Lowther Arms: Mawbray sunset followed by Steak Pie and Guinness

If you are at a loose end and you have some moments to spare you will never misspend them in Mawbray. If you are one of those busy people that ‘have no time to stand and stare’ then I challenge you to walk the nature trail and cop an eyeful of the stirring Solway coastline. 

A 10 minute drive up the coast from Maryport, Mawbray to those who visit it is a little gem hidden in plain sight. 

A recent winter’s evening - we had been walking along Silloth promenade throwing the ball for the dogs by the amusement park

The heaving Solway estuary was choppy and it was windy and cold. A friendly dog walker with a wet dog advised “Be careful of your dogs marra you won’t get them back if they fall in - just fished mine out”

It was late December. The high winds had whipped up from the Atlantic and the dregs of Storm Gerritt were playing out across the coast during an exceptionally wet and windy festive season. 

West Cumbria has been in-between storms since November lurching from multiple yellow and amber weather warnings.

Mawbray (Image: Newsquest)

There is a wild evocative beauty to be found in stretches of Cumbria’s coastline yet all the praise and eulogising goes to the lakes and mountains.

From Wordsworth's Ullswater Daffodils  to J M WTurner’s Coniston. Famous for his moody allegorical coastal depictions you can only marvel at what might have been had Turner captured the mercurial skylines of Mawbray. A hallowed haunt for art aficionados and tourists?

With its expansive seascape and Scotland’s Galloway coastline stretching out towards Ireland and the distant shadow of the Isle of Man to the South. Mawbray is extremely atmospheric. A great place to listen to the Shipping Forecast on podcast. 

Occasionally when the tide is out visitors are lured by the pull of Scotland and people get caught out by the tide as they speed walk back. It can get choppy very fast.

When Mary Queen of Scots took five hours to cross the dangerous Solway firth to England she did so with foreboding. 

Our Greek guest who knows a thing or two about stunning sunsets such as Santorini, Halkidiki and Zakynthos to name but a few said Mawbray was ‘so beautiful it made you hungry for food’ 

We know of a homely pub close by and rang on the off chance that there was table for four adults, two children and two dogs. 

Luckily for us - there was. 

The Lowther Arms is tucked away 100 yards off the coast road with amenable parking and a community playground.

'Community'  being the watchword for Lowther Arms which has been running as a cooperative pub since 2021.

The villagers are the stakeholders and supported as a tenanted establishment which serves honest pub grub and a glass of cheer including service with a smile. 

After warming cold hands and cold dogs by the fire we sat down to order. 

Chilled to the bone - I opted for Soup of the day. Nothing warms the cockles like a good soup which as it turned out was a pleasantly surprising pear and parsnip and bread rolls - an intriguing and courageous combination

So often pubs  go down that pedestrian route of tomato and basil soup and a bread roll.

Which is fine, but to have an unusual alternative showed character.  

Pear and Parsnip Soup and bread rolls (Image: Newsquest)

Staff were cheerful and welcoming and in a charming, sincere way - sometimes hospitality venues are too clipped - service here was naturally charismatic and just what we wanted. Children and dogs are welcome. That’s a big tick right there.

The menu had a decent choice of main meal options but there was only ever going to be one winner.

And so it proved. 

A champion pairing of Guinness and pie. 

There is no art to pouring a classic Guinness you just have to have accumulated a lot of experience and when a cold pint of the black stuff arrives next to a plate of steaming hot steak pie, gravy and pies - it’s manna from heaven.

Steak pie with chips, gravy and peas washed down with a pint of Guinness (Image: Newsquest)

The bill worked out at around £25 per head including drinks which made a cheerful evening even more jovial.

The Lowther Arms is a cracking pub within walkable distance from Mawbray beach and offers perfect respite for tired and hungry walkers or people seeking solace off the beaten track and away from the madding crowd.