Arnside Knott from Arnside.
Start. Arnside.
Route. Arnside - Old Boat House - Red Hills Road - High Knott Road - Red Hills Wood - Red Hills - Arnside Knott - Heathwaite - Far Arnside - Park Point - Arnside Point - Blackstone Point - New Barns - Arnside.
Notes. Wind and rain, persistent wind and rain and yet more of the same. I'm watching wheely bins blowing passed my living room window, the car's in the firing line, on braving the tempest in a rush to move it I noticed bright skies to the south, a few minutes later the rain had stopped and I was driving through the debris of a three day storm en route to Arnside.
This was Arnside without people, the place was dead, the weather had obviously dampened the new year walking paternities enthusiasm, the place was all mine, just me and a howling gale. Via estuary paths, a stoney trod next to the beach Walk Café and a tarmac lane I made my way to Red Hills Road, a short walk over tarmac followed to access High Knott Road. Passed large houses I wandered to be greeted by a finger-post inviting me to ascend Arnside Knott, I obliged entering Red Hills Wood before ascending Red Hills. At the top of the pasture a quaint wicket gate allowed access to a weather beaten Arnside Knott, I passed through said gate to start a wind assisted traverse of the summit. In the lee of the hill 500ft below me nestled Far Arnside, shelter from the gale, a place of refuge. I descended on good paths, first to Heathwaite then to the tiny hamlet of white washed buildings.
The coastal walk from Far Arnside to New Barns was a wind free delight, accompanied by the rising tide I wandered on a narrow cliff top path under foot, round Park Point, and Arnside Point, followed by Blackstone Point before reaching New Barns to be greeted by my friend the wind. A head down battle followed as I buffeted my way north back to Arnside and the shelter of the Ye Olde Fighting Cocks.
Ascending Red Hills looking to the limestone cliffs of Whitbarrow.
Seen from Red Hills the white washed buildings of Grange-over-Sands.
The remains of the knotted tree, two trees were knotted in Victorian times but this sad specimen is all that remains.
Descending in the lee of the hill, pausing to admire views over the Silverdale coast.
Heathwaite as seen from Far Arnside.
The shifting sands of Morecambe Bay.
Views to Know End Point from the shingle beach at Far Arnside.
The vast expanse of Morecambe Bay floods with the salt water of the Irish Sea.
En route through Arnside Park.
From the cliff top path at Park Point views over wet sand to the long finger of Humphrey Head.
Approaching Arnside Point looking over White Creek to the Newton Fells and cliffs of Meathop Fell.
Sea washed turf at White Creek with views to Humphrey Head with Tower Hill to the right.
Seen from Blackstone Point, Meathop Fell.
Heading round Blackstone Point with views over upper Morecambe Bay for company.
Viewing Frith Wood from the mud banks on the northern edge of New Barns Bay.
The Kent Viaduct at Arnside. Some useless information for all you railway buffs out there, originally built to service Barrow and the towns on the Cumberland coast, opened in 1857, the original wooden structure was rebuilt in 1915 to allow the much heavier trains servicing the Millom Steel industry to cross, 50 piers stretch 522 yards.
Looking to Grange-over-Sands from the wind swept shores of the Kent Estuary.
High tide Arnside.