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Silverdale Cove

Start from the car park (honesty box) at the end of Shore Road. Park carefully as the highest tides can cover the car park.

Within the car park is a spring, Bard Well, which was covered when the car park was first built, but after water forced a way through the rubble it was edged with stones.

Walk north below low limestone cliffs.

THE SILVERDALE CLIFFS

On the right just as The Cove is reached, lies the deep red gash of Red Rake. This was once tunnelled by miners in search of copper and haematite. The entrance has since collapsed, but the site is interesting to geologists. Erosion of the turf has exposed some metal posts of uncertain origin.

On the opposite side of the Cove is a black circular hole in the cliffs, a conspicuous landmark which invites a scramble into its interior. It is a phreatic cave, originally worn by underground water pressure when the water level was higher, and has possibly been enlarged by human activity.

The most interesting of the Silverdale caves lies about 100m further north along the cliffs. Its entrance is a low porch, just about head high and in wet weather it is guarded by a shallow pool. Inside the roof is higher and the cave can be explored with a torch. A tall, narrow rift leads on, past a small rock scramble to end in a small chamber.