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AboutCurrent concerns and initiatives AboutSome Basic Facts about the Duddon The Duddon is a large sandy estuary lying between Morecambe Bay and the West Cumbrian coast. It opens into the Irish Sea just north of Barrow. A total length of shoreline of 45 kms encloses a total area of 3500 ha. making it the second largest estuary in Cumbria after the Solway Firth.
The Estuary is broad inlet with hills on either side forming the western boundary of Furness. While mainly long and narrow, it widens considerably at the seaward end with the landscape merging northwards into the coastal plain, southward into Walney Island and westwards into the sea itself. The main elements in the landscape are the intertidal areas, the defining hills, and extensive dunes at Sandscale Haws and Haverigg supporting important and varied wildlife.
There are a wide variety of wildlife habitats in the Duddon. See ‘WILDLIFE’ for details. At low water the Estuary is an extensive tract of sand and silt, dissected by narrow channels of water. Areas of saltmarsh particularly in the upper reaches are also extensive with much variation between them. The National Trust owns the dunes at Sandscale Haws.
The northern tip of Walney Island, an unusual barrier island, bounds the south-east corner of the estuary while to the north, Hodbarrow sea wall, a tidal barrier protecting former iron ore workings and flooded when pumping stopped in the 1960’s, forms an enclosed lagoon. Some of this area is owned and managed as a bird reserve by RSPB. At the head of the estuary near to Duddon Bridge is an extensive system of raised mires.
While the upper estuary is mainly rural in character, the outer estuary is more urban. To the east of the Walney Channel is port town of Barrow, perhaps not strictly on the estuary. Then in the estuary proper there are a number of small towns and villages notably Millom/Haverigg close to the north shore, while on the east side there is Askam/Ireleth, Kirkby and finally Broughton at the northern tip. The total population around the estuary is estimated at 56,000 (excluding Barrow).
History of the landscape The Duddon Estuary is a landscape shaped by geological forces, glaciers, then finally, man. While continuous human activity around the estuary goes back to the Neolithic and early bronze age, apart from a number of stone chipping sites, flints and stone axe finds, there is little visible evidence of these periods in the Duddon. Later in the 12th and 13th centuries monks from Furness Abbey started developing the area; Sandscale was once a holding of the Abbey and much wooded land was cleared at this time, possibly for iron smelting and for providing pasture. Not much else was recorded until the 19th century when the development of the great haematite iron mines of Hodbarrow and Roanhead and Ironworks at Millom and Askam imposed an industrial overlay on what had been a rural backdrop. Haematite was the prime source of iron ore prior to the invention of the Bessemer process. However these developments had little impact further inland with the upper estuary remained largely pastoral and apart from the small market town of Broughton, thinly populated. Today the curious Hodbarrow Lagoon and a few other artifacts as well as the settlements of Millom and Askam provide the only evidence of this rich industrial heritage.
Farming and fishing have continued in a reduced role and the area is developing tourism, one of Cumbria’s growth industries. The area has needed to search for a new purpose and economic base, which it can sustain.
The Duddon Estuary Partnership was established in 1992 at a time when central and local government, as well as conservation bodies, were recognising the need for a new approach to the management of the Coastal Zone. A Steering Group of officers was formed from Cumbria County Council, Barrow Borough Council, Copeland Borough Council, South Lakeland District Council, the Lake District National Park Authority and English Nature together with a working group of the same authorities.
While officers on the relevant planning authorities and English Nature had carried forward the Partnership in its early days, this was seen as only a temporary arrangement. At a Forum held in May 1994, it was decided to take the next step in evolving the Partnership. This was to form the Duddon Estuary Consultative Committee (DECC) with a greatly expanded representation of statutory and voluntary bodies and local groups. The first meeting of the Committee took place on 14 July 1994 at Askam in Furness under the chairmanship of Peter Phizacklea, the County Council representative for Dalton North. A Chairman’s Working Group was also formed to organise the work of the Partnership. This Group consists of officers of the local authorities, English Nature and the Environment Agency as well as the Chair, Vice Chair and one other representative from the DECC.
In December 1995 the DECC agreed a draft Strategy and ‘Purpose and Structure’ for the Partnership. The Partnership has decided not to constitute itself as a formal legal entity and thus partner organisations have to assume direct responsibility for different aspects of the work.
In October 1998 a part-time project officer was appointed, however this arrangement was terminated when the officer’s contract ran out in March 1999. In March 1999, following the retirement of the secretary, services provided by the County Council had to be scaled down. As a result members of the Partnership have taken on additional tasks. The Partnership meets three times a year, normally with the July meeting as an AGM.
Cumbria County Council is currently providing secretarial services to the Partnership. The main roles of the Partnership were seen as consultative, advisory and educational.
The Partnership’s first task when it was set up in 1992 was to consider the condition of the Duddon Estuary, its use, the aspirations of local people and the issues that affect the present and future environment and economic activity. In the light of this work, the second task was to suggest possible future mechanisms for the co-ordination of decisions affecting the Estuary, which would enable all relevant interests to be involved.
This work resulted in the publication of the Duddon Estuary Technical and Issues reports in April 1994. In 1996 a Rights of Way Working Group was set up. This group has subsequently produced the Duddon Estuary Rights of Way Map - a large-scale version of the OS map of the estuary that also provides information on rights of way and what to do if you find one obstructed. A paper on Water Sports and Conservation has also been produced.
In 1997 a Water Quality Action group was set up to address the issue of pollution of bathing waters in the Estuary. A year later this group produced a useful set of recommendations for improving water quality, which was helpful in accelerating the decision to provide secondary sewage treatment. These now form part of the 2000-2005 Asset Management Plan (AMP3) of OFWAT and NWW Ltd.
In 1998 the Partnership published its Strategy and programme for the first time.
In 1999 a review of the Issues identified in the 1994 report was carried out to assess progress and to identify those still of concern to Partners and the general public. Duddon Estuary Issues Review 1999 sets out the current position on all the issues of concern and also outlines the achievements of the Partnership in its first five years.
A Review of the Strategy is now carried out on an annual basis.
As the partnership no longer has a project officer, it was decided that a network of contacts was needed to report on any issues that arose and to act as a conduit with the public. In September 1999 a dedicated Helpline was set up. Members of the public who wish to contact the Partnership to report any damaging incidents in the Estuary are invited to call the Helpline. Any messages are then passed on to appropriate members of the Partnership or the Police.
Current concerns and initiatives
These include:
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