Untitled Document

Heathwaite and Arnside Knott.

Start. Arnside (Promenade).

Route. Arnside (Promenade) - Ash Meadow - New Barns - New Barns Caravan Park - Arnside Park - Heathwaite - Arnside Knott - Red Hills - Red Hills Wood - Arnside (High Knott Road) - Red Hills Road - Silverdale Road - Ash Meadow Woodland - Arnside (Promenade).

Notes. With only a few hours to spare between dropping Sue off at work and picking her up, taking into account an absolute dismal weather forecast, what was I to do, as I scanned the forecast hour by hour, minute by minute there on the screen a short weather window with only a 35% chance of getting wet not the promised 95% chance for the rest of the day. Armed with this priceless information I plotted my route, mainly through woodland because dripping woodland is far less wetting than driving rain, and where was this walk through dripping woodland to be, well Arnside of course.

Heathwaite supports limestone grassland and the flora that thrives in it, the views from the wild flower meadows look out over the silvery seascapes of Morecambe Bay and the rolling pastures of Silverdale, in contrast Arnside Knott offers spectacular views over Lakeland and the Kent Estuary. The two form a ridge walk mainly under the cover of a sylvan canopy, after all the idea on this walk was to try to stay dry.

As I have so many times before I followed the estuary south, always different, I never get tired of Morecambe Bay. Passed Ash Meadow I wandered followed by the old boat yard (blue painted building), I then continued to New Barns where the drive accessing New Barns Caravan Park guided me passed The “Bob In” Cafe. After initially following the right hand path I strolled on to the next path junction, at this parting of the ways I turned left, I then wandered behind the mobile homes along the edge of woodland, at the next path junction I again turned left, the ascent started immediately.

The path was obvious, the climb steep, I ascended through the woodland of Arnside Park. After a great deal of puffing and blowing I reached a gate allowing access to Heathwaite, the path continued swinging right out of the tree cover to gift me with stunning views over Morecambe Bay, I noted the fells of Bowland were cloaked under a dark blanket of cloud and the wind was blowing it in my direction. The path continued in and out of stunning vistas eventually reaching a crossing of paths, I went straight on signed Arnside Knott. With limestone and gravel under foot I started climbing, the path kinked a little to ease the gradient but it was still a leg burner.

At a low coll where a number of paths met I joined a narrow trod that ushered me above the Knott's southern face, here I felt the first spots of rain, donned a waterproof jacket then headed to the summit. A trig point marks the top but the views are poor, better to walk the few yards to Red Hills, I did and the rain walked with me. With the wet stuff falling I descended a wide green trod, this guided me to the bottom corner of the pasture where a gate allowed access to Red Hills Wood, after wandering through said wood I emerged onto High Knott Road, turned left, strolled passed some fine houses before descending to Red Hills Road.

Red Hills Road in turn guided me to Silverdale Road where the left hand pavement ushered me behind housing under some mature trees as far as a wooden pedestrian gate, this I’d never passed through, in fact I’d never noticed it before. Now walking new ground the path descended through Ash Meadow Woodland depositing me back on the Promenade a few yards from the car.

view route map.

home.