Green Flag Visit 2021
Silloth Green has achieved ‘Green Flag’ status for the last eight years in succession for which we are immensely proud. It would not have been possible without the hard work of our grounds maintenance team and volunteers.
Below is a copy of the route followed during the 2021 Green Flag visit which highlights many of the noteable features on Silloth Green. A copy of the route and directions are included at the bottom of the page as pdf files and can be downloaded and printed off, if you would like to follow the route yourself.
The route begins at the Community Garden (1) which was planted in 2015 and is the official entrance to the Green. The Community Garden is looked after by volunteers of the Friends of Silloth Green and won a number of awards in the Cumbria in Bloom and Britain in Bloom competition. New raised planters have recently been installed with funding obtained by the Friends of Silloth Green.
The Storytelling Chair (2) was built and carved by the Solway Woodcarving Group in Silloth. The huge green oak Storytelling Chair features carvings of heritage features e.g. Pierrots, donkeys, also symbols from events held on Silloth Green such as the Kite Festival and Vintage Rally, and with Neptune carved as the back of the chair to illustrate the Solway Firth connection.
View the Rotary Oak Tree & Picnic Area (3). The Rotary Oak was planted by Silloth-on-Solway Rotary Club to commemorate the centenary of Rotary International 1905-2005. The tree is surrounded by a two-metre stone sett circular paving area, with ‘cog’ edges to resemble a rotary wheel.
Walking along (4) Criffel Street and note the seasonal bedding and planters. Also, the picnic benches which were installed in 2020 to support local businesses as they start to emerge following the pandemic.
Opposite Christ Church, the 1911 Drinking Fountain (5) was presented for public use by the Silloth Ratepayers Association and Improvement Committee. A new standalone bottle filler is to be installed to provide a facility for cyclists and visitors to the town.
The Millennium Mosaic (6) was designed by local school children to celebrate Silloth-on-Solway in 2000. The tiles were made by individual children and other local people to illustrate cherished features of the town and its history.
On Sunday 1 April 2018, to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Royal Air Force, the replica Hudson Bomber (7) was unveiled on Silloth Green, to celebrate the town’s involvement in WW2. Apprentices at Gen2, the Cumbrian training provider at Lillyhall, constructed a replica Lockheed Hudson plane, as one of their projects. The circular raised bed was constructed by our grounds maintenance team and an interpretation panel also added.
The Woodland area (8) near the Edwardian toilets has undergone considerable work by the volunteers and grounds maintenance team, with the planting of a range of wildlife friendly plants, installing bird, bat and insect boxes, sandstone bird baths and log piles etc.
The Edwardian Ladies Toilets (9) were built in 1910 but were disused for many years until the building was restored as part of the Silloth Green project. The building contains many original features and is beautifully detailed.
The grounds maintenance yard (10) is located centrally within the park which enables a quicker response to issues of littering, fly tipping, vandalism, and damage.
There is a recycling facility (11) at the North View Car Park which accepts brown, clear, and green glass, paper, plastics, cans and fabric which is the responsibility of Allerdale Borough Council.
Green waste from the site is transported to the composting facility (12) behind the recycling facility.
Prior to the re-development of the Green, youngsters in Silloth used the old Pines behind the lifeboat station as a make-shift BMX track (13). The track was removed to make way for the Woodland play area now in its place. Subsequently, young people and parents in Silloth approached Silloth Town Council to voice their disappointment at losing the dirt track and made a case for a new facility which was finally opened in December 2013, with youngsters from the BMX group cutting the ribbon.
In days gone by there were a number of grass tennis courts on the Green which were very popular. On Skinburness Road, there are now two hard tennis courts (14) which are regularly used by the public including the newly resurrected tennis club.
Big Fella sculpture (15) created by Ray Lonsdale, was gifted to the town by a Silloth gentleman, who wanted to leave a lasting piece of art for his hometown. Its intention is to make the people of Silloth smile and to brighten their day. The sculpture entitled “Big Fella” is of a man and his dog taking in the beautiful sea views at the end of the day and shielding his eyes from the sun.
The Rose Garden (16) was constructed to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It comprises of an oval planting bed of Cumbrian red sandstone with steps down at the north and south to a sunken path. The Rose Garden was refurbished in 2012 as part of the overall improvements to the Green but the roses did not survive, due to the soil conditions and poor drainage. Extensive work was done to resolve the drainage problems and improvements were made to the soil. A local bee expert Vivian Russell developed plans for a bee friendly garden which was completed in 2015, with the addition of a Bee Hotel. The garden won a number of awards in the Cumbria in Bloom and Britain in Bloom competitions.
The Pagoda (17), thought to have been constructed in the 1850’s, is a dramatic building sitting on the top of a grassy mound overlooking the Solway Firth, with magnificent views over to Criffel and the other Scottish hills. The iconic building has a curved detail to the roof and is largely built of timber, with a central cast iron column supporting the apex of the roof. Internally, the roof is lined with a softwood boarding. Fishtailed Westmorland roof slates add quality detailing. Interpretation panels were installed highlighting features within a view from the Pagoda.
The Pirate Ship play area (18) was installed in 2018, when the need for a play area aimed at 0–5-year-olds was identified. The main feature of the Pirate Ship Play Area is the custom-built ship which has been specially designed to offer many inclusive features and is classified as DDA accessible.
The modern Water Splash Pad (19) replaced the former paddling pool. The new ‘splashpad’ design has a brightly coloured rubberised safety surface, and is laid out with water jets, fountains and sprays that can all be activated by the children pressing buttons. The splash area is a huge hit with youngsters, whose screams of delight can be heard throughout the summer. Parents and children can enjoy a picnic at the solid oak picnic tables next to the splash pad.
The Woodland Play Area (20) was constructed amid the pine trees which provides a welcome recreation area for older children. Again, the area has a number of oak tables for family picnics.
On Sunday 28 May 2018, the Silloth Green Fairy Trail (21) and Wishing Tree was opened. The fairy trail is aimed at encouraging children to explore what the Green has to offer.
The tour ends back at the Community Garden where we began.