A Grey Day above Grange-over-Sands.

Start. Grange-over-Sands.

Route. Grange-over-Sands - Windermere Road - Eggerslack Wood - Hampsfell - Hospice - Fell End - Spring Bank Road - Grange Fell Road - Grange-over-Sands.

Notes. I like walking in shorts and a t-shirt, the sun on my back, I enjoy picking my way through ice and snow, axe and crampons at the ready, I love wandering through warm summer rain, that sweet aroma rising from the land around me, I adore strolling through woodland swirling mist creeping between bare tree trunks, sun burst cutting through winter foliage lighting the way, what I dislike is blanket fog the sort that clings to you chilling you to the bone, like today. It could have been any road anywhere but it was the A590 skirting the flat lands of upper Morecambe Bay, the tail lights of the car in front the only thing keeping me on the road, the lights from the car in front of him doing likewise and so on, so long as the car leading the procession didn't drive off the road we wouldn't ether. It took ages to reach my destination, the Victorian backwater of Grange-over-Sands.

My route followed Windermere Road as far as Eggerslack Wood, a slit stile allowed access, a finger post invited me to Hampsfell. Through woodland I climbed, a sometimes stoney sometimes muddy way marked path under foot, after passing two abandoned water tanks I reached the edge of the woodland to be welcomed by a multitude of paths, my route carried on up the hill. Through wonderful limestone scenery I ascended, after crossing a stile the path ushered me to the Hospice. Built as a refuse for weary travelers by the Reverend Tomas Remington in 1846, a number of poems and riddles adorn the walls, I sat inside, had a brew, there was no views to be had outside, the view indicator on the roof, for today was redundant.

From the Hospice I headed south, a wide grassy ridge guided me to the cairn on Fell End, the only views, the ridge line I'd just walked. I descended to Spring Bank Road, traversed the corner of a field to join Grange Fell Road, a short descent over tarmac followed, the road deposited me at the entrance to a certain butchers. Higginsons sells the best pies in the whole of this fair land without a shadow of a doubt. Bag full of goodies I descended Baylay Lane to access the promenade, a short misty stroll along the edge of Morecambe Bay followed, I left the prom at the railway station from where it was a short walk back to the parked car.

view route map.

home.

Passing through Eggerslack Wood.

One of two redundant water tanks, built to slack the thirst of the villagers of Grange-over-Sands, last used in the 1940s.

En route to the intake wall, it's not looking like I'll escape the woods into stunning views.

From the open fell, Eggerslack Wood and a promise of better weather to come....

....a promise broken, the mist never cleared.

The Hospice on Hampsfell normally gifts the lucky traveler with outstanding views over Morecambe Bay and the Lake District Fells, unfortunately not today.

Limestone scenery on Hampsfell.

Strolling along wide grassy ridge looking to Fell End.

Misty views across the Vale of Cartmel.

Fell End, it's down hill from here.

You'll have to take my word for this, the view south towards Humphery Head and the shifting sands and silvery seascapes of Morecambe Bay.

A misty stroll along the promenade at Grange-over-Sands, if only you could smell these pies in the bag on my back.

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