St Bees on the Cumbrian coast just south of Whitehaven, is a sizeable village, the resident population of about 2,000 swelled by the visitors who come throughout the year to enjoy a unique location. The name St Bees is a corruption of St Bega’s, Bega being the nun who fled here across the Irish sea, escaping a threatened forced marriage to a Norse chieftain. She founded a nunnery in the village. The Norman priory built in the 12th century used the same site, and lasted until Henry VIII’s dissolution of the religious orders in 1539. Only the church remains, its strange admixture of styles an education in English church architecture: Perpendicular; early English, Gothic, Norman, and even a remnant of Saxon in one carved lintel. While Henry VIII’s reign saw one church institution destroyed, his daughter Elizabeth’s saw the birth of another, St Bees School. This was founded by St Bees-born Archbishop of Canterbury Edmund Grindal in 1583, the year he died, suspended and shunned by the monarch for unwisely gainsaying her. The co-educational independent school still uses the Elizabethan wing, and alumni who have walked it corridors include Fletcher Christian and Rowan Atkinson. The location of St Bees is spectacular with its twin headlands and cliffs; its pebbly beach and promenade enjoyed by children and adults alike. The cliffs are largely an RSPB reserve, an important site for sea-bird colonies: among many species to be seen at St Bees are kittiwakes, razor bills, and puffins, the latter in particular enjoying the fish that once provided the village with its main income, and still offers great sport for visitors. These days many of the residents of St Bees are employed at Sellafield, the growth of which has seen many technical and managerial staff move to the village. This is a trend reminiscent of the Victorian era when many engineers and other professionals serving Whitehaven and Workington built large houses in the settlement after the arrival of the railway in 1849. Being a dormitory village and a resort means that St Bees enjoys good amenities, and it makes a fine starting point or end point in the coast to coast walk laid out by Wainwright, or for the less restless a quiet seaside sojourn amid beautiful surroundings.
Attraction
Cottage
Golf Club
Holiday Park
Seacote Holiday Park
Seacote Park
Pub and Bar
Manor House Hotel
Oddfellows Arms
Restaurant
Manor House Hotel
Oddfellows Arms
School
Shops
Places to Stay near St Bees
Manor House Hotel (0.14 miles)
The Manor House Hotel is situated in the heart of the beautiful seaside village St. Bees. Our location is ideal for walking (the start of the Coast to Coast walk ... More
Ellerbeck Manor (1.62 miles)
Ennerdale Country House Htl (3.26 miles)
The luxury of this hotel makes it an ideal base both for families and those seeking an enjoyable romantic weekend Whether you are visiting the area on business or pleasure you ... More
Tarnside Park (4.03 miles)
Click here to book this Holiday Park with Hoseasons
Enjoying a delightful, convenient location on the edge of the breathtaking Lake District National Park, Tarnside Park surrounds a freshwater tarn, with fishing available. Located in ... More | visit website
White Mare (4.34 miles)
Accommodation is available 7 days a week, while the ... More | visit website
Royal Oak (4.52 miles)
Inglewood Guest House (4.60 miles)
Sella Park House Hotel (5.48 miles)
A 16th Centuary Hotel located within 6 acres of mature gardens and riverside location in the heart of the Western Lake District.The traditional Priory Restaurant uses only the best locally ... More
Premier Inn Whitehaven (6.06 miles)
Rowrah Hall (6.71 miles)
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