North Head footpath.
Physical features
The cliffs are composed of a red PermianPermian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
and Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
sandstone about 200 Million years old. The SSSI citation carries a description of the interesting geological features. On the headland itself is evidence of erosional features, wave cut notch and a wave-cut platform
Wave-cut platform
A wave-cut platform, or shore platform is the narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay, or sea that was created by the action of waves. Wave-cut platforms are often most obvious at low tide when they become visible as huge areas of flat rock...
. On St Bees Beach to the south to lessen the effects of longshore drift
Longshore drift
Longshore drift consists of the transportation of sediments along a coast at an angle to the shoreline, which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash. This process occurs in the littoral zone, and in or within close proximity to the surf zone...
, a row of nine groyne
Groyne
A groyne is a rigid hydraulic structure built from an ocean shore or from a bank that interrupts water flow and limits the movement of sediment. In the ocean, groynes create beaches, or avoid having them washed away by longshore drift. In a river, groynes prevent erosion and ice-jamming, which...
s have been put in place. St Bees Beach is backed by small mud cliffs which are an excellent place to study the glacial moraines that formed them. The shingle both at St Bees and Fleswick show a huge variety of glacier-borne stones.