Silloth Green awarded the coveted Green Flag Award

green flag award logo

Silloth Green awarded the coveted Green Flag Award as it is officially recognised as one of the country’s best parks

In a record-breaking year Silloth Green is raising its prestigious Green Flag Award

silloth greenToday, Silloth-on-Solway is celebrating after receiving a Green Flag Award for Silloth Green for the 11th year in succession. Silloth Green is the only park in Cumbria to have received a Green Flag Award this year, with Distington Hall Crematorium, near Workington also receiving an award.

The news that Silloth Green has achieved the accreditation – the international quality mark for parks and green spaces – is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team that care for the green space so that everyone can enjoy it.

Councillor Owen Martin, Mayor of Silloth said:

“Another amazing achievement for Silloth Green, being awarded the Green Flag Award for the 11th year. This is testament to the work from staff & volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain it, to such a high standard. We are extremely lucky to have such an amazing asset which is used regularly for such an array of activities.”

Silloth Green is one of the largest village greens in the North of England, boasting spectacular views over the Solway Firth to Criffel and the Caerlaverock Hills in the North, and the Lake District to the South. The Green forms a green link between Silloth’s grand Victorian townscape and the sea front promenade, for many years attracting visitors seeking fresh sea air and recreational facilities.

After extensive refurbishment work, Silloth Green boasts a modern Water Splash Park, a woodland adventure play area and a BMX track. There’s also a Pirate Ship Play Area, next to the Water Splash Park, for children aged 0-5 years. Another popular attraction is the ‘Big Fella’ sculpture created by artist Ray Lonsdale and gifted to the town by a local resident to make people smile.

Beautiful oak picnic tables and benches are to be found in various locations, with accessible footpaths linking the various features. Along Criffel Street, some Victorian style lighting was installed, in-keeping with the heritage of the town. The Edwardian ladies’ toilets built in 1910 and the spectacular Victorian pagoda overlooking the sea were also sympathetically refurbished.

The Community Garden, situated on the corner of Criffel Street is cared for by the volunteers of the Friends of Silloth Green.  It provides a vibrant entrance to Silloth Green and a pleasant place to sit and watch the world go by.  Friends of Silloth Green are a very active group and volunteers meet on a weekly basis to help with the maintenance of the Green and have been instrumental in obtaining funding for various projects on the Green.

The Bee Garden is situated closer to the sea, with a bee hotel in the middle of a striking display of rose bushes, plants and shrubs which have created a haven for the local bee and butterfly population, again cared for by dedicated volunteers.

Silloth Green plays host to several popular events which draw in crowds of visitors to the town. This year we saw the return of the Silloth Green Day event in May and the Solway Coast Cycling Festival in June. Forthcoming events include the Silloth Vintage Rally and Soul on the Green in July, the Mega Carnival Weekend in August, and the Silloth Music & Beer Festival in September.

During 2022/23, Silloth Green saw the addition of a new modular Changing Places facility. Changing Places are more than a standard accessible toilet because they offer more specialist equipment that meets the needs of individuals with profound and complex disabilities who cannot use the toilet independently. Following a successful bid for funding by Allerdale Borough Council, Silloth was awarded a share of some Government Funding for a Changing Places facility. Additional funding was also secured from the Lottery Awards for All and the Hellrigg Community Benefit Fund.

Commenting on Silloth Green’s success, Councillor Bill Jefferson O.B.E., member of the Parks & Play Equipment Committee added:

“Once again, I had the privilege and pleasure to accompany the Green Flag judge on his inspection this year and ensure that he was fully aware of our journey over the last 25 years – what we had achieved and how it had been done and the team effort required. As usual we discussed options for the future, but I can honestly say I was not surprised that we have once again secured the Green Flag Award, for the eleventh year in a row – not only that but with an even higher score and that is certainly cause for satisfaction. We have a different judge every time and the outcome is always the same – we explain, we listen and then we get our act together. Resting on laurels has never been an option. My thanks to fellow councillors present and past, to our unbelievable volunteer force and at the heart of it all – our small but dedicated town maintenance team who always go the extra mile, under the leadership and direction of the best Town Clerk we could wish for.  Well done all of you.”

Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd MBE said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved at Silloth Green in achieving a Green Flag Award.

“Silloth Green is a vital green space for the community in Silloth-on-Solway, bringing people together and providing opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles. The staff and volunteers do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award and everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.”

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

A full list of Green Flag Award-winning parks and green spaces is available here.