Solway Coast's new £1.25m cycleway officially opens

The new path is aimed predominantly at cyclists, but the off-road sections can accommodate pedestrians

A new £1.25m cycleway along Cumbria's Solway Coast has been officially opened.

The 8.7-mile (14.1km) Solway Coaster between Allonby and Silloth has been created to join an existing the route from Maryport to Allonby.

The link between the coastal towns also forms part of the National Cycle Network Route 72 which runs from Ravenglass to South Shields.

It is hoped the cycleway will encourage more people in the area to get active.

The project was led by Allerdale Borough Council on behalf of the Silloth-on-Solway Coastal Community Team, with £1m of funding secured from the Department for Communities and Local Government's Coastal Communities Fund and a further £250,000 from Defra's Rural Development Programme for England.

Councillor Tony Markley, executive member for leisure and tourism, said: "This cycleway will be a great asset to the area and provide a fantastic facility for local people to get active.

"It will also add to the brilliant tourism offering we have in Allerdale and we look forward to welcoming to visitors on to the route."

The council says it also plans to launch a Solway Coast Cycling Festival on 11 September after the Tour of Britain has been through Cumbria to highlight the area as a "fantastic cycling destination".