Queen's Guide to the Sands
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The Queen's Guide to the Sands is the royally-appointed guide to crossing the sands of Morecambe Bay, an ancient and potentially dangerous tidal crossing in northwest England. As of 2008, the Guide is Cedric Robinson MBE, who became the 25th guide in 1963. The post is unpaid but the Guide has the use of the 700 year old Guide's Cottage, which is owned by the Crown and managed by the Duchy of Lancaster[1].
Until the building of the railway in 1867, the sands had been a major transport route in the area, with Guides appointed royally since the 16th century. Prior to that, the monks of Furness at Cartmel Priory had provided guides for crossing the sands. In modern times a crossing of the sands has become a popular challenge walk for charity fundraisers, with Cedric often taking groups of a hundred and fifty people.
[edit] References
[edit] Further reading
- A useful essay on the Queen's Guide to the Sands and on the Morecambe Bay tidal crossing appeared in hidden europe magazine in 2005. The full reference is Cawley, David [2005]: Time & Tide: Morecambe Bay. In hidden europe magazine, 4 (Sept 2005), pp. 40-44.
- Sand Pilot of Morecambe Bay (1998), Cedric Robinson, Olive Robinson. (ISBN 0-906899-94-X)
- Cedric Robinson: 40 Years on Morecambe Bay (2003), Cedric Robinson (ISBN 0-9544002-2-4)
