Morecambe Bay is a place of big views and big skies. The vast sands and mud flats are nature’s larder for hundreds of thousands of birds, and it is one of the most important places in Britain for birdlife. Alongside this natural splendour the history of the Bay takes us from Stone Age communities to the heyday of the British seaside resort with its Art Deco architecture. Take a stroll, catch the train or ride your bike around this stunning amphitheatre and you’ll see for yourself.
Here's a few things you might not know about the Bay area
1. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and part of the Morecambe Bay Social Area of Conservation, the salt marsh and intertidal flats are a vital feeding ground for a quarter of a million wading birds, ducks and geese.
2. The historic house Leighton Hall, north of Morecambe, is home to the Gillow furniture making dynasty and still home to the family today. The spectacular Bay backdrop makes a visit here extra special. Look out for events including a regular programme of outdoor theatre throughout the summer.
3. Morecambe Winter Gardens is a unique example of a surviving Victorian music hall, built in 1869. Whilst restoration and preservation work is ongoing it is used regularly as a film location and has a programme of events running throughout the year.
4. St Patrick’s Chapel, Heysham is said to have been founded by St Patrick after he was shipwrecked here in the 6th Century. More recently the site featured on
a Black Sabbath album cover.
5. Once the fourth largest slave port in the UK, this part of Lancaster’s darker history is remembered by Sambo’s grave near Sunderland Point. Sambo was a slave or servant who died in 1736 and his grave lies in unconsecrated ground beside the shoreline.
Read more about Morecambe Bay in the 2017 Lancashire Visitor Magazine (below) or order a copy here
.
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