Seascale

Seascale is a village on the Irish Sea coastline in Cumbria, in the north-west of England.

Understand

• Visit Cumbria tourist information

Get in

The Seascale railways station, with the iconic water tower to the right.

The easiest way to reach Seascale is by train. The village has a single station, 1 Seascale . On the railway line between Barrow-in-Furness and Carlisle, the journey along the coastline is quite scenic. Travel time from London is about 5 hours on the fastest trains.

Neighbouring Ravenglass is two stops south on the line from Carlisle and also has a narrow gauge railway to Eskdale.

Get around

The historic centre and tourist areas of Seascale are relatively small and can easily be traversed by foot.

See

The water tower

• 1 Seascale Hall. An early 18th-century farmhouse extended in the 19th century with the addition of a north range. It is built in a roughcast stone with ashlar dressings and covered with a slate roof typical for the area. The building has 2 storeys, with the original part consisting of a symmetrical front of five bays, with the gable end of the extension forming a 6th bay. The doorway is rather unique for Seascale, with a moulded architrave, pulvinated frieze, and a fanlight. The windows are cross-mullioned with hood moulds. The rear is an outshut, with a gabled bay, and a gabled stair bay. The north range has a front of 4 bays, and 3 datestones on the building. (updated Jul 2019)
• 2 Old water tower, Gosforth Rd. 24/7. A 19th century water tower built for the Furness Railway Company, standing in the middle of what was once its goods yard. The stone tower has a corbelled-out conical slate roof with a finial, has three stages, and features mullioned windows. The south side entrance has a shouldered lintel. Free. (updated Jul 2019)
• 3 St Cuthbert's Church, 13 Green Cl. A sandstone church with a slate roof and coped gables, built in the 1890s after a design of C.J. Ferguson. The church as a nave and a chancel in a single vessel, a south porch, and a north vestry. Characteristic is the gabled bellcote at the west end. (updated Jul 2019)
• War memorial. (updated Nov 2020)
• 4 Ravenglass Railway Museum. See the history of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway. free. (updated Nov 2020)
• 5 Muncaster Castle (7 miles southwest from Seascale). Castle dating back to the 14th century, remodelled in the 1860s, with gardens and a Hawk & Owl centre. (updated Nov 2020)
• 6 Ravenglass Roman Bath House. daylight hours. Ruins that were part of a 2nd-century Roman fort and naval base. free. (updated Dec 2020)

Do

• Bowfell and Crinkle Crags for a walk
• enjoy the beach of Seascale
• Seascale Golf Club

Buy

There is a 1 Co-op in the village centre, selling assorted food and drinks, and travel essentials.

Sleep

• 1 Keld Green House, The Banks, CA20 1QR, ☏ +441946758424. A house converted into a hotel with only a few rooms. No reception, restaurant, or other hotel amenities, but simply well equipped rooms with comfortable beds and private bathrooms. No internet access. Breakfast is in a restaurant at the waterfront. £76.50. (updated Jul 2019)

Connect

There is cellular connectivity available in Seascale, but the reception is rather poor and data transfers are slow.

Go next

• Workington — port city with a rich industrial heritage
• Cockermouth — historic market town at the edge of the Lake District
• Keswick — beautiful town in the middle of the Lake District