Status
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Access
IMPORTANT If the flag is flying, firing is taking place on the gun range and there is no access to the reserve. PLEASE RING THE GUN RANGE ON 01229 712200 BEFORE VISITING TO CHECK IF THE RESERVE IS OPEN. The public footpath leading to the reserve entrance can be very muddy and slippery. There are a number of un-marked paths around the reserve (circular walk 4km/2.5 miles)
Directions
By car From the A595 at Waberthwaite, take the minor road through the village and continue for a further 2.3km/1.4 miles. Under the viaduct, the road swings left. Park here on the left hand side. At high tides, this route may not be passable, in which case approach from Bootle village. In the village, take the minor road signed for Bootle Station. Follow the road to the coast then turn north and continue for a further 3.7km/2.3 miles. Park just before the viaduct on the right hand side. The reserve is then accessed via a field gate.
By bicycle The reserve is 16 km/9.5 miles from National Route 72 (Hadrian's Cycleway)
By public transport Trains run from Whitehaven and Millom to Ravenglass/Bootle Station. Buses run from Egremont, Gosforth and Seascale to Ravenglass.
Please select a nature reserve from the list below to see more details: Alternatively, you can browse through all the reserves by using this search facility and clicking on one of the links which appear below:
Eskmeals Dunes
What to expect on the nature reserve: habitat, wildlife and more (hover over an icon for more info)
Seasonal highlights on the nature reserve
Spring
Plants: flowering thrift, heartsease pansy and common twayblade,
Birds: common sandpiper on migrations.
Amphibians: calling natterjack toad and spawning great crested newt
Summer
Plants: flowering sea lavender, field scabious and ragged robin.
Birds: breeding skylark and wheatear.
Orchids: pyramidal
Butterflies and moths: grayling butterfly, dark green fritillary, burnet moth
Autumn
Birds: migrating pink footed geese and whooper swan. Little egret and kinfisher.
Mammals: fox and roe deer.
Winter
Birds: wigeon, teal, redshank, red breasted merganser and goldeneye. flocks of linnet and hunting merlin.
All year
Birds: ringed plover, oystercatcher
Mammals: otter
Restrictions
Not in use when gun range in use and flag flying
General
Eskmeals Dunes formed thousands of years ago as a shingle spit at the mouth of the river Esk. This was subsequently covered in shell sand. The roots of marram grass bind the sand and prevent it all being blown away, however where this has occurred 'fossilised' shingle ridges are revealed.
What to see
The sand, shingle and saltmarsh of the nature reserve provide habitat for over 300 species of plant. Specialities of the dune grassland include heart's ease pansy, wild thyme, lady's bedstraw, and Portland spurge. Pyramidal, bee and northern marsh orchids also occur. Non-native sea buckthorn, planted in the 1950s to stabilise the dunes, is gradually being removed from the nature reserve.
Areas of saltmarsh have sea lavender, thrift, sea purslane and glasswort. The profusion of flowers attracts a variety of insects and in summer dark green fritillary, gatekeeper, common blue and meadow brown butterflies are common. The nature reserve is grazed by domestic stock to maintain this diversity and rabbits also play an important part in maintaining short turf. This provides ideal hunting habitat for the rare natterjack toad which breeds in small ponds on the nature reserve.
The estuary is a valuable feeding area for wading birds such as curlew and oystercatcher and in the winter other birds such as wigeon and goldeneye arrive from further north to feed. Stonechat, grey partridge and skylark breed on the nature reserve itself.
Recent History
Eskmeals Dunes is leased by Cumbria Wildlife Trust from the Ministry of Defence and has been a nature reserve since 1970.
Find us on
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
Registered in England as Cumbria Wildlife Trust Limited,
a Company Limited by Guarantee No. 724133.
Registered Charity No. 218711.
General
Areas of saltmarsh have sea lavender, thrift, sea purslane and glasswort. The profusion of flowers attracts a variety of insects and in summer dark green fritillary, gatekeeper, common blue and meadow brown butterflies are common. The nature reserve is grazed by domestic stock to maintain this diversity and rabbits also play an important part in maintaining short turf. This provides ideal hunting habitat for the rare natterjack toad which breeds in small ponds on the nature reserve.
