A Loop from Arnside including Beetham Fell and the Kent Estuary.

Start. Arnside.

Route. Arnside - Black Dyke Road - Arnside Moss - Carr Bank Road - Hazelslack - Underlaid Wood - Beetham Fell - Longtail Wood - Cockshot Lane - Longtail Wood - Storth (Yans Lane) - Storth Post Office - Green Lane - Sandside - Arnside /Sandside Railway Path - Arnside Railway Station - Arnside.

Notes. Back on familiar ground after our excursions up north, a chance to wind down and stroll in the quiet of the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. I picked a classic but trimmed the corners a little, mainly to avoid the honey pot locations and keep dry. It was raining when I left Arnside, well as my mother would say spitting, “get yourself out a bit of rain won’t harm you”.

It was spitting and sun shining as I left Arnside, first passed the tiny railway station then over the tarmac of Black Dyke Road, at the foot of Briery Bank a finger-post pointed the way. I carefully crossed the railway line looking and listening as instructed, then wandered over a fenced path, once free of the confines of wire and wood I picked my way over Arnside Moss, arriving at Carr Bank Road with dry feet. Normally I’d follow the path through the next two fields but the road walk is far nicer this time of year, with the hedge rows alive with wild flowers and insects and bird song emanating from the tree tops. Once at Hazelslack I entered fields, an ancient coffin route now guided me, first through a couple of large fields then into Underlaid Wood, it was still spitting but under the tree canopy dryness prevailed.

After ascending the first tier of the Whin Scar cliffs noise welcomed me, people chatting, kids shouting and dogs barking, through the tree cover just out of sight was the Fairy Steps and they sounded busy, at the next finger-post I turned left. Left guided me away from the noise through coppice woodland a wide path under foot, it deposited me at a small cairn marking a parting of the ways, after following the right hand path I reached Cockshot Lane. I turned right to be greeted by a finger-post inviting me to Storth, this path I followed through the wood that always gives me the creeps, it didn’t disappoint. First through mixed woodland yellow arrows kept me on track, lots of bird song in the tree tops, then all of a sudden silence, not a sound, I stopped to listen, nothing. I continued soon entering a section of tall mature trees and someone turned the volume back up. The path then crossed a stile, then another to access Yans Lane on the edge of Storth, Yans Lane in turn guided me through the village.

I wandered passed the Post Office then crossed the tiny village green, I was now in the confines of Green Lane, this descended over Sandside Cutting (railway line) to access the sea front at Sandside. It was still spitting, it hadn’t stopped since I left Arnside, there was a tiny bit of blue sky over the estuary, I started walking towards it. First over a narrow path at the foot of a stone embankment protecting the road, then over the Arnside/Sandside Railway Path, this guided me above the salt marsh in a large crescent, looping round to reach Arnside Railway Station, I crossed the tracks via a quaint footbridge bridge then wandered back into the village.

view route map.

home.

Exiting Arnside, looking and listening as instructed, the view, Beetham Fell over Arnside Moss.

Almost a ruin on the edge of Arnside Moss.

The houses of Carr Bank as seen over Arnside Moss.

From the Arnside to Beetham coffin route views back to Hazelslack.

Above the first tier of limestone cliffs on Whin Scar, looking to the Kent Estuary.

Striding out through coppice woodland of Underlaid Wood.

En route over Beetham Fell.

War memorial on the tiny village green at Storth.

Views down the estuary from Sandside.

Rising above the sands of upper Morecambe Bay the limestone scarps of Whitbarrow.

Seen from the Arnside/Sandside Railway Path, the blue/grey hills of the English Lake District.

Across the Kent Channel, dark on the far horizon the Coniston massif.

Beyond Arnside and the Kent Viaduct the green fields and sylvan slopes of Hampsfell.

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