
The B5300 (known locally as the Coast Road) is a
B road which runs for approximately twelve miles between the towns of
Silloth
Silloth, or Silloth-on-Solway, is a port town and civil parish in the Cumberland (district), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The town stands on the coast of the Solway Firth, west of Carlisle. It was developed from the 1850s onwards a ...
and
Maryport
Maryport is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The town is on the coast of the Solway Firth and lies at the northern end of the former Cumberland Co ...
in the
Allerdale
Allerdale was a non-metropolitan district of Cumbria, England, with Borough status in England and Wales, borough status. Its council – Allerdale Borough Council – was based in Workington, and the borough had a population of 96,422 at the ...
borough of
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. From north to south, it passes through the villages of
Blitterlees
Blitterlees is a small hamlet in the parish of Holme Low, one mile south of Silloth in Cumbria, United Kingdom. The hamlet of Wolsty is located approximately to the south as the crow flies, or by road, and Cumbria's county town, Carlisle, is ...
,
Beckfoot
Beckfoot is a hamlet in the civil parish of Holme St Cuthbert in Cumbria, England. It is located on the B5300 coast road, three miles south of Silloth-on-Solway and two miles north of the village of Mawbray. The county town of Carlisle is ...
,
Mawbray
Mawbray is a village in the civil parish of Holme St Cuthbert in Cumbria, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Cumberland. It is located on the Solway Plain, south west of Silloth, north of Maryport, and west of Carlisl ...
,
Dubmill
Dubmill is a settlement in the civil parish of Holme St. Cuthbert in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is located approximately one mile south-west of the village of Mawbray, half-a-mile to the west of the hamlet of Salta, three-quarters of a mile ...
, and
Allonby
Allonby is a village on the coast of Cumberland in Cumbria, England. The village is on the B5300 road north of Maryport and south of Silloth. The village of Mawbray is to the north, and to the east is the village of Westnewton, Carlisle ...
. It runs through the
Solway Coast
The Solway Coast is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in northern Cumbria, England. It incorporates two areas of coastline along the Solway Firth, the first running from just north of the city of Carlisle, at the estuary of the riv ...
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Since 2023, the areas in England an ...
, passes close to the
Salta Moss
Salta Moss is a raised blanket mire which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest ('SSSI') located in the hamlet of Salta, in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It was determined to be of biological interest (as opposed to geological interest, the othe ...
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
,
Milefortlet 21, a Roman archaeological site, the salt pans, a remnant of the
Solway plain's medieval saltmaking industry, and the village of
Crosscanonby
Crosscanonby (otherwise Cross Canonby) is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, historically part of Cumberland, near the Lake District National Park in England. It is situated within the Solway Coast, designated an Area of Outstandi ...
. It is an important route for carrying goods to and from
Silloth docks and
Maryport harbour. It is also the major road connecting smaller coastal settlements with Maryport and Silloth, from where other roads lead to
Workington
Workington is a coastal town and civil parish in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The town is at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast, south-west of Carlisle and north-east of Whitehaven. At the 2021 census the ...
,
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a town and civil parish in the Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. It is a port on the north-west coast, and lies outside the Lake District National parks of England and Wales, National Park. ...
,
Wigton
Wigton is a market town in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. It lies just outside the Lake District. Wigton is at the centre of the Solway Plain, between the Caldbeck Fells and the Solway coast. It is served by Wigton railway st ...
, and
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England.
Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
. A short section of the road between Dubmill and Mawbray was closed in February 2019 due to
coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of Wind wave, waves, Ocean current, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts ...
, and reopened in June 2019.
The route
Silloth-on-Solway to Beckfoot
The B5300's northern terminus is close to the town centre of Silloth-on-Solway. The
cobblestone
Cobblestone is a natural building material based on Cobble (geology), cobble-sized stones, and is used for Road surface, pavement roads, streets, and buildings. Sett (paving), Setts, also called ''Belgian blocks'', are often referred to as " ...
B5302 gives way to the paved B5300, which then crosses over the old railway bridge that once led to
Silloth railway station
Silloth was the terminus of the Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway, a branch railway from Carlisle railway station, Carlisle, England. The town, dock and station at Silloth were built on a greenfield site after the Carlisle & Silloth Bay Railway ...
before winding past the Crofts estate and
Stanwix holiday park on its way out of Silloth. The short stretch of road after departing Silloth is the furthest away from the shoreline that the B5300 gets during its entire twelve miles, and after passing through the village of
Blitterlees
Blitterlees is a small hamlet in the parish of Holme Low, one mile south of Silloth in Cumbria, United Kingdom. The hamlet of Wolsty is located approximately to the south as the crow flies, or by road, and Cumbria's county town, Carlisle, is ...
just outside Silloth, and coming within a hundred yards of the hamlet of
Wolsty
Wolsty is a small hamlet in the Civil parishes in England, civil parish of Holme Low in Cumbria, England. It is located three-and-a-quarter miles south of Silloth-on-Solway, five miles west of Abbeytown, three-and-a-quarter miles north of the vi ...
, it joins the coast.

The next settlement on the route is the hamlet of
Beckfoot
Beckfoot is a hamlet in the civil parish of Holme St Cuthbert in Cumbria, England. It is located on the B5300 coast road, three miles south of Silloth-on-Solway and two miles north of the village of Mawbray. The county town of Carlisle is ...
, about a mile and three-quarters from Blitterlees, and upon entering, the B5300 passes from the parish of
Holme Low
Holme Low is a List of civil parishes in Cumbria, civil parish in the Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The parish covers a largely rural area with no significant settlements. It lies west of Carlisle.
Geo ...
, where it has been since departing Silloth, into the parish of
Holme St. Cuthbert.
Bank Mill to Dubmill
A mile south of Beckfoot is the side-road which leads to
Newtown, and also to the Gincase, a farm park and tearoom. Immediately past the Newtown road comes Bank Mill Nurseries, which includes a garden, nature reserve, play area, and restaurant. The B5300 continues past Bank Mill, with sand dunes known locally as Mawbray Bank on the shore side, and agricultural land belonging to local farmers on the land side. The road then arrives at the western end of the village of
Mawbray
Mawbray is a village in the civil parish of Holme St Cuthbert in Cumbria, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Cumberland. It is located on the Solway Plain, south west of Silloth, north of Maryport, and west of Carlisl ...
, and passes by a farm and several houses. There are two turnings here, one which leads away from the shore and into the village itself, and another unpaved road which leads to Mawbray Yard, a small collection of homes located very close to the beach. Near Mawbray Yard there is also a car park for visitors to the
Solway coast
The Solway Coast is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in northern Cumbria, England. It incorporates two areas of coastline along the Solway Firth, the first running from just north of the city of Carlisle, at the estuary of the riv ...
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Since 2023, the areas in England an ...
, which incorporates much of the road's route.
Shortly after passing Mawbray, the B5300 takes a more southerly turn at
Dubmill Point. This marks the start of
Allonby Bay, an inlet of the
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is an inlet on the west coast of Great Britain, forming part of the border between England and Scotland. The firth (a Scottish term for an inlet of the sea) divides Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) from Dumfries and Gallow ...
. There are two side roads within a couple of hundred yards of each other in the vicinity of Dubmill, the first leads to
Salta
Salta () is the capital and largest city in the Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Salta Province, the same name. With a population of 618,375 according to the 2010 census, it is also the List of cities in Argentina, 7th most-populous ...
, and ultimately on to Mawbray via
Hailforth
Hailforth is a small hamlet in the civil parish of Holme St. Cuthbert, in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is located approximately half a mile south-west of the village of Mawbray, and a similar distance north-east of Salta. Carlisle, Cumbria's c ...
, and the second leads to
Edderside. Also along this section of the road, a large concrete sea wall is present to prevent erosion and damage to the road or nearby farms. However, particularly heavy storms have damaged the sea defences in the past, and in 2014,
Cumbria County Council
Cumbria County Council was the county council for the non-metropolitan county of Cumbria in the North West of England. Established in April 1974, following its first elections held the previous year, it was an elected local government body re ...
launched a £130,000 repair scheme. In the first half of 2015 major repair work has been carried out to the sea wall for several hundred yards north of Seacroft Farm. This section of the B5300 is also susceptible to closure during bad weather. The B5300 crosses over several small streams in this area, including Cross Beck and the
Black Dub.
Allonby to Milefortlet 21
Just under one mile from the Edderside road is the village of
Allonby
Allonby is a village on the coast of Cumberland in Cumbria, England. The village is on the B5300 road north of Maryport and south of Silloth. The village of Mawbray is to the north, and to the east is the village of Westnewton, Carlisle ...
. Among the side-roads in the village are Moss Lane, which leads to Spring Lea leisure centre, and Wigton Road, which eventually leads out of Allonby to the village of
Westnewton. The road also crosses over Allonby beck, before passing the village green and Twentyman's shop and ice cream parlour, which is popular both with locals and tourists, especially during the summer months.

The B5300 continues south, following the shoreline of Allonby bay out of the village, past the side-road that leads to
Hayton, and the caravan park at Blue Dial, and shortly passes by
Milefortlet 21. These are the well-preserved remains of a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
milefortlet
A milecastle was a small fort (fortlet), a rectangular fortification built during the period of the Roman Empire. They were placed at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along several major frontiers, for example Hadrian's Wall in Great Br ...
, part of the coastal defences which extended beyond the western end of
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall (, also known as the ''Roman Wall'', Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Aelium'' in Latin) is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Roman Britain, Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Ru ...
. On the opposite side of the road from the milefortlet are the remains of medieval
salt pans, which would have been used for salt production, once a major industry along the Solway coast.
Crosscanonby to Ellen Grove

A quarter of a mile past Milefortlet 21 is another side-road, this time leading to the village of
Crosscanonby
Crosscanonby (otherwise Cross Canonby) is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, historically part of Cumberland, near the Lake District National Park in England. It is situated within the Solway Coast, designated an Area of Outstandi ...
. There was a car park opposite the turning, but it was claimed by the sea during a winter storm in early 2014. As
Allonby bay turns, so does the road, and by the time it reaches
Maryport golf club it is heading almost due west. A bend in the road as it cuts through the golf course, however, puts it back on a more southerly course as it enters the final mile toward its southern terminus. A quarter of a mile beyond the golf club is Maryport cemetery, on the outskirts of the town.
Just outside the town of
Maryport
Maryport is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The town is on the coast of the Solway Firth and lies at the northern end of the former Cumberland Co ...
, approximately a quarter of a mile east of
Netherhall School
The Netherhall School and The Oakes College is a Mixed-sex education, mixed secondary school and sixth form located in the Queen Edith ward of Cambridge, England. Its logo is a modified version of the arms of the City of Cambridge. It is one of ...
, is the B5300's southern terminus. Here, at Ellen Grove, it meets the
A596
The A596 is a primary route in Cumbria, in northern England, that runs between Thursby ( north-east of Wigton) and Workington. For its entirety the A596 parallels the A595, and meets the A595 at both ends. The A596 begins its course at a roun ...
, which heads west into Maryport, and east towards
Crosby Crosby may refer to:
Places Canada
*Crosby, Ontario, part of the township of Rideau Lakes, Ontario
*Crosby, Ontario, a neighbourhood in the city of Markham, Ontario
England
*Crosby, Cumbria
*Crosby, Lincolnshire
*Crosby, Merseyside
**Crosby (UK P ...
, and eventually
Aspatria
Aspatria is a town and civil parish in Cumberland, Cumbria, England. The town rests on the north side of the Ellen Valley, overlooking a panoramic view of the countryside, with Skiddaw to the South and the Solway Firth to the North. Its dev ...
and
Wigton
Wigton is a market town in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. It lies just outside the Lake District. Wigton is at the centre of the Solway Plain, between the Caldbeck Fells and the Solway coast. It is served by Wigton railway st ...
.
Incidents
The B5300 has seen several accidents and crashes, including some fatalities. In 2005, 18-year-old Lloyd Marsh, of Beckfoot, was killed when the car he was driving collided with a taxi. In May 2014, Yvonne Elizabeth Hetherington-Tunstall, 48, a restaurant owner from Maryport, was killed in another accident on the road.
As a result of some of these incidents, campaigners have been arguing for a reduction of the road's speed limit since at least 2004. The speed limit for most of the road (excepting where it passes through settlements) is currently 60 miles per hour, the highest limit for non-motorways in the United Kingdom. However, at times of bad weather, the speed limit can be reduced by Cumbria County Council.
The road itself has been damaged on several occasions as a result of storms and inclement weather. In particularly vulnerable areas around Mawbray and Dubmill, a concrete sea wall has been constructed to minimise damage and prevent coastal erosion. However, the sea wall itself has been breached on several occasions, including in 2008. The sea wall is maintained annually, at a cost of £10,000 to Allerdale Borough Council.
In October 2018, the southern section of the B5300 was closed to all traffic for three weeks. Initially, the road was closed between Allonby and Crosscanonby, and after work on this stretch was completed, the section between Crosscanonby and Maryport was closed. Local businesses complained that the scale of the work did not require the closure of the road, suggesting that traffic controls should have been used instead, as the road closure was adversely affecting trade.
From November to December 2018, a public consultation called the Cumbria Coastal Strategy was held to evaluate and manage the risks related to
coastal flooding
Coastal flooding occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged (flooded) by seawater. The range of a coastal Flood, flooding is a result of the elevation of floodwater that penetrates the inland which is controlled by the topography of the coas ...
and erosion along the Cumbrian coastline. Concerns were raised about the proximity of the B5300 to the shoreline, especially in unprotected areas or where coastal defences had been damaged. The possibility of re-routing the road to protect it from coastal erosion and storm damage was raised.

In February 2019, a section of the road between Dubmill and Mawbray was closed "indefinitely" after an emergency inspection revealed significant coastal erosion of over two metres in a matter of weeks. The road was deemed to be "too close to the sea" by inspectors, and emergency funding totalling £281,000 was allocated to shore up the road and prevent damage. A license was granted by the
Marine Management Organisation
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is an executive non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom established under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, with responsibility for English waters. The MMO exists to make a significant cont ...
to install new rock armour coastal defences.
Sue Hayman
Susan Mary Hayman, Baroness Hayman of Ullock (''née'' Bentley; born 28 July 1962) is a British politician and life peer who has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since July 2024. A member ...
, the MP for the constituency of
Workington
Workington is a coastal town and civil parish in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The town is at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast, south-west of Carlisle and north-east of Whitehaven. At the 2021 census the ...
in which the B5300 road is located, called for an urgent meeting with
DEFRA officials, believing that any further delay in installing the new coastal defences could leave the road irreparably damaged. The closure had a serious effect on local businesses and charities. Several licenses were required in order for work to be able to begin, including a
European Protected Species License. This license was eventually granted by
Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...
on the basis that an ecologist would be on-site for the duration of the work. Protecting the
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
and the local
natterjack toad
The natterjack toad (''Epidalea calamita'') is a toad native to sandy and heath (habitat), heathland areas of Europe and the United Kingdom. Adults are in length, and are distinguished from common toads by a yellow line down the middle of the b ...
population was behind the delay, and the license was finally granted on the 17th of April 2019. Work commenced on the 23rd of April, with the road expected to re-open in July 2019. The road re-opened on the 20th of June 2019, after a section of rock armour 120m long was installed. The closed section of the road was also resurfaced. After the road was re-opened, local MP Sue Hayman called for "urgent action" over the future of the road. A meeting between Hayman and the government was delayed, in part due to
that year's Conservative Party leadership election. Parts of the route of the B5300 are designated as being in
managed retreat
Managed retreat involves the purposeful, coordinated movement of people and buildings away from risks. This may involve the movement of a person, infrastructure (e.g., building or road), or community. It can occur in response to a variety of hazar ...
, further confusing the road's future.
In November 2020, Cumbria County Council applied for permission to engage in what were considered to be emergency repair works to coastal defences near Crosscanonby in order to protect the road. Between 2013 and 2019, 8m of erosion occurred, threatening the future of the road. The council has said that their long term plan is to realign the B5300, but in the short term work was required to shore up coastal defences to prevent the road being lost.
Special events
In September 2015, stage three of the
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race, conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time.
The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after th ...
ran along the entire length of the B5300 as part of its route from
Cockermouth
Cockermouth is a market town and civil parish in the Cumberland unitary authority area of Cumbria, England. The name refers to the town's position by the confluence of the River Cocker into the River Derwent. At the 2021 census, the built u ...
to
Floors Castle
Floors Castle, in Roxburghshire, south-east Scotland, is the seat of the Duke of Roxburghe. Despite its name it is an estate house rather than a fortress. It was built in the 1720s by the architect William Adam for John Ker, 1st Duke of Roxbur ...
. The road was closed in stages as police officers on motorcycles rode ahead of the
peloton
In a road Cycle sport, bicycle race, the peloton (, originally meaning ) is the main group or pack of riders. Riders in a group save energy by riding close (drafting (racing), drafting or slipstreaming) to (particularly behind) other riders. The ...
, closing off side roads and stopping traffic. Silloth-on-Solway in particular made a big fuss about welcoming the riders from the Tour.
Public transportation

The B5300 is served by a single bus route which runs the entire length of the road. The number 60, operated by Ellenvale Coach Co Ltd of Fletchertown without any government or local subsidies and runs from Skinburness, through Silloth onwards to Maryport and now once again continues on to Workington. Connections are available in Maryport to Stagecoach-operated buses heading south to Workington and north to Carlisle, and in Silloth to services to Carlisle via
Abbeytown
Abbeytown is the main village in the civil parish of Holme Abbey in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The parish was historically called Holme Cultram. The modern names of Abbeytown and Holme Abbey both reference Holmcultram Abbey, w ...
. The number 60 was temporarily only able to run between Allonby and Maryport in February 2019 due to the closure of the section of the road between Dubmill and Mawbray, but subsequently was able to resume its full route by taking a diversion.
In addition to the public bus service, there are several school bus routes which run along all or part of the B5300, carrying pupils to
Solway Community School in Silloth, Netherhall School in Maryport, and
Nelson Thomlinson School in Wigton.
Approximately one mile from the southern terminus of the B5300 is
Maryport railway station
Maryport railway station serves the coastal town of Maryport in Cumbria, England. It is a stop on the Cumbrian Coast Line, which runs between and . It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
History
Two railway companies o ...
, on the
Cumbrian Coast Line, where services run hourly between
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England.
Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
and
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a town and civil parish in the Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. It is a port on the north-west coast, and lies outside the Lake District National parks of England and Wales, National Park. ...
, with some trains going on to
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is a port town and civil parish (as just "Barrow") in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the county of Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borou ...
and
Lancaster
Lancaster may refer to:
Lands and titles
*The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire
*Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies
*Duke of Lancaster
*Earl of Lancaster
*House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty
...
.
References
{{Reflist
External links
B5300: Silloth to MaryportA sped-up view from the cab of a lorry as it drives down the B5300 from Silloth to Maryport on a rainy day.
Roads in Cumbria