Glasson and Cockerham Sands.
Start. Glasson.
Route. Glasson - Tithe Barn Hill - Marsh Lane - Crook Farm - Crook Cottage - Abbey Lighthouse Cottage - Plover Hill - Cockersands Abbey - Bank Houses - Moss Lane - Gardner's Farm - Thurnham Moss - Kendal Hill - Dobs Lane - Old Glasson - Tithe Barn Hill - Glasson.
Notes. Whilst rifling through my vast array of OS map sheets I came across Lancaster, Morecambe and Fleetwood Explorer Map, why on earth would I have purchased that? Crisp and new never been used, I'm not particularly tight but hate wasting money, a problem easily rendered, I dragged Sue along to make use of said map, we can get lost together, it's always more fun. Cows, bovine lawnmowers the scourge of all ramblers, we met them all, small, large, various breeds, frisky and just plain nosy, the type with rings through their noses but most terrifying of all bloody geese, noisy and aggressive. Come along you might enjoy it, whether we return or not, well the juries out.
We parked in the large car park next to the marina, a bargain £1 all day, after letting the road guide us over the swing bridge between the dock and marina we ascended Tithe Barn Hill to be welcomed by a view finder, we turned left to follow the main road, at a sharp bend we accessed Marsh Lane signed Lancashire Coastal Way. The lane soon gave way to rough cow pastures, keeping one eye on the map and the other on the cows we wandered on soon reaching Crook Farm, nestling on the edge of the Lune Estuary, disappointed we stepped onto tarmac. With tarmac under foot and views to Sunderland Point for company we wandered on. Once at Abbey Lighthouse Cottage tarmac gave way to a narrow coastal path, this was to guide us passed the remains of 12th century Cockersands Abbey and on to Bank Houses overlooking Cockerham Sands.
From Bank Houses our way became difficult to follow, stiles turned out to be overgrown and unsafe, paths on the ground were non-existent, it soon became obvious these rights of way were little used if at tall. Through fields and over tarmac we wandered, checking map and compass at each field boundary, the best way to keep on track, we soon reached Gardner's Farm where we were forced to brave a field of noisy aggressive geese. Free of the field and slightly traumatized we wandered on through cow pastures, no re-assuring signs to guide us, no path on the ground. We navigated round Kendal Hill, I'm not sure we went the right way, but ended up on the right path. We now had the tarmac of Dobs Lane under foot and hedge rows to guide us, after passing Old Glasson we re-joined our outward route at the sharp bend mentioned earlier, all that remained to re-trace our steps to Glasson.
I belittled this walk in the first paragraph, it certainly wasn't that enjoyable, but quite honestly would be willing to give it another go, maybe in winter with fewer cows in the fields, but first I'll need to find a route avoiding those bloody geese.
Dating back to 1787 Glasson Dock, built due to difficulty navigating up the Lune to quays at Lancaster, once the largest port in the North West, still to this day over 150,000 tonnes of cargo goes through the dock annually.
Viewing Sunderland Point from Tithe Barn Hill.
Also seen from Tithe Barn Hill, over the industrial corner of Glasson, the Ashton Memorial above Lancaster with the flat top of Whernside to the right.
Wandering through cow pastures looking to the hills of Bowland.
Seen from Crook Farm, the buildings on Sunderland Point with Heysham Power Station to the right.
Seen from Crook Cottage Plover Hill and Cockersands Abbey.
Abbey Lighthouse Cottage, the name would suggest it's former purpose, I would say a light was lit in the upper window to guide shipping in and out of the Lune in times of bad weather, or even allow people to cross the channel from Sunderland Point, they were called Lantern Windows, there's a fine example at Silverdale.
Across the flatlands between the Rivers Lune and Cocker the Bowland Fells.
Plover Scar Lighthouse with views to Black Combe.
Blackpool Tower seen over Cockerham Sands, it would be if the tide was out.
Cockersands Abbey, founded before 1184 as the Hospital of St Mary on the Marsh, this is the Chapel House, the only significant part of the building that remains.
From the flatlands of the Fylde coast to the hills of Bowland.
Views over the Cocker Estuary.
On a nice day this will be a stunning view, Black Combe rising from the Cumbria coast, seen over the vast expanse of Morecambe Bay.
Near Bank Houses with views over the Cocker Channel.
A change of scenery, crop fields passed en route back to Glasson.
Views over the flatlands of the Fylde.
It might be unsightly (to some) but it makes a change viewing Heysham Power Station from the south instead of across Morecambe Bay from the north.
The Marina at Glasson, rather choppy today.