Carnforth to Arnside a Traverse.

Start. Carnforth Railway Station.

Route. Carnforth Railway Station - Warton Road - Shore Road - footbridge - Sand Lane - Crag Road - Warton Crag Main Quarry - Beacon Breast - Warton Crag - Occupation Road - Crag Road - Crag Foot - New Road - Quaker's Stang - Jenny Brown's Point - Silverdale (Lindeth Road) - The Lots - Silverdale Cove - Cove Lane - Cove Road - Holgates - Hollins Farm - Heathwaite - Arnside Knott Wood - Arnside Knott - Red Hills - Red Hills Wood - High Knott Road (Arnside) - Red Hills Road - Silverdale Road - Arnside Promenade.

Notes. Let the train take the strain, so we did for ten minutes on the journey between Arnside and Carnforth. Our intention to walk back taking in two of the finest view points in the area, Warton Crag and Arnside Knott, grab a late breakfast in the Brief Encounter Refreshment Room, Bistro and Bar on Carnforth Station, then hopefully some lunch in Silverdale. What could possibly go wrong? well with Sue navigating nothing.

For a place that promotes the 1945 film Brief Encounter (some of the classic scenes were filmed on Carnforth Station), it boasts a Heritage Centre and the aforementioned refreshment room, the station is a bit of a dump. We gave the Refreshment Room a miss (although that looked nice) and left the station turning left onto Warton Road.

It was quite industrial walking along the busy road, Shore Road allowed us to escape the traffic and the small industrial estates, In the company of the River Keer to the sound of squeaking and rumbling from the railway softened by the tree cover we wandered over tarmac, on reaching a footbridge over the river we crossed joining a narrow tarmac path. This shadowed the railway lines, it deposited us on Sand Lane, Sand Lane in turn guided us towards Warton village, after crossing a low rise near Corfe Farm a track appeared on our left with a finger-post promising passage to Crag Road.

Finally off tarmac we climbed the field, at the top a stile allowed access to Crag Road, a short stretch of tarmac walking then lead to Warton Crag Main Quarry, now a nature reserve. To the west end of said quarry a path climbs through woodland, red arrows point the way, this path guided us through a mix of woodland, over limestone grassland, through scrub and over limestone scarps depositing us on the summit of Warton Crag. As we’d missed breakfast it was time for coffee and a snack, some fuel for the journey.

We bid farewell to the summit, heading north to a path junction, here we swung left, through more stunning limestone scenery we walked, soon reaching a walled track, the Occupation Road, we turned left then descended back to Crag Road. Crag Road then guided us to Crag Foot where we joined New Road. The short stretch of road walking that followed lead to a finger-post promising passage to Quaker’s Stang, first along a track we wandered, under the railway line then right onto an embankment, this in turn guided us above the salt marsh to Jenny Brown’s Point. After passing the smelt mill chimney and Browns Houses we ascended the access road into Silverdale, now rather hungry we thought we aught to grab some lunch.

After lunch and a few cups of tea we re-traced our steps to a wicket gate allowing access to The Lots, two wild flower meadows overlooking Morecambe Bay. Through the fields we wandered before descending to Silverdale Cove, time to turn our backs on the sands of the bay for now. Up Cove Lane we walked then left along Cove Road, we accessed Holgates through a green gate, way-marked paths then guided us through the holiday park to a gate allowing entry to a large field, we crossed said field to join a narrow tarmac road, we then had a choice, two paths one lead through Far Arnside to the coast, the other to Hollins Farm then over Heathwaite, as I'd promised you Arnside Knott it was the latter for us..

The drive guided us to the left of the farm buildings ushering us passed a large barn, a gate then allowed access to Heathwaite. First we climbed Heathwaite then at a crossing of paths continued up Arnside Knott. We’d walked quite a way, the ascent was slow, driving us on the thought it was all down hill from the top. After reaching the summit we passes through a wicket gate then descended through Red Hills, at the bottom corner of the field a stile accessed Red Hills Wood, we continued descending through the wood before stepping onto High Knott Road, all that remained, to pick our way through the streets of Arnside. So via High Knott Road and Red Hills Road and Silverdale Road we made our way to Arnside Promenade.

view route map.

home.

The Heritage Centre, Carnforth Station.

The River Keer off Shore Road.

Viewing the massive cliffs of Warton Crag Main Quarry.

Hazy views to the Lancashire Coast.

Warton Crag Main Quarry, as we entered the quarry I noticed Ravens and a couple of Peregrines searching for nesting sites.

High on Warton Crag soaking up views to Jenny Brown's Point with the Furness Peninsula melting into the horizon.

Looking from sylvan Warton Crag to the scree slopes of Arnside Knott.

Melting into the murk, Grange-over-Sands.

Jenny Brown's Point as seen over Quaker's Stang and Quicksand Pool.

Leighton Moss Nature Reserve, at this point we stood listening to a Bittern booming in the reed beds.

Viewing the wet lands of Leighton Moss.

On the edge of Morecambe Bay looking to sylvan Warton Crag.

Echoes of an industrial past, the Smelt Mill Chimney at Jenny Brown's Point.

The embankment at Jenny Brown's Point projects out into Morecambe Bay, a failed attempt by the Hest Bank, Warton and Silverdale Land Reclamation Company to drain land from this point to the slag heaps at Warton.

From The Lots viewing Park Point with Hampsfell grey across the horizon.

Silverdale Cove.

From the slopes of Arnside Knott views to Warton Crag (left) with Know Hill and Know End Point to the right.

The Kent Viaduct and the upper reaches of Morecambe Bay as seen from Red Hills.

Hardly visible through the gloom, Grange-over-Sands.

Across a hazy horizon Farleton Fell and Hutton Roof Crags.

The pier at Arnside with views down the estuary.

back to top

back to list