Port of Silloth
Port information: Silloth
Everything on this page is the position as at the transfer date, 18/09/2026. Check the notices to mariners before you sail. A notice overrides this page.
Check the notices to mariners before you sail. A notice overrides this page.
Limits of the harbour
The harbour limits are those of the Port of Silloth as constituted by its local Acts, beginning with the Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Act 1855, and shown on the port layout plan relied on for The Ports of Fleetwood and Silloth (Transfer of Undertaking) Harbour Revision Order 2026. The limits did not change on transfer. The pilotage limits for the port also transfer unchanged.
Silloth harbour limits plan and written description. This is being confirmed and will be published here.
Approach and tidal access
Silloth is a tidal port on the Solway Firth. Vessels enter New Dock through the dock gate on the tide. New Dock is entered through gates; Marshall Dock is marked tidal on the port plan. No gate opening window is published for Silloth in the way it is for Fleetwood.
Port datum
Datum at Silloth is taken from the cill of the dock gate. It sits 1.8 metres above local chart datum.
Tidal information
Tide predictions for Silloth are published by the UK Hydrographic Office through EasyTide. Real time tidal height and storm surge forecasts are published by the National Tidal and Sea Level Facility for Workington. The closest public gauge to Silloth is at Workington. Treat what it reads as a guide to surge or cut and nothing more. It is not a substitute for Silloth predictions.
VHF and reporting
Call sign Silloth Harbour Radio. Working channel VHF Channel 12. Channel 12 is manned only through each tidal period, and only from 2.5 hours before high water. Outside those hours, work Channel 16. The Port of Workington, a separate authority, keeps its watch on the same basis.
Send your ETA at the Workington Pilot Station to the harbour master at least 12 hours before arrival, and your ETD at least 1 hour before sailing. The pilot boat works VHF Channel 14. See pilotage.
Silloth reporting points. This is being confirmed and will be published here.
Berths and ship acceptance
| Berth | Quay length | Depth | Max length | Max beam | Max draught | Approx. dwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Dock | 590 m | Not published | 95 m | 13.5 m | 6.05 m | 4,500 |
Berths in New Dock are numbered 1 to 7 on the port plan. Marshall Dock is shown on the port plan as tidal. Acceptance of any vessel is at the harbour master's discretion and depends on the tide, the weather and the state of the dock on the day.
Depth figure for New Dock. This is being confirmed and will be published here.
Marshall Dock dimensions and acceptance. This is being confirmed and will be published here.
Current condition of New Dock
The dock gate leaks
Over a tide that can pull the level in New Dock down by as much as 1.9 metres. Masters and agents should plan for it. This is Notice to Mariners 01/2025, dated 27/10/2025. It is a defect notice about the dock gate, not a routine navigational warning, and it remains in force.
Dock gate condition and repair position. This is being confirmed and will be published here.
Pilotage
Pilotage is provided at Silloth. Pilots board at the Workington Pilot Station, and the ETA must reach the harbour master at least 12 hours before arrival. Normal hours for the pilot boat are 2.5 hours before high water to 2 hours after high water. See the pilotage page.
Cargo facilities
The port plan shows a molasses terminal, cement silos, grain silos, a suction elevator, a weighbridge, covered storage, open storage and development areas, and a flour mill and agricultural mill on the estate.
Services
Towage
Towage at Silloth. This is being confirmed and will be published here.
Bunkering
Bunkers and fresh water at Silloth. This is being confirmed and will be published here.
Waste
See the environment and waste page.
Port waste reception facilities, Silloth. This is being confirmed and will be published here.
Security
Silloth operates under the ISPS Code: a Port Security Charge is levied on commercial vessels of 500 GT and over. The port security plan itself is never published.
Silloth port facility security officer. This is being confirmed and will be published here.