The Curwen estate is selling Lowca Beach, near Whitehaven, and Flimby Beach, Maryport, bin Cumbria’s first public auction of coastline. Chartered surveyor Matthew Bell, of H&H Land and Property, says the uniqueness of the sale means that no guide prices have been attached: ‘We have no idea what they could sell for, so we are going to let the market set the price in this instance,’ he says. ‘As well as the chance to own your own slice of Cumbrian foreshore, the sale offers great and very diverse investment opportunities.

Although wind turbines would not get planning permission here, there is potential for Green-energy schemes such as tidal propellers, which would feed power into the National Grid.’

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The new owners could also benefit from the expected local boom in nuclear power as the beaches are just north of the planned NuGen nuclear reactor at Sellafield, which would have to compensate the owners for laying underground cables.

Although not quite like the Seychelles or the Maldives, ‘the beaches are full of character,’ adds Mr Bell. The auction will take place at Workington’s Washington Central Hotel in Cumbria on April 17.

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