Allonby Bay

Allonby Bay is a crescent-shaped bay of the Solway Firth on the north-western shore of Cumbria, United Kingdom. The bay is approximately five-and-a-half miles (nine kilometres) across. Its northern point is at Dubmill, between the village of Mawbray and the hamlet of Salta, and its southern end is just to the north of Maryport, near the village of Crosscanonby. The B5300 coast road follows the shoreline of Allonby Bay, running between Silloth-on-Solway in the north and Maryport in the south.

As an inlet of the Solway Firth, Allonby Bay is also part of the Irish Sea. The bay is named for the village of Allonby, which sits roughly in the centre of the shoreline.

Allonby Bay has a five-mile stretch of beach which was awarded the coveted blue flag in 2005. However, following water quality tests in 2012, Allonby Bay was on the verge of losing its blue flag status, which caused much concern in Allonby itself, as the village relies on tourism as a major source of income.

Near the northern end of Allonby Bay is Salta Moss. This area is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest within the Solway Coast AONB, and includes some rare plant and animal specimens, including the bog bean Menyanthus trifoliata, and Britain's only native venomous snake, the adder.

Several streams and becks enter the Solway Firth at Allonby Bay, including many fed by irrigation channels. One such example is the Black Dub, which flows into Allonby Bay at Dubmill.

The Lake District Coast Aquarium in nearby Maryport hosts a variety of aquatic life native to Allonby Bay, and has been a popular tourist attraction in the area since it opened in 1997.

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