Silloth Green awarded the coveted Green Flag Award as it is officially recognised as one of the country’s best parks

In a record-breaking year Silloth Green is raising its prestigious Green Flag Award for the 10^th year in a row

Today, Silloth-on-Solway Town Council is celebrating after receiving a Green Flag Award for Silloth Green for the 10^th year in succession, one of 2208 UK winners. Silloth Green is the only park in Allerdale to be awarded a Green Flag Award and joins only four other green spaces awarded recognition in the whole of Cumbria.

The award is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

After two years that have seen our parks and green spaces play a vital role for people through lockdowns as a place to relax, exercise and meet friends and family safely, the news that Silloth Green has achieved the Green Flag Award is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team that make the green space a great space that everyone can enjoy.

Councillor Mark Orchard, Mayor of Silloth said:

“Once again, we are extremely proud to announce that Silloth on Solway has been awarded the Green Flag. This is the tenth consecutive year we have achieved this prestigious award.

Lead by our very own grounds maintenance team alongside the many volunteers that work tirelessly week in week out whatever the weather. Together we have yet again maintained the high standard required to achieve the Green Flag Award.

We have a huge increase in visitors year on year.  Our large manicured open spaces and seasonal floral displays along with our community garden and more to enjoy really keep Silloth on Solway well and truly on the map.

Thank you to everyone who has helped achieve this yet again for Silloth. Every little helps in our community and this shows what a fantastic little town we have which is why so many of us choose to live, work and visit here.”

Silloth Green is one of the largest village greens in the North of England. It boasts spectacular views over the Solway Firth to Criffel and the Caerlaverock Hills in the North, and the Lake District to the South. The Green forms a green link between Silloth’s grand Victorian townscape and the sea front promenade, for many years attracting visitors seeking fresh sea air and recreational facilities.

After extensive refurbishment work, Silloth Green now boasts a modern Water Splash play area, a woodland adventure play area and a BMX track. There’s also a Pirate Ship Play Area, next to the Water Splash Park, for children aged 0-5 years. Another popular attraction is the ‘Big Fella’ sculpture created by artist Ray Lonsdale and gifted to the town by a local resident to make people smile.

Beautiful oak picnic tables and benches are to be found in various locations, with accessible footpaths linking the various features. Along Criffel Street, some Victorian style lighting was installed, in-keeping with the heritage of the town. The Edwardian ladies’ toilets built in 1910 and the spectacular Victorian pagoda overlooking the sea were also sympathetically refurbished.

The Community Garden, situated on the corner of Criffel Street and Lawn Terrace was opened in May 2014 and is cared for by the volunteers of the Friends of Silloth Green.  It provides a vibrant entrance to Silloth Green and a pleasant place to sit and watch the world go by.  Friends of Silloth Green are a very active group and volunteers meet on a weekly basis to help with the maintenance of the Green and have been instrumental in obtaining funding for various projects on the Green.

The Heritage Rose and Bee Garden is situated closer to the sea, with a bee hotel in the middle of a striking display of rose bushes, plants and shrubs which have created a haven for the local bee and butterfly population, again cared for by dedicated volunteers.

Silloth Green plays host to several popular events which draw in crowds of visitors to the town. This year a new Spring into Silloth was held in May and a Platinum Jubilee event in June. We saw the return of the Silloth Pride event in June and the Solway Coast Cycling Festival in July. Forthcoming events include Soul on the Green in July, the Mega Carnival Weekend in August, and the Silloth Music & Beer Festival in September. Circus Montini will be visiting the town in August which will provide some welcome entertainment.

During 2021/22, access to the car park on Skinburness Road near the ‘Big Fella’ was improved using funding from Cumbria County Council and some additional picnic tables have been provided. An area within the Community Garden was also resurfaced. A Platinum Jubilee bed was planted with new trees as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, with help from the Friends of Silloth Green and the local brownies, rainbows and guides.

Silloth Green will see the addition of a new modular Changing Places facility. Changing Places are more than a standard accessible toilet because they offer more specialist equipment that meets the needs of individuals with profound and complex disabilities who cannot use the toilet independently. Following a successful bid for funding by Allerdale Borough Council, Silloth has been awarded a share of some Government Funding for a Changing Places facility. Additional funding has also been secured from the Lottery Awards for All and from the Hellrigg Community Benefit Fund.

Commenting on Silloth Green’s success, Councillor Bill Jefferson O.B.E., Chair of the Parks Committee added:

“Silloth on Solway, with the Green at its heart is one of the finest examples in Britain of what a small, dedicated community can achieve when they come together to keep their town, not only alive but thriving, in a world class setting with sunsets to die for. No longer a hidden jewel, we are back where we belong after being cut off from the outside world by the loss of our railway line in 1964. Well done to generations of organisations, volunteers and individuals who have kept on going for so long. I am over the moon we have made Green Flag ten in a row. Thank you all.”

Commenting on the news that Silloth Green has met the Green Flag Award standard, Keep Britain Tidy’s Accreditation Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making Silloth Green worthy of a Green Flag Award.

“Silloth Green is a vital green space for the community in Cumbria. This award is testament to all the hard work of staff and volunteers, who do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

A full list of Green Flag Award-winning parks and green spaces is available here