It faces the estuary of the River Kent on the north-eastern corner of Morecambe Bay, within the Arnside and SilverdaleArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is overlooked by Arnside Knott, a hill that rises out of the estuary. A detailed account of the wildlife of the Arnside and Silverdale AONB is provided by John Wilson and Peter Lennon.[3] Mammals include red squirrel and otter, breeding birds at the time of publication included the bittern which is still found in the area.
The village has been attractive to visitors since the 19th century but never developed as a traditional seaside resort. Writing in The Local Historian, Caunce describes it as "an unwitting pioneer of eco-tourism", with visitors attracted by the scenery and in particular Arnside Knott.[4]
The civil parish of Arnside includes the hamlet of Far Arnside as well as the village of Arnside. The parish is bordered by the Kent estuary to the north, Morecambe Bay to the west, Silverdale to the south (along the historic Westmorland / Lancashire county boundary), and Beetham to the east ( the eastern boundary following the railway at its north and south, and extending a little further east).[1] The parish has its own parish council, Arnside Parish Council.[9]
With each high tide, the coast of Arnside is subjected to a very fast rising tide. Because of the potential danger warning notices are posted at the pier, and an audible warning is sounded before every high tide (in daylight). The sequence of warnings is:-
Eight sounds on the siren - around 2.25 h before high tide
Eight sounds on the siren - around 1.75 h before high tide
The cause of this fast tide is a combination of the large area of Morecambe Bay, which narrows rapidly at Arnside, plus the second highest tidal range (at Barrow-in-Furness, which can be as much as 32 feet (9.8 m) on a spring tide nearest the spring and autumn equinox: these typically give rise to a tidal bore, which may be as high as 12 inches (30 cm), and are often used by canoeists.[10]
Notable people
Helen Blackler (1902–1981), phycologist, botanical collector and museum curator.
Robert Wilson (1922-1980), first-class cricketer and Royal Air Force officer
^John Wilson and Peter Lennon 'The Wildlife of the Arnside-Silverdale Area' 1978
^ abCaunce, Steven (January 2023). "'Cumbria's secret resort': how Arnside became a pioneer of eco-tourism". The Local Historian. 53 (1): 29–42. Will be available online after 53(2) is published.
