Arnside Coast and Woodland.
Start. Arnside.
Route. Arnside - New Barns - Copridding Wood - Arnside Knott Wood - Arnside Tower - Middlebarrow Wood - Eaves Wood - Waterslack Wood - Middlebarrow Quarry - Hagg Wood - Black Dyke - Arnside.
Notes. It's two weeks since I turned my ankle, two weeks limping around staring at four walls, last weekend was wet so I guess I didn't miss much, by hook or by crook I was taking this horrible yellow still swollen lump on the end of my left leg walking this afternoon. I decided on the Arnside coast followed by a ramble through the various tracts of woodland surrounding Arnside Knott, mostly on good paths with plenty of escape routes if the pain killers wore off.
My route was simple, from The Promenade I followed the estuary south, just under a mile of easy walking saw me step onto the concrete lane at New Barns Bay. Turning my back on the coast I wandered up the lane to be met almost immediately by a metal kissing gate allowing access to Copridding Wood. I ascended through dence coppice woodland before stepping into Arnside Knott Wood, a great deal of forestry work has been done here, the woods are now light and airy, with lots of clearings, secret glades with once hidden corners just waiting to be explored. After a short climb I stepped onto the main bridleway traversing the shoulder of the knott, I followed this well used trod south to access Silverdale Road and the lane leading to Arnside Tower.
After passing the sad remains of Arnside Tower the oldest building in the parish I crossed a ladder stile to enter Middlebarrow Wood, another once dense tract of woodland now transformed by the hands of the woodsman. Ascending over once hidden limestone shelves and pavements I made my way to a narrow slit stile that allowed me access to Eaves Wood. I turned left away from King William's Hill, I was hunting for the massive scar of the now disused Middlebarrow Quarry. I left the open glades and bird song behind this next stretch of woodland was dark and dank, Scots pines and yew soaked up the sun light, no bird song here, it was quite eerie following the path across exposed limestone pavements. Keeping a dry stone wall to my left ignoring any other paths, I descended passing through a gap in the wall to enter Waterslack Wood. Without warning a wide path emerged from my left, here is a path junction I couldn't ignore, I turned left, I soon emerged at the massive scar of the Middlebarrow Quarry. The path followed the edge of the railway line, green arrows marked my route, after passing the railway crossing I entered yet more woodland. A finger-post invited me to Black Dyke, I obliged and was soon striding across green pastures before a muddy path guided me along the edge of Hagg Wood, after crossing a small paddock I stepped onto the tarmac of Black Dyke Road, all that remained was a short stretch of road walking back to the prom at Arnside.
I promised myself no photos of the Kent Viaduct today, well, it's like a magnet drawing the eye to Whitbarrow.
Seen from the sea front at Arnside, Grange-over-Sands.
It was absolutely pouring down at this point, hence the rainbow conveniently framing Whitbarrow.
The path through Copridding Wood.
Looking to Arnside Knott.
A small group of walkers descend into Copridding Wood.
Free of the trees with views to Arnside Tower backed by Middlebarrow Wood.
On the approach to Arnside Tower with a stunning view to Farleton Fell and Hutton Roof.
The somber remains of Arnside Tower. A brief history, raised in the 14th century, partially demolished between 1684-1690, the stone being used to build houses in Beetham and Knowsley, the great hurricane of 1884 was the final nail in the coffin, leaving the ruins as we see them today, sad really.
Seen over Arnside Tower Farm the southern scree slopes of Arnside Knott.
In Middlebarrow Wood looking to Hagg Wood as a heavy shower sweeps across the Kent Valley.
The limestone pavements in Eaves Wood.
You know you've gone the right way when you pass this fine fellow. I haven't a clue what species it is.
One large scar the now disused Middlebarrow Quarry, quarried since around 1920 passibly earlier, closed around the turn of the century due to it's depth, when a licence was refused to quarry into yet more of the hillside, a request was made to dig deeper, this was refused on the grounds it may affect the water table in particularly the level of near by Hawes Water.
En route to Black Dyke looking to Arnside Knott.
Seen from the same field Hagg Wood.
Viewing a distant Arnside Tower from one of the drainage ditches draining into Silverdale Moss.
From Hagg Wood views to Middlebarrow Hill.
That bloody viaduct again, from left to right. the Newton Fells, little Yewbarrow with it's stunning views, in sunlight and shade Whitbarrow.