Spotlight on: Stanwix Park Holiday Centre

I had always wondered why this Silloth campsite on the Cumbrian coast had a name that didn’t refer to the town, the beach or the nearby Lake District, so I picked up an information leaflet that included the history of the site on our latest visit.

The campsite’s story goes back to WWII, when campers piled onto a train from Carlisle with their tents and erected them in what was known as Stanwix Field. By the 50s, Mr Stanwix was allowing people to put old railway coaches, buses and sheds on the field and the growth of the park began.

You haven’t been able to get a train to Silloth since the 60s and planning regulations for campsites have tightened. Stanwix is now a well-run site with an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a café, bar and entertainment, 10-pin bowling and much more. The campsite has holiday apartments and caravans for rent as well as two separate touring areas.

Although you could spend all your time on site or visit the Lake District National Park, you would miss a beautiful part of the Cumbrian coast. At the very least, take a walk into Silloth for delicious cakes, breakfast or lunch in the magical Fairydust Emporium Café. Any enchantresses in your party will love the fairy bells at every table and everyone will enjoy the friendly welcome and good food.

Silloth’s Motorcycle Museum is another labour of love, packed with memorabilia and run by a man who knows his stuff; it is fascinating.

As the sun goes down, cross the golf course and watch the sun dip into the Solway Firth from the beach and the sand dunes. During the day you can’t beat a walk along Silloth’s level promenade. Along the way, look out for a larger-than-life metal sculpture and the East Cote Lighthouse.

We carried on beyond the promenade and the houses of Skinburness to Grune Point, a 6½-mile walk that took us to the mud flats and salt marshes where geese gather in winter. In sun, we had views across the Solway Firth to Scotland.

Stanwix Park Holiday Centre
Greenrow Meadows, Silloth, Wigton, Cumbria CA7 4HH
01637 830531

This site review first appeared in MMM magazine, Summer 2022 issue, submitted by Carol Kubicki