Hodbarrow

Sketch map: Hodbarrow

Hodbarrow is an RSPB reserve in the top left-hand corner of Morecambe Bay next to the Duddon Estuary, made up of a coastal lagoon and some rolling seaside grasslands by the old ironworks. The scenery by itself makes it a nice walk but the main attraction in Summer is the tern colony nesting in the shingles by the lighthouse, including common, Sandwich and little terns.

Hodbarrow, looking inland from the lighthouse over the shingle beach

Hodbarrow's just over a mile outside Millom. Millom Station's on the Barrow to Carlisle line with trains generally every two hours (the schedule can be a bit irregular and seems to change with every new season's timetable so it's a good idea to check times beforehand). Leaving the station, head South down St. George's Road and just follow the road down and you'll get to the car park entrance to Hodbarrow. 

Hodbarrow, looking over the lagoon towards the old ironworks

There's a circular path that takes you around the lagoon through the grasslands, past the lighthouse and on to the marina by the caravan park on the North side. There are a few paths and by-ways you can explore around the ironworks, well worth a nosy round for butterflies and orchids. As you walk along the main path you get views of the lagoon and the chance to get your eye in with the waterfowl and check out the margins for common sandpipers. 

Sandwich tern

You'll start to see gulls and terns coming in as you approach the barrier that makes the seaward margin of the lagoon. There's a hide near the lighthouse which gives you an excellent view of the shingle beach where the terns nest. The most obvious are the blocks of Sandwich terns, with common terns scattered about more lightly. If they're settled and not flying about the little terns are much harder to spot, it's unnerving just how easily they merge into the white shingles. Have a look out over the water for eiders and red-breasted mergansers amongst the Canada geese and tufties. 

Little tern

Eiders

While you're here, make sure to have a scan out over the estuary to see what's about and the views over to Sandscale are good on a fine day.

Continuing down the path towards the marina you'll see more gulls. Herring gulls and lesser black-backs nest on the wall jutting out into the lagoon and there may be a family of great black-backs making everyone feel nervous.

Millom from Hodbarrow

Once you've reached the marina you can carry on clockwise, going through the holiday village until you reach the road back into Millom. Alternatively you can turn left then take the next right and go into Millom by Haverigg Road, over the railway and turn right and down onto the main road down to the station.

If you can make the train timetables work for you Hodbarrow's an excellent Midsummer day out. (I've not yet managed to get the Winter timetable to work for me and the pandemic restrictions have stopped me giving it another go. It should be good for ducks and waders so it's firmly on my wish list.)