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Woodwell, Jenny Brown's Point and Jack Scout.

Start. Silverdale (Shore Road) -

Route. Silverdale (Shore Road) - Stankelt Road - Woodwell Lane - Woodwell - Heald Brow - Jenny Brown's Point - Jack Scout - Lindeth Road - Silverdale (Shore Road).

Notes. Nearing the end of what the weather men called the hottest day of the year, we ate a late dinner alfresco, it was still stifling hot. Just before cracking open a bottle of wine one of us (I don’t remember who) had a bright idea, as there was bugger all on the TV, even if there was it was too nice to sit inside, why not head for Silverdale, the sun sets from Jack Scout are supposed to be some of the best in Cumbria. What better than a short walk ending the day with a romantic evening watching the sun set over Morecambe Bay, now should we take that bottle of wine.

We spilled out of the air conditioned car into sultry heat, the sea breeze did nothing to cool the air. Never the less we walked up Shore Road away from the coast, once in Stankelt Road we joined a footpath running passed housing old and modern, it ejected us onto Woodwell Lane a few yards from the spring and pool. The pool was bereft of water, the spring a mere dribble, this spring has never been known to dry up, a few more days of hot dry weather it may do just that.

From Woodwell we wandered south, Woodwell Cliff to our left a large meadow our right, this trod lead to a tarmac lane, we crossed to be met by a finger-post inviting us to Quakers Stang. Guided by dry stone walls and hedge rows this path guided us passed a modern barn, through a small cops then into the fields and rough pastures of Heald Brow. From the rough scrub and meadows we descended to Jenny Brown’s Point, wandered passed the Smelt Mill Chimney and Browns Houses to access a narrow ribbon of tarmac.

With tarmac under foot we wandered on to the embankment, a strange structure, a long finger reaching out into the vast expanse of Morecambe Bay. Just after the embankment a wicket gate allowed access to Jack Scout, we walked slowly through the scrub and wild flower meadow, stopped many times to soak up the silence broken only by the sound of Oystercatchers and Curlew somewhere out on the bay, the sun was low over the Furness Peninsula bathing the bay in a wonderful bewitching light.

Just before dipping under the horizon the bloody thing ducked behind a cloud, our cue to head back. A short walk deposited us at a kissing gate allowing access to the tarmac lane we left Jenny Brown’s Point on, we turned left strolled passed Lindeth Tower and Gibralta Farm, Lindeth Road then guided us back through the fading light of a Lancashire evening. It would have been perfect but the pubs are still shut, the bottle of wine still chilling in the fridge back home, on a hot stuffy evening we could have murdered a drink, the beer garden of the Silverdale Hotel would have been the place of choice, maybe next time.

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home.

Approaching the spring and pool at Woodwell.

Silverdale’s water was traditionally collected from roofs, stored in tanks and cisterns, or from the numerous wells and springs arising from the limestone geology. It wasn't’t until 1938 that a piped supply to the village was arranged by the Lune Valley Water Board, the Haweswater-Manchester aqueduct was tapped for this purpose.