Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve

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Overview

The Sandscale Haws NNR is an outstanding sand dune habitat, supporting a wealth of wildlife and offering panoramic views of the estuary of the River Duddon and the Lakeland mountains beyond. The dune grasslands at Sandscale Haws support a rich flora including the very rare dune helleborine. A significant area for the rare nocturnal natterjack toads, Sandscale Haws supports one fifth of the national population of the yellow-striped amphibian, which is only found at a few other sites in the UK. The reserve also hosts migratory bird populations of international importance including pintail, knot and common redshank. Over 20,000 wintering waterfowl are regularly seen at the Sandscale Haws NNR. The name Sandscale Haws is derived from the Scandinavian words sandra and skali, meaning ‘sand’ and ‘temporary hut,’ and the site was probably originally a wintering ground for sheep. Hawns is an Old Norse word meaning ‘hill’.

Location

Roanhead, Hawthwaite Lane, BARROW-IN-FURNESS, LA14 4QJ

About the area

Cumbria's rugged yet beautiful landscape is best known for the Lake District National Park that sits within its boundaries. It’s famous for Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake, and Derwent Water, ‘Queen of the English Lakes', but other lesser-known areas in the south, such as the Lune Valley and the coastal towns, are secret gems of wide cobbled streets and rolling hills.