Leighton Moss, Cringlebarrow Wood and Hawes Water.
Start. Storrs Lane (small lay-by at the entrance to Leighton Moss).
Route. Storrs Lane - Leighton Moss - Leighton Hall - Summer House Hill - Yealand Conyers - Cringlebarrow Wood - Yealand Storrs - Yealand Hall Allotment - Hawes Water - Chellan Hall - Red Bridge - Trowbarrow - The Trough - Storrs Lane.
Notes. I took the opportunity this afternoon to nip down to Silverdale in an attempt to capture some of the wonderful Autumnal hues that grace the trees this time of year. A short walk through woodland and pastures not forgetting the wet lands of Leighton Moss. The best I could manage for height was Summer House Hill, what it lacks in statue it makes up for in stunning views and history.
My afternoon begun wandering between the head high reed beds of Leighton Moss before ascending to Grisedale Farm en route to Leighton Hall. From the hall a short sharp pull saw me breathless admiring stunning views over Leighton Park and Morecambe Bay. Summer House Hill may not be very high but can boast the remains of the largest stone circle in Lancashire, to the south a restored Lime Kiln stands, my route passed the remains of a summer house built by the Gillow family owners of Leighton Hall. I descended to the east, on reaching a stile that allows access to Peter Lane I turned north, avoiding stepping into the lane. I casually wandered through fields surrounded by ancient woodland, the stately pile of Yealand Manor came and went as did Deepdale and Cringlebarrow Woods before I stepped onto tarmac at Yealand Storrs. A short stretch of road walking followed before a gate allowed access to Yealand Hall Allotment. A short stint of woodland rambling brought me to a slit stile next to a field gate on my left, this allowed me to step into the pastures above Hawes Water. I descended to the shore of this almost secret tarn, where I sat down, had a brew and planned my return route.
I set out north striding out over a wonderful board-walk path before swinging south to access the fields behind Challan Hall, all to soon I stepped onto tarmac for the short walk up hill to Red Bridge. You can cross the railway line by either the bridge or footpath, I chose the latter, either way the path enters Trowbarrow Quarry a playground for climbers and mountain bikers. This now tranquil nature reserve conceals it's past well, this was the birth place of something we all take for granted in our busy modern lives, without which I wouldn't have got here today, I've mentioned it many times on many walks, Tarmac. Invented and developed at Trowbarrow, first laid on a short stretch of the main street through Kendal, closely followed by the Golden Mile at Blackpool and Princes Street, Edinburgh. From Trowbarrow it was a short walk through a natural fault known as The Trough back to my starting point.
Leighton Moss the largest reed bed in the northwest of England, you'll just have to imagine it, the point is it's not quite as natural as it looks, the water level is carefully controlled to allow the best possible habitat for plant life and wildlife alike.
Views over Leighton Moss to the woodland of Yealand Hall Allotment.
Ascending the lane to Grisedale Farm looking to Arnside Knott.
The scene over the wet lands of Leighton Moss, seen from near Grisedale Farm.
Seen from half way up Summer House Hill the gothic pile of Leighton Hall.
The summit of Summer House Hill provides a fine viewpoint, an autumnal Silverdale landscape backed by the Kent Channel and Grange-over-sands.
Standing stones adorn the summit of Summer House Hill.
Through the trees views over Morecambe Bay.
I read somewhere this is a burial cairn, baloney, it's the remains of a gothic summer house built by members of the Gillow family sometime in the nineteenth century.
A stunning view over Yealand Conyers.
Paxillus filamentosus, don't touch and definitely don't taste it's a poisonous species.
Striding out through Cringlebarrow Wood.
Seen over the gold's and green's of Thrang, Farleton Fell.
Gait Barrows seen from my descent to Hawes Water.
Wonderful autumn colours in Gait Barrows Nature Reserve.
An enigma in limestone country, as water usually permeates through the bed rock, Hawes Water a real gem.
Stunning golden hues over Hawes Water, seen from near Challan Hall.
Red Bridge or the path across the lines, you choose.
Autumn in Trowbarrow.
Picking my way along the path that leads to The Trough, the geological fault that Trowbarrow (Troughbarrew) takes it's name, I hold my hands up, I took several photo's in The Trough but they were all pretty awful, I'll put more effort in next time.