The Solway Firth, a tidal estuary edged by beaches, coves and salt marshes, separates England from Scotland. Awash with wriggling muddy channels of at least 12 rivers and numerous becks and burns, the Solway is a cocktail of freshwater and the salty Irish Sea.
Catching my first glimpse of the glistening Solway as we drove towards the Cumbrian coast, I pointed out landmarks to Anthony, including Criffel, the distinctive Scottish hill, hazy in February sunshine.
Ann Lingard’s book, The Fresh and The Salt, had inspired this trip. Her writing about the Solway encourages readers to look closely at small things as well as the big picture and I had my first chance to try this at the seaside village of Allonby.
In the stiff breeze the sand whipped across my face and I was glad I’d never spent money on expensive exfoliation products. I pulled my gaze away from the immense sky, the long sandy beach and the white-crested waves and looked down. Some time later I had a pocketful of shells, pebbles and a surprising number of old pottery fragments that had taken my fancy.
Away from the shore we admired Allonby’s elegant houses with extravagant flourishes and painted facades, reminders that this was once important for herring fishing and
