Morecombe Bay & The Queen’s Guide
Morecambe Bay’s 310sq kilometres of sand make it the second largest bay in Britain; it’s well know for its shrimps, its fast moving tides, quick sands and the danger the latter two present, however did you know that since the 1500s there has been a royally appointed guide to lead travellers through the sands?
The current Queen’s guide Cedric Robinson, at 79 years of age, has been navigating the treacherous bay for fifty years. Barefoot and pole in hand he daily leads people – whether on foot or horseback – 13km through the sands. Recently charities have begun to work with Cedric to organise money raising walks, and he can be leading groups of around 300 (although his record is 1,100).
Cedric leads with military precision without hardly raising his voice, always having a watchful eye and a whistle ready to get people back into formation. Cedric uses laurel branches to mark his path, as is tradition, ‘Even Turner paintings show laurel branches in the sand. The leaves will die but not drop off, so the branches stand out.’
So if you find yourself in this corner of Cumbria, don’t miss out on the glorious stretches of sands, just make sure you are in Cedric’s well organised procession.
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