Tidal Bores of England, Scotland and Wales: Viewing tips and sightseeing ideas

By Kevin Sene

In some estuaries, a spectacular wave travels inland against the water flow on the highest tides. This natural wonder is a tidal bore and, of the hundred or so worldwide, about twenty occur in the UK.

This guide describes why tidal bores occur and ways to improve your chances of seeing one. Viewing tips are provided for ten featured tidal bores from Somerset to southwest Scotland and around the Wash and the Humber Estuary 

The best known is the Severn Bore in Gloucestershire but others include the Trent Aegir in Lincolnshire, the Nith Tidal Bore in Scotland, and the Dee Tidal Bore in Wales. Brief descriptions are also included for more than ten others that occur around the coast of the UK along with insights into how centuries of channel improvements for shipping may have affected the tidal bores in some estuaries.

The featured estuaries lie along some of the most beautiful and interesting stretches of coastline in the UK, which are well worth visiting on a day out. Brief suggestions for places to visit appear throughout the guide, including seaside resorts, nature reserves and tourist attractions, and popular destinations such as Gloucester, Cardiff, Chester, Liverpool, Ulverston, Carlisle, Dumfries, and Hull.

Less well-known sights include picturesque harbours, Roman ruins, sea cliffs, and places to go seal spotting or for a bird’s eye view of the coast. These can all add to the experience on a trip to see a tidal bore, with the chance to learn more about the maritime history and wildlife of an estuary.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Sep 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781800466654

Kevin Sene

Kevin Sene is a scientist and writer on water and climate issues and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He has written technical books on this topic and a travel guide to the Mersey Estuary, which extends from Warrington to Liverpool, Wirral and the coast. His other interests include hillwalking, cycling and photography, particularly in Scotland, the Lake District and Merseyside, and he posts articles on the weather, wildlife, estuaries, writing and photography at www.meteowriter.com.

Book preview

9781800466654.jpg

Copyright © 2021 Kevin Sene

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

All photographs © Kevin Sene unless otherwise stated.

Maps contain Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right (2021).

Maps are indicative only; please refer to OS maps for more details.

Matador®

9 Priory Business Park,

Wistow Road, Kibworth Beauchamp,

Leicestershire. LE8 0RX

Tel: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Web: www.troubador.co.uk/matador

Twitter: @matadorbooks

ISBN 978 1800466 654

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Matador® is an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd

IMPORTANT ADVICE

Although the author and publisher have taken all reasonable care in preparing this guide, we make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the information and advice contained and cannot accept any responsibility for any accident, injury, trespass, inconvenience, loss or damage from its use. Before travelling, readers should check opening times and travel details and note that all outdoor activities are at their own risk and require a reasonable level of fitness; see later for safety tips. We would be grateful to know of any errors or out-of-date information.

Acknowledgements

Author, design and layout: Kevin Sene

www.meteowriter.com

Copy editing: Helen Fazal

Cover

Design: Megan Lockwood-Jones

Image: Leven Tidal Bore at Canal Foot

Cartography: Kevin Sene

Maps contain Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right (2021)

About the author

Kevin Sene is a scientist and writer on water and climate themes. His interest in tidal bores was sparked by research and consultancy work on hydraulic modelling for rivers and industrial applications, and a trip to see the Severn Bore many years ago. He has published travel guides to the Mersey Estuary in Liverpool, Wirral and Cheshire and the coast of Cumbria and the Lake District, which describe places to visit and the history and wildlife of these areas. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and has worked extensively in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Credits

All photographs and images are by the author, except for the image of the Mean Spring Tidal Range from the marine consultancy and survey company ABPmer and of the Wiggenhall Wave, which was kindly provided by Kevin Holland.

Much has been written about tidal bores and the Further information sections in each chapter list sources that were particularly useful. In addition to books, reports and scientific papers, other useful sources included online videos, webpages, forums, and port and navigation guides. Where possible, original sources are cited, although we apologise if there have been any unintentional errors.

Several people kindly looked through excerpts of text on specific tidal bores, including:

•Rob Bridges (Arnside, Ribble and Wyre tidal bores)

•Caerlaverock Community Association – Jane and Malcolm (Nith Tidal Bore)

•Richard Ghorbal (Mersey Tidal Bore)

•Kevin Holland (Wiggenhall Wave)

•Landscape Trust / Arnside and Silverdale AONB – Mike Warren (Arnside Bore)

•Ann Lingard (Solway Bore)

•Angus Townley (Trent Aegir)

Apologies for any unintentional errors in interpreting the comments received.

Thanks also to Helen Fazal for her excellent copyediting skills and Lindsay Martindale for help with proof reading. Also, to Megan Lockwood-Jones, Andrea Johnson and colleagues at Troubador Publishing who were a great help in guiding the book through to publication.

Author website

If you are interested to find out more about this book and others by the same author, please see www.meteowriter.com. This includes links to higher resolution versions of selected photographs for editorial and personal use, and blog posts on a range of coastal and estuary topics. If you have found this book useful and would like to leave a review, please consider using Goodreads (www.goodreads.com) or the retailer’s website.

OTHER BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR

THE MERSEY ESTUARY: A TRAVEL GUIDE

A guide to places to visit and the history and wildlife of the Mersey Estuary in Liverpool, Wirral and Cheshire, including nature reserves, medieval buildings and places for a bird’s eye view. Topics include the Mersey Ferry and Liverpool’s spectacular waterfront. With stunning colour photographs, The Mersey Estuary: A Travel Guide is a must-read for travellers to the area and local residents alike.

"A bumper packed travel guide with handy listings to help you tailor a trip to suit your interests. Highly recommended travel guide."

– Michelle Lamude/Touring Tales (www.touringtales.co.uk)

"This is highly recommended for anyone looking to visit the area and for local residents looking to learn more about what the Mersey has to offer them."

– Darren Jackson, Goodreads review (www.goodreads.com)

The guide is available as a paperback and ebook from Troubador Publishing (www.troubador.co.uk) and most retailers.

THE CUMBRIA AND LAKE DISTRICT COAST

The coastline of Cumbria stretches from Morecambe Bay to the Solway Firth and passes through the beautiful Lake District National Park. Visitor attractions include picturesque harbours, stately homes, museums and seaside resorts, plus many less well-known sights such as stone circles and reminders of the Roman Empire.

This guide suggests places to visit along the coast which will interest tourists, coastal walkers and local residents alike. The Lancashire shores of Morecambe Bay and the Scottish shores of the Solway Firth are included too. Highlights include:

•Places to visit from Fleetwood to the Mull of Galloway

•Sights in Lancaster, Ulverston, Ravenglass, Maryport, Carlisle and Dumfries

•The Roman coastal defences beyond Hadrian’s Wall

•Hidden gems such as tidal bores, lighthouses and medieval buildings

•Sea cliffs, beaches and nature reserves around the coastline

•Tips on where to see barnacle geese, seals and ospreys

•Source-to-sea descriptions of Cumbrian rivers

•Superb photographs of estuaries, wildlife and coastal views

The book is available as a paperback from Troubador Publishing (www.troubador.co.uk) and most retailers.

Contents

1 Introduction

1.1 Background

1.2 About this guide

1.3 What is a tidal bore?

1.4 International examples

1.5 Viewing tidal bores

1.6 What causes the tides?

1.7 Finding out tide times

1.8 Other coastal and estuary attractions

1.9 Water safety

2 Severn Estuary/Bristol Channel

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Tidal bores

2.3 Coastal and estuary sights

3 Liverpool Bay

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Tidal bores

3.3 Coastal and estuary sights

4 Morecambe Bay

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Tidal bores

4.3 Coastal and estuary sights

5 Solway Firth

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Tidal bores

5.3 Coastal and estuary sights

6 Humber Estuary/The Wash

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Tidal bores

6.3 Coastal and estuary sights

1

Introduction

1.1 Background

In some estuaries, a spectacular wave travels inland against the water flow on the highest tides. This unusual sight is a tidal bore. Often the first sign is a line of surf in the distance as the sands and mudflats are covered by the incoming tide.

Of the hundred or so worldwide, about twenty occur in the UK. On the west coast, they are found from Somerset to southwest Scotland while in the east they occur around the Wash and the Humber Estuary. This is due to the unusually large tidal range in these areas, meaning that vast volumes of water are funnelled inland as the tide rises. Some travel far upstream, such as the Mersey’s tidal bore, which begins near Liverpool and ends in Warrington, more than twenty miles from the coast.

The largest and best known is the Severn Bore. On the highest tides, the tidal range reaches about 15 metres in the Severn Estuary, which is exceeded only in two locations in Canada. The wave is sometimes more than two metres high and reaches speeds of more than 10mph. In the right conditions, it attracts large crowds of spectators, along with surfers and canoeists. When the highest waves are expected, there is sometimes quite a spectacle, with helicopter film crews and support boats following the wave upstream. The surfing record stands at more than seven miles for a continuous ride.

Surfers on the Severn Bore

Elsewhere people are drawn simply to watch one of nature’s wonders, often against a backdrop of spectacular estuary scenery. The power and noise of the flow can be most impressive to see. Other well-known UK examples include the Trent Aegir in Lincolnshire, the Nith Tidal Bore in Dumfries & Galloway, and the Arnside Bore in Cumbria.

The chances of seeing a tidal bore depend on several factors, including the tidal conditions, the river flow and the weather. As with other natural phenomena such as the Northern Lights, it is best to travel in hope when trying to see one but to have a backup plan in case conditions aren’t quite right.

One great alternative is to explore the surrounding area, and the estuaries featured in this guide lie along some of the most interesting and beautiful stretches of coastline in England, Scotland and Wales. Even better, why not plan some local sightseeing when making a trip to see a tidal bore?

Ideas for places to visit appear throughout this guide and include popular destinations such as Gloucester, Cardiff, Chester, Liverpool, Ulverston, Carlisle, Dumfries, and Hull. Less well-known sights include picturesque harbours, Roman ruins, sea cliffs, and places to go seal spotting or for a bird’s eye view of the coast. These can all add to the experience, with the chance to learn more about the maritime history and wildlife of an estuary.

1.2 About this guide

This guide describes why tidal bores occur and ways to improve your chances of seeing one. It also suggests places to visit nearby, such as nature reserves, seaside resorts, coastal cities and historic ports, castles and lighthouses.

It begins with some key factors to consider when viewing tidal bores, including where to find information on tide times. There are also insights into the maritime history and wildlife of the UK’s estuaries and tips on water safety and birdwatching. Tidal bores in other countries are described too, with examples from Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Piel Castle in Cumbria

The main part of the guide gives more detailed descriptions for the following ten tidal bores, which for convenience are grouped into five coastal areas:

•Severn Estuary/Bristol Channel: Severn Bore, Parrett Tidal Bore