Sandscale Haws

History

The dunes built up over centuries as sand blown from the estuary settled against the coastline, forming one of the more stable dune systems on this stretch of coast. The wider Furness peninsula has a significant medieval heritage. Sandscale Haws later gained recognition as a site of national conservation importance for its dune flora and fauna.

Worth knowing

Sandscale Haws holds one of Britain's largest breeding populations of natterjack toads, an amphibian now confined to only a handful of coastal sites nationally.

Gardens & grounds

The dune slacks and grassland support an unusually rich mix of wildflowers, including several orchid species, at their best in early summer.