Cool Place of the Day: Sunderland Point, Lancashire

Every day, a new place to discover or explore from coolplaces.co.uk

Sunderland Point (Shutterstock)

Surrounded by the salt marshes between Lancaster and Morecambe, with views of the Lancashire Hills and Lake District Fells in the distance is a small wind-battered peninsula. It sits between the wide expanse of Morecambe Bay and the estuary of the river Lune, which curves its way up to Lancaster, and is for the most part a very lonely spot, with spectacular views and a strangely haunting atmosphere.

Sunderland Point and its tiny village mark the peninsula’s southernmost point, which is only accessible by a single-track road at low tide, due to the surrounding marshes, which flood at high tide.

In the 18th century this was once one of Britain's busiest ports, but its importance declined as nearby ports such as Lancaster began to open up. It was a hard place, known for press gangs of sailors, and was a big contributor to Britain’s slave trade, which makes its present-day peace and quiet all the more resonant.

If you time it right you may be able to watch the tidal bore that sweeps in daily at this time of year, and there is also a fine Gate Pier and a number of graceful Georgian buildings along the bitty waterfront. However, the most moving sight on this isolated spit of land is Sambo’s Grave – said to be the last resting-place of a young black slave who died in 1736. There is a memorial plaque, and often little stones and flowers left by local children decorate the grave.

Cool Places is a website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk)