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Ravenglass,
lies between Whitehaven and Barrow-in-Furness.
Set on
the estuary of the Rivers Esk, Mite and Irt, it is the only
coastal village in the Lake District.
In the
2nd century Ravenglass was an important Roman naval base.
Little remains of the Roman port, known as 'Glannaventa',
apart from a remarkable bath house, known as 'Walls Castle'.
Ravenglass's main street is paved with sea cobbles from its
shingle beach.
To the
north lies the Drigg Dunes and Irt Estuary Nature Reserve,
home of a colony of black headed gulls.
The popular
Ravenglass & Eskdale Narrow Gauge Steam Railway, known as
'La'al Ratty', terminates at Ravenglass. England's oldest
steam narrow gauge railway, this was built in 1875 to transport
iron ore from Eskdale. The station boasts a museum, workshops
and the Ratty Arms pub (the old Furness Railway station).
A trip along the 7 mile line takes visitors through one of
the most beautiful valleys in the Lake District, passing Scafell
Pike the highest peak in England.
Just
south of Ravenglass stands Munster Castle, Gardens and Owl
Centre.
To the
north is Sellafield, the BNFl nuclear reprocessing plant,
near Seascale. The Visitor's Centre here is open all year
(except 25 December) with free entrance.
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the internet holiday and travel guide to the UK
Ravenglass
Muncaster
Castle 1
mile south-east of Ravenglass on A595 noted for its wonderful
setting, its gardens and its collections. The house stands on
an outcrop of rock near the mouth of the River Esk. The house
contains silver, furniture, needlework panels, oriental rugs
and tapestries. The castle is possibly one of the most haunted
places in England !. 77 acres of woodland gardens, MeadowVole
Maze, Owl Centre. 
