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Levens Park from Oxenholme.

Start. Oxenholme.

Route. Oxenholme - Helm Lane - Natland - Cracalt - Lancaster Canal - Larkrigg Spring Wood - Sedgwick - Wellheads Plantation - Hincaster Road - Levens Park - Levens Bridge - Levens Park - Park Head - Force Gorge - Nannypie Lane - Low Park Wood - Hawes Wood - Hawes Bridge - Hawes Lane - Natland - Oxenholme.

Notes. Welcome to a place of peace and tranquility, Levens Park is a very special place to visit, initially laid out by Guillaume Beaumont between 1694-1710 it has a timeless beauty all of its own. Bisected by the River Kent, the park has an abundance of fine trees including a mile long avenue of oaks, once the original carriage drive to the hall and gardens. Under normal circumstances you could drive to the park, there's a lovely three mile loop, an easy walk for children and grandparents. As we're still locked down, with good reason I was forced to walk from home and, as the idea is to get some exercise I shan't be complaining.

As has become the norm I set out from home, south along the edge of Burton Road to access Helm Lane, this I descended into Natland. From the village green I turned left then left again, this lane leads to Sedgwick but I've already had enough road walking for one day, I left it at Cracalt, a finger-post promised access to Force Bridge. With a bridleway under foot I wandered on leaving the bridleway for the canal tow path on reaching Larkrigg Hall Bridge.

Through woodland and grassland I walked, above Sedgwick on a fine aqueduct, at Sedgwick Hall Bridge I entered Wellheads Plantation. Here the main road into the lakes severs the canal in two, that mattered not a jot this path deposited me on the Hincaster Road at the north entrance to Levens Park. What followed was a wonderful mile long ramble guided by a splendid oak avenue, the original carriage drive to Levens Hall, the drive deposited me at Levens Bridge I crossed the river before re-entering the park to start the walk back.

Parkland walking continued until a stile allowed access to sheep pastures, the path then guided me to Park Head, a tiny hamlet in a almost perfect setting. The lane through Park Head as also been severed by the main road, an underpass ushered me beneath the road, I continued to Force Gorge. Still on the east bank of the river I let tarmac guide me to a narrow lane which in turn lead to Low Park Wood, home to a caravan park and the remains of the New Sedgwick Gunpowder Works. I continued with the river to my right, for a change I ignored the gunpowder works, I even ignored the path running along the old mill leat, this time I opted for the left hand path. This guided me through coppice woodland alive with bluebells and wild garlic, it ejected me into cow pastures which I traversed to enter Hawes Wood. Just a word of warning, the field I've just crossed and Hawes Wood are private, although a path and stiles exist there is no public right of way, on a lighter note I have been walking this way since I was a spotty teenager and never been questioned.

Once out of Hawes Wood I turned right letting Hawes Lane usher me out of the valley, over Hawes Bridge then the canal at Crow Park back to Natland, I left the village via Oxenholme Lane, the reason for not wandering back through fields, I was carrying a back pack and the stiles are so narrow it would mean removing it at each field boundary, nothing to do with beady eyed cows guarding the entrance to their field.

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