An Easy Loop from Milnthorpe.

Start. Milnthorpe.

Route. Milnthorpe - Old Bridge - Dallam Park - Haverbrack - Cockshot Lane - Longtail Wood - Beetham Fell - Underlaid Wood - Hazelslack - Teddy Heights - Storth - Carr Bank - Sandside Road - Arnside/Hincaster Railway Path - Sandside - Dallam Park (Summer House Point) - Milnthorpe Bridge - Dallam Park - Old Bridge - Milnthorpe.

Notes. A late start today, something easy, after checking the weather forecast to find the better weather was to the south-west of Kendal, I had a quick look from the top of the garden, sure enough the Kent Estuary was bathed in sunlight, to the coast it was then.

I’d got as far as Milnthorpe to find that slice of sunlight I’d seen earlier had vanished to be replaced by light cloud, disappointed I parked up, plotted an easy route and headed off. Over Old Bridge into Dallam Park I walked, way marked paths then guided me through the deer park. There was a strange noise reverberating through the park, it took a while before the penny dropped, the deer were rutting, bellowing to attract a harem. At a small cairn with a mettle plate on top I turned right, this path leads to Haverbrack, a tiny hamlet in the shadow of Haverbrack Bank.

By now another sound had replaced the bellowing of the stags, this was the sound of gun shots, the local Pheasant population were fleeing for their lives, I could see the shooting party as I wandered along the lane, to my relief they were facing away from me. As I approached a horn sounded, the shooting stopped, the dogs were released to collect the fallen birds. I’m not a fan of killing things even though it's part of country life, watching the dogs work was a pleasure, I stood at a wall end until the beaters started emerging from the woodland.

The path to the Fairy Steps then ushered me along the edge of Longtail Wood, across Beetham Fell and through Underlaid Wood, avoiding the Fairy Steps I turned right at a finger-post promising passage to Hazelslack. Through woodland I descended, over limestone pavements, the path I followed was an old coffin route, it deposited me at Hazelslack with it’s farm and ruinous pele tower. The lane passing the tower ushered me to a gate allowing access to Teddy Heights Nature Reserve, I’d had stags rutting, men with guns shooting I now had to endure chain saws, men in high vis jackets were thinning the tree cover, they were kind enough to stop to let me safely pass.

I exited the wood to the sound of another tree hitting the woodland floor, I then descended to Carr Bank, turned left onto the Sandside Road then after a couple of hundred yards joined the Arnside/Hincaster Railway Path. This superb trod guided me to Sandside, I wandered along the sea front, next to a builders yard a narrow path leads to a quiet lane, this I followed. Behind the builders yard and rows of flats I wandered, eventually emerging at Shoreline Business Park, I crossed the road and descended onto the estuary. Not far to walk from here, the River Bela flows through Dallam Park and it was this meandering watercourse that guided me back.

view route map.

home.

The River Bela from Old Bridge.

Viewing Whitbarrow from Dallam Park.

Lined by mature trees the lane through Dallam Park.

Fallow Deer in Dallam Park, the stag is bellowing to attract a harem, it looks like he's having some success.

The tiny hamlet of Haverbrack.

Striding out through Haverbrack towards the sound of gun shots.

Grey across the horizon, Farleton Fell with Hutton Roof Crags to the right.

In Underlaid Wood above the first tier of the Whin Scar Crags, looking to wooded Arnside Knott.

Pheasants in the fields near Hazelslack, safe for now the shooting party's gone for lunch.

If only stone and mortar could talk, what a story they could tell, Hazelslack Tower probably 14th century one of a number ringing Morecambe Bay.

Arnside Knott as viewed from the Arnside/Hincaster Railway Path.

Whitbarrow across the Kent Channel.

The combined waters of the Rivers Kent and Bela at Sandside.

Viewing Sandside from Summer House Point.

The River Bela in Dallam Park.

back to top

back to list