Hodbarrow Nature Reserve

Hodbarrow Nature Reserve lies on the Duddon Estuary near Millom in Cumbria. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds runs the site on land once used for haematite iron-ore mining. Floodwater filled the old mine to form Hodbarrow Lagoon, a coastal lagoon surrounded by scrubland. A seawall built in 1905 by John Aird & Co still keeps the sea at bay. The reserve covers 3.28 hectares and sits beside the Lake District National Park. The lagoon is protected as part of the Duddon Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest. It also belongs to the Morecambe Bay and Duddon Estuary Special Protection Area. A project funded by the EU’s LIFE programme added a new island of slag for terns. Hodbarrow supports breeding terns and hosts large winter flocks of wildfowl. Teal, wigeon, coot and mallard appear in big numbers each season. Visitors park near Millom and walk to the seawall. A bird hide on the wall overlooks the lagoon. From the hide, terns and wildfowl can be watched at close range. The scrubland and lagoon edges offer quieter spots for observation. Views stretch across the estuary towards the hills of the Lake District.