Farleton Fell and Hutton Roof Crags from Holme.
Start. Holme.
Route. Holme - Lancaster Canal - Farleton - Farleton Fell - Newbiggin Crags - Hutton Roof Crags - Lancelot Clark Storth - Pickles Wood - Slape Lane - Burton - Lancaster Canal - Holme.
Notes. The fell forecast was pretty grim for this morning, sometimes you have to throw the towel in, with strong winds and blizzards predicted I decided on a couple of lesser summits close to home, as it happened I got the wind, not so strong, blizzards, short lived but regular, and between the two windows of the most beautiful light you could ever imagine. Farleton Fell and Hutton Roof were in lets say entertaining mood today, alive with scudding cloud and dancing shadows backed by stunning views. Canals are great to wander along but do tend to pall on a little, with this in mind I parked on the B6384 (old Burton Road) just north of Holme village. Today I would start and finish on the canal, split the level walking with the high limestone plateaus of Hutton Roof and Farleton Fell.
I left the village following the line of the canal north, the hum of traffic on the M6 never very far away, way marked paths carried me along the edge of the motorway before I followed the narrow lane into Farleton village. Where the lane swung sharp left a narrow slit stile on the right allowed access to the lower slopes of Farleton Fell. I stepped through this stile to start my ascent, through a field at first before a steep path carried me between dense Gorse and scree to reach a splendid cairn marking the 800ft summit of this broken limeston escarpment. Several paths leave the summit, I followed the one in the shadow of a dry stone wall, leaving the song of the motorway traffic behind I wandered through some wonderful limestone scenery before reaching and descending Newbiggin Crag, a short walk down the field saw me step onto the fell road.
An interpretation board and finger-post mark the start of the path onto Hutton Roof Crags. I passed through the gate to start my ascent, through Gorse, scrub and stunted trees I climbed, over yet more limestone pavements, stepping over many clints and grikes before reaching the trig point that marks the summit, the hill might be low in stature, just 899ft but the views are stunning. I descended to the west crossing the oddly named Lancelot Clark Storth. Following the line of a dry stone wall I soon stepped onto a narrow lane, Slape Lane guided me between high hedge rows with limited views on the long easy descent to Burton. Following the tarmac of Vicarage Lane, then Tanpits Lane I made my way to the west of the village, finally striding out along Stanton Lane, passing over the motorway before descending to the canal. The final mile was spent rambling along this wonderful stretch of waterway with stunning views to the west across upper Morecambe Bay and the Arnside/Silverdale coast, to the north the hills of Lakeland dominated the view, not forgetting Farleton Fell and Hutton Roof Crags to the east, high ground walked earlier.
Long shadows across the fields on the edge of Holme village, looking to the limestone cliffs of Farleton and Holmepark Fells.
The northern reaches of the Lancaster/Kendal Canal, lack of canal traffic makes this stretch of waterway a true place of tranquility.
Viewing a moody Farleton Fell from Farleton Bridge.
Seen from Farleton Bridge the rolling pastures of South Cumbria.
A rather cluttered picture, on the lower slopes of Farleton Fell looking to the Newton Fells.
The threat of a storm seen from the summit cairn Farleton Fell.
Sandwiched between storm and the dark cliffs of Holmepark Fell the lowlands of north Lancashire, just visible on the horizon Clougha Pike above Lancaster.
Views to Morecambe Bay and the Irish Sea coast, with the dark profile of Warton Crag to the right.
Wide skies dominate views across the Lune Valley today.
Sunburst over Hutton Roof Crags.
Looking back to the edge of Newbiggin Crags a landscape laid down in the waters of a warm tropical ocean 350 million years ago.
Under a dark cloud and a light dusting of snow the tantalizing ridges of Middleton Fell.
Stunning views from the ascent of Hutton Roof Crags, Holmepark Fell backed by the snow capped peaks of the Lake District.
A wonderful view to Whitbarrow across a patchwork of farmland and the shifting sands of upper Morecambe Bay.
Looking to Arnside Knott with the grey hills of western Lakeland reaching across the skyline.
Holmepark Fell stands sharp in the middle distance with the ghost like hills of the English Lake District on the skyline.
Leave the summit and the sun comes out, descending through Lancelot Clark Storth, strange name beautiful tract of woodland.
I'm descending through dense woodland but every so often a clearing gifts me with stunning views, the limestone escarpment of Holmepark Fell backed by the hills of the Lake District.
Another clearing, another stunning view, Arnside Knott, to the left the massive scar of Middlebarrow Quarry.
Wonderful views to Morecambe Bay with Warton Crag to the right.
In this clearing the light was quite special, no views just a glacial erratic abandoned by the retreating glacier 12,000 years ago.
Seen from Slape Lane through a gap in the hedge row, the scree and Gorse of Farleton Fell, to the right the limestone cliffs of Holmepark Fell.
Arnside Knott seen over the Church of St John Burton-in-Kendal.
Back on the banks of the canal, looking to Farleton Fell and the slightly higher ground of Holmepark Fell, the two Swans about to land had all but brushed the top of my head, the last bird to do that was a Buzzard in the Howgill Fells, after drawing blood it persisted with the attack until I wandered out of it's territory.