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A Circuit from Silverdale including Jenny Brown's Point, Leighton Park and Leighton Moss.

Start. Silverdale (Shore Road).

Route. Silverdale (Shore Road) - Lindeth Road - Wolf House - Jack Scout - Jenny Brown's Point - Quaker's Stang - Crag Foot - Paint Mire Wood - Coach Road (Peter Lane) - Peter Lane Kiln - Coach Road - Summerhouse Hill - Leighton Park - Grisedale - Leighton Moss - Storrs Lane - Red Bridge Road - Silverdale Golf Course - The Row - Lambert's Meadow - Bottoms Wood - Bottoms Lane - Silverdale.

Notes. This turned out to be a delightful circuit encompassing some lovely woodland paths, the open expanse of Leighton Park and the confines of Leighton Moss Nature Reserve, a small slice of history springs from the map as it nearly always does on these short excursions. Come along if you can manage an early start, as we’re still social distancing I started walking at 5.30am when most sane people were still in the land of nod.

I had intended to head south along the coast from Silverdale but, with driving rain blowing in off Morecambe Bay and the fact Lindeth Road is sheltered I opted for a spot of road walking to start the mornings outing. With tarmac under foot I wandered past the entrance to Woodwell, at the Wolf House Gallery I swung right continuing passed Gibraltar Farm and Lindeth Tower, further down the lane a kissing gate allowed access to the flower-studded pastures and rocky headland of Jack Scout.

I meandered through Jack Scout, visited the Giants Seat, soaked up stunning views across the bay, the path ejected me back onto the narrow lane I’d left earlier. I strolled round Jenny Brown’s Point to access the Browns Houses and Smelt Mill Chimney. The restored chimney dates back to Elizabethan times when copper was in great demand. Once passed the chimney a finger-post greeted me, an opportunity to visit many destinations, I opted for Quaker’s Stang and Crag Foot.

With a green trod under foot I strolled passed Quaker’s Stang and the deep drain of Quicksand Pools before following a short stretch of tarmac to Crag Foot and yet another chimney. This is all that remains of a pump station used for land drainage dating back to the 1830s, it was primary used to drain the wetlands of Leighton Moss. I turned left at Crag Foot, wandered towards Moss House Farm to be welcomed by a finger-post inviting me to the Coach Road, I obliged almost immediately entering Paint Mire Wood, the short but delightful woodland stroll deposited me at a stile allowing access to sheep pastures, I passed through said stile then followed the path to a private sign, I turned left onto a lovely discreet green trod.

The green trod guided me through sheep pastures surrounded by dense woodland, passed limestone scars and pavements. Deep beneath these green fields and sylvan woodland lies a warren of mine edits, this was the site of the Crag Foot Mine, worked between 1800-1830 by Cornish miners on a quest for copper and hematite, the ore was smelted at Jenny Brown’s Point. I continued climbing to access a narrow stile, passed through said stile to join a stoney track which in turn guided me to the Coach Road. I immediately crossed joining field paths which guided me over the brow of the hill to access a track descending passed a fine example of a limekiln. Limestone was burned between 1750 and 1850 a horrible acrid job, hence the kilns were never built near housing. The residue was used as mortar or spread on the fields to freshen the pastures. The path continued down hill, on reaching a high wall, I turned left letting the wall guide me back to the Coach Road and the start of a path over Summerhouse Hill.

The short sharp climb through beech and oak woods that followed placed me on the flat top of Summerhouse Hill, I passed the remains of the summerhouse the hill takes it’s name from before wandering to a fine view point overlooking Leighton Park. My route then descended towards Leighton Hall to join tarmac for the short walk down hill into Grisedale, after passing Grisedale Farm I stepped onto the causeway traversing Leighton Moss. Views from this plumb straight track were limited, the reed beds reached way above my head, but with no one else around It was a pleasant enough walk.

With Leighton Moss on lock down, the main path to the visitors centre closed, I was forced onto the tarmac of Storrs Lane, south I walked to the junction with Red Bridge Lane. I then turned right, strolled passed the Railway Station to access a footpath traversing Silverdale Golf Course, the links was quiet, I casually wandered across to access The Row and another footpath signed Silverdale.

This path guided me along the edge of woodland placing me in Lambert’s Meadow, I crossed to reach a wicket gate, after passing through said gate woodland paths ushered through the dripping woodland of Bottoms Wood, passed moss covered boulders, along an bandoned quarry, under ancient trees before ejecting me into Bottoms Lane. I turned left letting the tarmac surface guide me to Stankelt Road, the start of the short walk back into Silverdale.

view route map.

home.

This limekiln welcomes walkers to Jack Scout, restored around 1986.

Better than any Dress Circle the Giant's Seat gifts the visitor with stunning views across Morecambe Bay.

Views across Morecambe Bay from the Giant's Seat.

The Embankment, a relic of a by-gone age, an attempt by Victorian entrepreneurs in 1873 to re-claim vast tracts of the bay for agriculture, when the money dried up the scheme was abandoned. Until 1977 the structure lay entombed beneath the sand, a storm forced the channels to move revealing it to the twentieth century.

From Jenny Brown's Point views to Warton Crag.

Low tide at Jenny Brown's Point.

Near the Browns Houses drinking in this view to the grey hills of the Bowland Forest.

The Smelt Mill Chimney. After smelting the copper would be shipped across the bay, it's hard to imagine boats sailing these shallow channels today, clinker-built sailing ships known as nobbies plied their trade to many small docks around the bay, their shallow-draught enabled them to sail shallow waters.