The Arnside Coast and Woodland.
Start. Arnside.
Route. Arnside - Black Dyke Road - Hagg Wood - Middlebarrow Wood - Arnside Tower - Holgates - Far Arnside - Arnside Park - Park Point - White Creek - Blackstone Point - New Barns - Arnside.
Notes. I'd no intention what so ever of going out today, a few weeks ago I fell through the loft ceiling, the hole's still there, it gets a bit drafty when the wind blows, I've made numerous promises to repair the damage all broken, today was yet another broken promise, truth is the good weather got the best of me. With Sue at work, there was nobody to hang onto the reigns or crack the whip, without any encouragement I skulked off to Arnside, I was lucky to get parked, this small Victorian coastal village was very busy. A word of warning, there was plenty of room on the beach car park, I was unsure how high the tide was today, rather than get caught out, many have, I persisted until a space appeared on the prom.
Many walkers set out by following the Kent Channel west, myself included, today I turned my back on the coast, heading south over the tarmac of Black Dyke Road, my intention to pick the coast up later when the tide was flooding. Just before the railway crossing a finger-post invited me to Middlebarrow Wood, I followed this path through farmyard and fields, along the edge of Hagg Wood guided by the railway embankment, Middlebarrow Wood grew larger with every step. On reaching the said wood, I turned right, a good path carried me to the remains of Arnside Tower. To the west of the tower a green lane leads between dry stone walls and hedge rows, I followed this lane to Holgates where a metal gate allowed access to field paths leading north to Far Arnside and the coast. The bay had not yet started flooding, the sands stretched as far as the eye can see. I wandered on guided by cliff top paths, after taking a short cut across White Creek I rounded Blackstone Point passing the remains of the short jetty before reaching New Barns Bay, all that remained, the short walk around the edge of the bay followed by a stroll back to Arnside.
You're looking at the Compensation Pier at Arnside, built in 1860 by the Ullverston and Lancaster Railway Company as part recompense for the affect of the railway viaduct, in 1857 this isolated the Port of Milnthorpe, also causing the estuary to silt up.
The foot-path through Hagg Wood.
Seen over freshly cut fields Middlebarrow Wood grows larger with every step.
Arnside Knott seen from Middlebarrow Wood.
Middlebarrow Wood, light and airy with all the pine trees felled.
The sad remains of Arnside Tower. built somewhere between the 13th to 14th century as a refuge from the marauding Scots and Border Revers, no one actually knows if they ever came this way, destroyed by fire in 1602, later repaired and occupied until the roof timbers were removed for use in the houses of Beetham and Knowsley, the damage we see today was the result of a hurricane in 1884.
The Underlaid Wood skyline seen from Arnside Tower.
Viewing Know Hill and the Silverdale coast from the rocky foreshore at Far Arnside.
The view from near Far Arnside, Heysham Power Stations seen across the vast sweep of Morecambe Bay.
Wonderful silvery seascapes and shifting sand, but no sign of the flooding tide.
Seen from the cliff top path, stunning views over Silverdale Bay taking in Know End Point with the Bowland Fells across the skyline.
Striding out guided by this terrific cliff top path, the view, little Holme Island backed by Hampsfell and the Newton Fells.
Frith Wood seen over the sands at White Creek.
With dark clouds creeping over the Lakeland fells views to the limestone cliffs and Sylvan slopes of Meathop Fell.
Looking back to the limestone cliffs at Park Point, the drone of the warning siren just rung out across the bay, there's still no sign of the incoming tide.
Grange over Sands seen over the Kent Channel.
Catching the afternoon sun, Arnside Knott.
Looking to Blackstone Point and the approaching storm.
The remains of the short jetty at Blackstone Point, iron stone was carried from here to smelt mills on the fringes of the bay.
Meathop Fell and the Newton Fells seen over the Kent Channel.
Grubbins Wood and the Arnside coast seen over New Barns Bay, still no sign of the rising tide.
A stunning carpet of Sea Thrift found at New Barns Bay, it's a pity it's just past it's best.
The white-washed buildings of Arnside, still the tide refuses to flood the upper reaches of Morecambe Bay. The big spring tides race up like an express train, I can only presume it's a very low tide today, I hung around for twenty minutes but nothing.