Silverdale Tourist Information

Silverdale is one of the charming Lancashire villages which line the north end of Morecambe Bay on the border with Cumbria. At the last census the population of Silverdale stood at 1,545.

Silverdale is in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and several local areas are protected by the National Trust. It once stood on the River Kent but in the 1920s the river altered its natural course and is now four miles away. It is hard to imagine that steamers once ran up a deep-water channel to Silverdale!

One of the well-known features at Silverdale is the Leeds Children's Holiday Camp Association, a charity which provides holidays for needy children at the Silverdale Holiday Centre which overlooks Morecambe Bay. Many Silverdale residents support this local charity with numerous fundraising events.

Present Day Silverdale

Silverdale village has narrow winding lanes with glorious mountain and coastal views in all directions. There is a village store, a craft shop and an excellent pub. A doctor's surgery, part-time library and a fire station complete the local services.

The small village is large on community activities which take place in the Gaskell Memorial Hall. The Silverdale Village Players perform plays and an annual pantomime, there is a Women's Institute and the Silverdale Handbell Ringers were founded in 1906 and continue to be popular.

The village has a bowling and cricket club and the Silverdale Golf Club, founded as a 9-hole course in 1906, has recently been extended to a full 18-hole course for keen golfers to enjoy.

Silverdale has a primary school housed in a Victorian School building and a special school, Bleasdale House, for children with profound learning difficulties.

The lovely Parish Church is dedicated to St John and was built in 1885. It is now a Grade II listed building.

Silverdale even has its own railway station making it easy for visitors and residents to get to Lancaster or Barrow-in-Furness for great days out.

Things to do in Silverdale

The main attraction to Silverdale is its beach which is made up of small sandy coves and extensive mud flats at low tide.

Walkers will enjoy the coastal footpath from Silverdale to Freckleton and the nearby Cumbria Coastal Way runs over the Scottish border to Gretna. It is the ideal area for hikers, bikers and those who enjoy nature and outdoor activities.

Silverdale is within easy reach of Carnforth for shopping and restaurants and eight miles from the historic city of Lancaster with its historic jail and courthouse.

For birdwatchers, the Leighton Moss RSPB Nature Reserve is just outside the village. It is a good place to spot rare bitterns and reedlings which normally breed in East Anglia.

Elizabeth Gaskell tops the list of famous residents as she frequently holidayed in the village and wrote some of her novels in Lindeth Tower. The Gaskell Memorial Hall is named after her. Gordon Bottomley, an English poet, lived in Silverdale in the early 20th century and Charlotte Bronte visited as a young girl.

Silverdale is also the setting for the Francis McNeil novel Sixpence in her Shoe which makes reference to the Leeds Children's Holiday Camp.