Local naturalist opinion seems to be that the object is a colony of goosebarnacles, normally found in much deeper water than Workington beach.
Uso de pedunculata em inglês
1
Thus Quercus robur has twenty-eight varieties, all of which, excepting six, are clustered round three sub-species, namely Q. pedunculata, sessiliflora and pubescens.
2
But of late years the greater number of European botanists have regarded it as including three species, Q. pedunculata, Q. sessiliflora, and Q. pubescens.