St Bees Village

St Bees is a small coastal village, best known for being the start of the Coast to Coast Walk, St Bees Public School and for one of the finest church buildings in the country. The Priory of St Mary and St Bega dates back to 1120.

The village is an ideal base from which to explore the less crowded, but equally beautiful western Lake District, with Bassenthwaite, Ennerdale and Wastwater all being within a half hour drive of the village. The fells themselves are equally accessible.

All other attractions in the area - Ravenglass and its Roman remains, Muncaster Castle with its wonderful gardens, the L'al Ratty miniature railway, Sellafield Visitor Centre, Florence Iron Ore Mine, Whitehaven Georgian town with the restored harbour area, Beacon Visitor Centre, the Rum Story display, and many others - are all within an easy 30 - 40 minute drive. Most of these are also accessible by train which runs along the coast.

The heart of the Lake District is also within easy reach - Keswick is only 45 minutes by road and Windermere & Kendal can be reached in an hour and a half.

St Bees Village viewed from the start of the cliff path

St Bees Village from the north-east

Within the village itself, visitors can follow a number of walks within and around the village. A splendid beach is an ideal place to relax and indulge in water sports. Numerous facilities - Post Office, garage, pubs, cafe can all be found within easy walk of Abbey Farm.

The history of St Bees village itself is closely tied to the fortunes of the Priory and the Public School. The Priory is open all day for visitors.

Comprehensive information about the village can be found on the Village Web Site.