Gents Mag 1748 p.5

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	Gentleman's Magazine 1748 p.5 The land was now high again, but skirted with low, benty ground for rabbet warrens, with which the whole coast from the Grune abounds; but makes a very bad appearance, because the eye is presently taken off by the height of the banks on your left hand, which of themselves form a very indifferent landskip. I had now lost Skiddow and Burnswark, Criffield only remainded on the Scotch shore, but the Isle of Man was visible enough, tho' the horizon was hazy, and the sea very rough. At Harrington salt-pans, and before, the coast from bad grew worse and worse; the rocks, or stones equal to rocks, grew insupportable for either horse or foot. I order'd the horses up land at foot-ways cut from the pans along very steep, rocky brows, finding the coast now impracticable for riding, and walk'd under the shocking precipices, where no mortal could have gone in spring tides, because the sea washes them to a great height. The sea was then full and stormy, and I often felt its sprinklings, broke into drops by the violent shock upon the low rocks, on whose top was all the path we had. Both Harrington salt-pans, which are now wrought, and the old ones of Leuco, which are tumbling into ruins every spring tide, are shockingly situated. After a fine coast and inland, we came to Whitehaven, which is a thriving and well-built town; it exceeds Carlisle in extent about ⅓, but is thrice as populous. The streets are extremely straight and regular in most places; there is a general appearance of industry amongst the inhabitants, and the hurry and bustle which accompanies their trade seems to be natural and easy. The vast supply of coals in this neighbourhood has rais'd this port from a fishing town to be the next after Bristol and Leverpool on the west sea, and the roads leading to it are equal to the best turnpikes about London, and are every-day improving, and carrying forward. Its situation is low in comparison of the great height of the coast on all side of it, and the harbour barricado'd with several piers to bridle the fury of the west winds, to which it is greatly expos'd. Here the country puts on a much better appearance, and a fine vale encircles Bees-head from Whitehaven to the little brook below Sea-cote, full of pleasant villages, and country seats; so that if you have no accident by the way in so long a journey, you will not repent visiting Whitehaven. There is a small fort at the outer pier, to command the harbour, of no great strength by situation; there seems wanting a lower battery on the pier itself. On the 30th we reached Bees-head, where is a light-house, but, in my opinion, the cradle is too much sunk within the battlements to afford a serviceable light to sailors; the point indeed is so prodigiously exposed, that a greater elevation would occasion a far greater consumption of fire; but coals are so plentiful in this neighbourhood, the expence ought not to be regarded, as 'tis the first land that sailors from the west endeavour to make. They compute it 10 leagues from this promontory to the Isle of Man, I make it more by connecting of triangles, to the Paps of Man, whither I took my aim. The town or village of St Bees is pleasantly situated in a vale, where they suppose the sea formerly flowed; here is a good free-school, and a fine retreat for youth; it is equal to several market towns in bigness, but the market of Whitehaven has attracted the business, and left St Bees a village only. From hence we found the sand and shingle very loose and chaffy, which occasions great labour to the traveller till we came to the Caldar, a stream running, thro' very romantic prospects, into the sea, without any harbour. At about a mile distant from Caldar mouth is a very dangerous rock, only seen at extreme low ebbs. It is called Drig-rock and in the course of seven years has only been observed twice. Here is abundance of all kinds of crabs and lobsters, and other testaceous fish, and the largest oysters of Britain. (To be continued)
	continued
	see 1748 p.205
	gazetteer links
	-- "Caldar, River" -- Calder, River
	-- (coasts, Cumbria)
	-- "Drig Rock" -- Drigg Rock
	-- (salt pans, Harrington)
	-- (salt pans, Lowca)
	-- St Bees Lighthouse
	-- St Bees
	-- Whitehaven

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