The Roar of the Solway

This chapter considers the places where rivers meet the sea, and the imaginative, anthropomorphic impulses evident in the language of confluence. In particular, it focuses on the Solway Firth, and its peculiar situation as a border between England and Scotland, opening towards the Isle of Man, Ireland, Wales, and the rest of the world. The purpose of the regional focus is to show the constant interaction of history and geography and the associated shifts in understanding the coast. Taking its cue from John Ruskin’s claim for the international importance of the Solway, the chapter explores Ruskin’s own attachment to the area, magnified as it was by Scott, Burns, and Wordsworth. It goes on to consider Ciaran Carson’s thoughtful response to Ruskin’s description in Praeterita, when Carson imagines Ruskin crossing the Irish Sea to encounter modern Belfast.