Earnse Bay (Cumbria)

Earnse Bay, also known as West Shore, is a sand and shingle beach on the western side of Walney Island near Barrow-in-Furness.

The beach boasts panoramic views of the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man and the Lake District mountains, with wind farms in the foreground. This open sandy beach is a popular spot for fishing, windsurfing and kitesurfing and is used as a venue for national kitesurfing championships. Its western coast is exposed to the Irish Sea, meaning it’s a windy spot and faces in precisely the right direction for the UK’s predominant winds. Couple that with the flat water lagoons that form once the tide goes out, and you’ve got the perfect beach for wind/kitesurfing.

The beach is also backed by grass and an extensive sand dune system forming a nature reserve to the north.