The wonderful project, ‘Fishing Faces‘, a collaboration between Solway Firth Partnership and Allerdale Borough Council, tells the story of many of the people associated with fishing on the Cumbrian coast.
‘Allonby people in the old days,’ Ronnie Porter tells me, referring to when he was younger, ‘they were farmers, smallholders and fishermen. Herring was the main thing, they’d spawn and shoal in Allonby Bay. Most people in the village had nets.’
Herring was caught on the shore, or out on the Solway and beyond from boats. Allonby herring was smoked or, more frequently salted. Ronnie is a store of fascinating information, whether about herring, shrimping, ship-breaking – or, importantly, the almost-forgotten names of the stones (the large glacial erratics) and the rocky scaurs. The names were important ‘markers’ for where nets and lines were set.
Allonby from Anchor Scaur; the red brick Reading Room is to the right
Allonby from Anchor Scaur; the red brick Reading Room is to the right
Popple, Anchor and Metalstones Scaurs on the Allonby shore
Popple, Anchor and Metalstones Scaurs on the Allonby shore
Hanging Stone, and distant Coving Stone, glacial erratics in Allonby Bay
Hanging Stone, and distant Coving Stone, glacial erratics in Allonby Bay
The scaur called Archie, with boulders Nellie and Pintle amongst the honeycomb-worm reefs
The scaur called Archie, with boulders Nellie and Pintle amongst the honeycomb-worm reefs
Maston,the largest marker on the Allonby shore
Maston,the largest marker on the Allonby shore
The edge of Matta scaur, with small honeycomb worm reefs. Allonby
The edge of Matta scaur, with small honeycomb worm reefs. Allonby
Ronnie Porter, guide to Allonby's 'named stones': beside the keel on Ship's Keel Scaur
Ronnie Porter, guide to Allonby's 'named stones': beside the keel on Ship's Keel Scaur
Lines of stones, possible fishtraps, Mawbray shore
Lines of stones, possible fishtraps, Mawbray shore
The stone lines of the possible fishtraps, Mawbray
The stone lines of the possible fishtraps, Mawbray
The lines of stones, possible fishtraps, seen from the gyroplane
The lines of stones, possible fishtraps, seen from the gyroplane
Irish-born Maryport artist William Mitchell, Allonby-born captain and surveyor Joseph Huddart; the stories of their links with the Solway and the Irish Sea are entertaining.
William Mitchell (1823-1900) self-portrait. Maryport Maritime Museum
William Mitchell (1823-1900) self-portrait. Maryport Maritime Museum
Capt Joseph Huddart's memorial, Allonby
Capt Joseph Huddart's memorial, Allonby
Detail of Capt Joseph Huddart's memorial. Christ Church Allonby
Detail of Capt Joseph Huddart's memorial. Christ Church Allonby
To preserve meat of any sort by salting, you need a large supply of salt. Saltpans or salterns are found in many places each side of the Solway, some owned by the Cistercian monks, others more recent as at Crosscanonby near Allonby. The technique, and the names for the various stages, are described in this chapter.
A barrel for salting herring, held at Maryport Maritime Museum
A barrel for salting herring, held at Maryport Maritime Museum
Crosscananby saltpan and Roman milefortlet 21, Allonby
Crosscananby saltpan and Roman milefortlet 21, Allonby
Model of sleeching and kinching at a saltpan; exhibition at Holme Cultram Abbey
Model of sleeching and kinching at a saltpan; exhibition at Holme Cultram Abbey
Mark Graham of Grampus leads the dig at Holme Cultram, 2015
Mark Graham of Grampus leads the dig at Holme Cultram, 2015
Archaeologist Pat Bull and Ann at the Holme Cultram 'dig'. Thanks to Fiona Smith.
Archaeologist Pat Bull and Ann at the Holme Cultram 'dig'. Thanks to Fiona Smith.
Salt tokens, shroud pins & other finds at Holme Cultram 'dig' 2015
Salt tokens, shroud pins & other finds at Holme Cultram 'dig' 2015
Saltpan on Calvo Marsh
Saltpan on Calvo Marsh
Possible Cistercian saltpan on Calvo Marsh
Possible Cistercian saltpan on Calvo Marsh
A saltpan on Calvo Marsh
A saltpan on Calvo Marsh
Brown shrimp (Crangon) are caught by hand on the shore using ‘shoo-nets’, or trawled out in the Firth by shrimp-boats from Silloth. Danny Baxter, owner of the New Venture told me of his trawling trips, and how the shrimp are immediately cooked on board.
Ronnie Porter's shoo-net for shrimping at Allonby Village Hall exhibition (with a bundle of clay fishing-weights' attached)
Ronnie Porter's shoo-net for shrimping at Allonby Village Hall exhibition (with a bundle of clay fishing-weights' attached)
Ronnie Porter and his shoo-net
Ronnie Porter and his shoo-net
Ronnie Porter with his hand-net and 'click' for catching prawns
Ronnie Porter with his hand-net and 'click' for catching prawns
Shrimp boats at evening, Marshall Dock, Silloth
Shrimp boats at evening, Marshall Dock, Silloth
Danny Baxter and his brother trawling for brown shrimps in New Venture, off Silloth
Danny Baxter and his brother trawling for brown shrimps in New Venture, off Silloth
The Solway has always been famous for haaf-netting, an ancient technique – probably derived from the Vikings – of netting salmon. It requires great expertise and a close understanding of the currents and the types of waves: I was lucky enough to be taken out haafnetting with Mark Messenger, ‘on the back of’ his licence, in 2011. At times we were standing chest-deep out in the Firth as the tide came in. Tom Dias, another haaf-netter, kindly gave me permission to use some of his evocative photos. (There are several very good present-day films about haaf-netting, including from the Annan Common Good – links are in the book – but here is one from the BBC Archives of 1965.)
Stakenets at low tide at Auchencairn, Heston Island in the distance.
Stakenets at low tide at Auchencairn, Heston Island in the distance.
Haafnetters in the boak. Thanks to Tom Dias for permission to use this photo.
Haafnetters in the boak. Thanks to Tom Dias for permission to use this photo.
Haafnetters in the Solway (with Chapelcross power station in the background). Thanks to Tom Dias for permission to use this photo.
Haafnetters in the Solway (with Chapelcross power station in the background). Thanks to Tom Dias for permission to use this photo.
Mark Messenger and son Ben with their haafnet, 2011
Mark Messenger and son Ben with their haafnet, 2011
Haafnetting - setting up the draw. Whose stick will be chosen?
Haafnetting - setting up the draw. Whose stick will be chosen?
The 'baggie' turns his back before the draw for places in the boak 2011
The 'baggie' turns his back before the draw for places in the boak 2011
Tagged haafnetted salmon, 2011
Tagged haafnetted salmon, 2011
A haaf-net on the marsh, Bowness
A haaf-net on the marsh, Bowness
Songs about haafnetters: the Solway Band and Pentabus, Highland Laddie Inn 2019
Songs about haafnetters: the Solway Band and Pentabus, Highland Laddie Inn 2019
Rivers like the Eden, Esk and Sark, were formerly regularly crossed near their mouths at known crossing-places or ‘waths’. There were also 2 waths right across the Firth itself, and Mark led me across from Bowness to the shore near Annan on one occasion. I have few photos of this or of when I went haafnetting – cameras and fast-moving salty water aren’t a good combination; but I learnt a lot about interpreting what was happening above and below the surface of the Firth.
Crossing the wath: Mark Messenger and haafnet before setting off
Crossing the wath: Mark Messenger and haafnet before setting off
Crossing the wath at Bowness: setting foot on the Scottish shore
Crossing the wath at Bowness: setting foot on the Scottish shore
Wading the wath to Scotland: the Eastriggs munitions depots.
Wading the wath to Scotland: the Eastriggs munitions depots.
Tidal bore on the R Wampool
Tidal bore on the R Wampool
Tidal bore advancing on the R Wampool
Tidal bore advancing on the R Wampool
I first experienced a tidal bore when I went out with the haaf-netters. In October 2020 some very big Spring tides provided ideal conditions for producing a bore on the firth near Burgh Marsh, and on some of the rivers like the Eden and the Wampool, where I heard then saw the power of a bore.
