Untitled Document

Arnside Knott and Heathwaite.

Start. Arnside.

Route. Arnside - Silverdale Road - Red Hills Road - High Knott Road - Red Hills Wood - Red Hills - Arnside Knott - Arnside Knott Wood - Heathwaite - Silverdale/Arnside Coastal Path - Park Point - Arnside Point - White Creek - Frith Wood - New Barns - Arnside.

Notes. This was primarily a woodland walk with the odd high pasture gifting us with stunning views over woodland, grassland and the vast expanse of Morecambe Bay. Of course you can’t walk out of Arnside without treading on coastal paths at some point, we did exactly that making our return over sea washed cliffs and the sands of the bay.

After parking on the Promenade we turned our backs on the coast, our route followed the tarmac of Silverdale Road up hill as far as it’s junction with Red Hills Road, we then followed Red Hills Road passed some fine Victorian houses to another junction, we turned left onto High Knott Road. After ascending the road cut sharp left passed some large houses, it ushered us to a finger-post inviting the rambler to Arnside Knott. We left tarmac via a metal kissing gate allowing access to Red Hills Wood, through the wood we wandered a good path under foot, the path ended at another kissing gate this time placing us in Red Hills a large pasture, all we had to do was ascend over a green trod to gain access to Arnside Knott.

From the trig point marking the summit we wandered over to the east edge of the hill, marveled at the steep scree riven face, enjoyed views over Arndale as far as the grey hills of Bowland, Ingleborough with it's flat top and over the ever changing seascapes of Morecambe Bay. From the Knott we descended south to be greeted by a finger-post promising passage to Heathwaite, we obliged wandering onto a sylvan ridge. Every so often tree cover gave way to wild flower meadows and stunning vistas, all too soon we started descending through the tightly packed tree cover of Arnside Park, a short sharp descent ejected us onto the coast where jagged limestone and scree mark the point land meets sea.

West we walked cliff top paths keeping us on track, after stopping at Park Point for a brew we continued to Arnside Point where we descended onto dry sand. Beach walking continued passed White Creek to access Frith Wood, we continued above the cliffs at Blackstone Point before being ejected back onto the estuary at an old quarry. Whilst walking across the sands the weather that had been threatening all morning caught up with us, once across New Barns we sat under the canopy of a gnarly old oak tree, donned waterproofs and had another brew. With the wind and rain at our backs it was a short walk back to Arnside and the shelter of the patiently waiting car.

view route map.

home.

Sue strides out through Red Hills Wood.

Looking back to Whitbarrow from the ascent through Red Hills.

The white washed buildings of Grange over Sands and the sylvan slopes of Hampsfell seen from Red Hills.

The view east from Red Hills, over wooded Beetham Fell the limestone scarp of Farleton Fell backed by a distant Barbon Fells.

Over the wet sand of upper Morecambe Bay the communities of Kents Bank and Grange over Sands.

Stunning views from above the Arndale face of Arnside Knott.

Drinking in the views from Arnside Knott, impressive to say the least, over Gait Barrows Hutton Roof Crags with the flat top of Ingleborough just visible on the skyline.