Читать книгу Walks in Silverdale and Arnside - Brian Evans - Страница 10

INTRODUCTION

The combination of perhaps the best coastal scenery and the highest concentration of intricate woodland paths in north-west England make the Silverdale area a wonderful place to visit. There are low hills with exquisite woodland paths and old parkland, and areas of limestone grassland and pavement. Views are memorable over Morecambe Bay, the hills of the Lake District or back to the long line of the Pennines. The once extensive salt-marsh that made walking easy on the grassy shore is now but a memory, yet the upside is a more rugged sea-swept coastline.

The walks explore an area of low, densely wooded limestone hills, rich in flora and fauna, either side of the M6 in north Lancashire and south Cumbria. Summits include Warton Crag, Arnside Knott, Haverbrack Fell, Farleton Knott, Holme Park Fell and Hutton Roof Crags. There are numerous areas of intricate limestone pavement which invite careful exploration.

Leighton Moss is an internationally important wildlife reserve owned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and there are many nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest where the fauna and flora are protected. Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve is renowned for its limestone pavement habitat. Historical features abound, from pele towers to the remains of quarrying and copper mining.

So often when the hills of the Lake District and the Pennines are shrouded with mist, this area enjoys good visibility and even sunshine. Annual rainfall is about 1100mm and sunshine is above average for the north-west of England. Mild winters mean that it can be enjoyable walking here when the weather is too rough to be attractive in other upland areas. Even strong winds are no deterrent, except on the coast, for the woodland walking is pleasantly sheltered.

Geology

All the hills in the area are formed principally of Carboniferous limestone, comprising the remains of marine life laid down in a shallow sea about 300 million years ago. Towards the end of the Carboniferous period violent earth movements convulsed the rocks. They were folded and broken into the present block and basin structure, although considerable erosion has taken place since. The blocks of limestone have a gentle dip, usually to the south or south-east as at Farleton, but to the north-east at Warton Crag, due to the effects of uplifting and faulting. The north–south valleys are the result of faulting. The Trough is a prominent feature encountered on several walks; this indicates the line of the Woodbine Shale, a bed of mudstone which is softer and more easily eroded than the surrounding limestone. At Trowbarrow Quarry it is easy to see how tectonic movements have caused the rock strata to become almost vertical, or even reversed.

The cave at Silverdale Cove (Walk 2)

The last Ice Age, which ended around 15,000 years ago, left its mark on the area. Ice sheets scoured the rocks, resulting in sheets of smooth limestone that can be seen in many locations. A considerable thickness of ice covered the area, and as this melted Morecambe Bay covered a much larger area than it does now. It is thought that ice in the Irish Sea may have dammed the freshwater rivers to make Morecambe Bay into a gigantic lake. The present-day basins were submerged, and it is easy to visualise the Arnside and Silverdale hills as islands. The fluctuations in sea level left deposits of sediments or alluvium in the flat basins, giving rise, where well drained, to rich farmland, or forming the marshy areas such as Leighton Moss and Hawes Water. Around Hawes Water the substance diatomite can be found, which is made up of the siliceous fossil remains of microscopic organisms. It is a valuable commodity, used for its insulating properties, and was worked commercially at Kentmere in the Lake District.

Hollows formed by large pockets of melting ice or slow drainage are typical of limestone scenery. These hollows are called dolines, and sometimes have a water sink at the base. Hawes Water lies over several merged dolines, and the doline hollow in Deepdale is the result of a collapsed cave. The larger basins, such as the area now covered by Hale Moss, were once lakes and still flood in winter and in wet weather. The edges of the basins were sometimes lined by small cliffs, like the ones close to the road at the edge of Hale Moss. These cliffs are riddled with small tubular water-worn passages. There is evidence of several sea levels along the Silverdale coast, and there is an almost perfect circular phreatic tube cave worn by water pressure action.

The many limestone pavements in the area were scraped by ice and eroded by water and rainfall into their present form of clints – smooth surface blocks eroded over time – and grykes – the deep fissures between the clints. Solution pockets of varying sizes can also be seen on the surface where rainwater has created hollows by dissolving the limestone. Where the pavements are tilted, surface runnels are formed by water. These are especially pronounced on Farleton Fell and Hutton Roof Crags, where the rounded rundkarren are among the best examples in Britain. These were formed when the rocks were covered by a layer of vegetation and water draining away underneath the vegetation wore the limestone into its present attractive patterns. Sharp-edged rinnenkarren were formed where the rocks were open to erosion directly by the elements. These are rare in Britain and are best seen at The Rakes of Hutton Roof Crags.

During the last Ice Age many limestone boulders were moved and deposited on other limestone beds, and there are many examples of these perched boulders, or erratics, in the area. (They are so called because they are not derived from the rock upon which they lie.) Sometimes the ice moved rocks from further afield before depositing them; Shap granite erratics can be seen on some of the walks.

In geological time the limestone was covered by beds of red sandstone, long since removed by erosion. An interesting feature that developed at this time was caused by water seeping through the sandstone and becoming impregnated with minerals which were then deposited in the limestone caves below. This is explains the presence of copper and haematite (iron ore) which were mined in several parts of the area, especially at Crag Foot, where layers of brecciated sandstone filled the phreatic passages.

Karren grooves at The Rakes (Walks 16, 18)

Industry through the ages

Early settlers

The earliest settlers chose the well-drained terraces of Warton Crag, close to springs of good water. Dog Holes, above Crag Foot on Warton Crag, is archaeo-logically interesting but there is no public access. At the foot of a small shaft there are several galleries which have yielded a rich collection of remains, the earliest dating from Late Pleistocene times. Beaker-ware, flints and human remains from Neolithic times, Bronze Age pans and enamelled bronze-work and Roman pottery have all been recovered. It seems that the cave was used for human habitation over a very long period of time. Other archaeological remains have been found at another Dog Holes, on Haverbrack, but not in the same quantity as at Warton.

Mining

Copper was scarce in the area and therefore highly prized. Copper ore was mined in Elizabethan times near Jenny Brown’s Point, and a little later near Storth. Between 1800 and 1830 copper was mined at Crag Foot by Cornish miners. The ore was smelted at Jenny Brown’s Point in the smelt mill built at the end of the 18th century, using engines transported from North Wales.

The Higher and Lower Warton Mines at Crag Foot enjoyed a further lease of life between 1836 and 1840 when haematite was mined for reddle, a very powerful red dye used in the manufacture of paint and for colouring doorway threshold stones. The ore was floated, dried, crushed and screened, then roasted to give different colours. Leighton furnace was built in 1713 and operated into the 1800s.

Coppicing

Until around 1914 most of the woodland in this area was managed on the coppice-with-standards system, in which the standard trees, particularly oak, were allowed to grow normally, while the surrounding underwood, usually of hazel, was cut regularly. The felled tree stumps produced a growth of straight, slender poles of varying thickness which was then harvested for a wide range of uses including charcoal manufacture. The coppiced wood was also used for the flourishing bobbin industry of South Westmorland. The term coppice, or copse, derives from the French word couper – to cut. During the First World War many of the standards were cut down and coppicing went into decline.

Wildlife

The woodlands support a prolific but shy wildlife. Deer are prevalent over the whole wooded area; alongside the native red and roe deer are small numbers of shy, pale fallow deer whose forebears have escaped from the introduced Dallam Park herd. Although deer can often be seen, they prefer undisturbed surroundings and usually keep away from the popular paths. Walkers should be aware that ticks from red deer have been known to carry Lymes Disease, a particularly unpleasant illness. However, cases are very rare. It is sensible to wear long trousers, and if you have flu-like symptoms after a bite, or a red circle around the bite, consult a doctor. Dogs can also pick up the ticks.

Fallow deer

Other wildlife in the area include red squirrels, which can still be seen in some of the woodlands; badger setts are not uncommon, but you will only see these shy nocturnal creatures if you are very lucky around twilight.

The limestone area is renowned amongst naturalists for its exceptionally interesting flora, protected in several extensive reserves. Many species of orchids can be seen in late spring and early summer. The sheltered limestone crevices, or grykes, provide a perfect habitat for a range of interesting plants, some of which you would expect to see on a woodland floor. Often, you will see flowers here when they are long past their best in more open surroundings.

Particular plants to look for in the grykes are the many species of fern: hart’s tongue, hard shield and male; wall and maidenhair spleenworts; and polypody. Also present are the rare rigid buckler fern and limestone fern, and the nationally scarce blue moor grass. Limestone pavement is also an ideal habitat for a range of uncommon plants including angular solomon’s seal, lily-of-the-valley and several orchids including the dark red helleborine. All plants are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which makes it an offence to pick or remove any wild flower without the owner’s permission.

Crevices in the limestone are a haven for ferns

Butterflies and moths thrive on the limestone grassland and you may see the diminutive small heath or the larger dark green fritillary. Birds to look for are the skylark, willow warbler and yellowhammer.

The Leighton Moss Reserve was established by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in 1964, and in 1974 it purchased an additional 6000 acres of the marshland on the edge of Morecambe Bay between Hest Bank and Arnside Point to create one of the most important bird reserves in the country. Over 270 bird species have been recorded on the reserve, including the elusive bittern and the striking avocet.

Many walkers who are not especially interested in birds do not realise the significance of the intense activity which takes place on the estuary and the moss. It is of international importance. Many birds use the estuary as a staging post on a long migratory journey, such as greenshank and whimbrel on their way from the Arctic to Africa. White wagtails pass in spring on their way to Iceland, while pink-footed geese fly over from their breeding grounds below the icecaps of Central Iceland. It is worth a special visit to the coast in winter to see the vast flocks of dunlin, knot, oystercatcher, blacktailed godwit and redshank which gather on the edge of the tide. In spring many of them migrate northwards, to Scandinavia and Russia, to breed. Shelduck, a colourful bird which finds its food in the estuary mud, is often seen in large numbers. They breed in the area, often inland in rabbit holes, and make a strange moult migration to Heligoland in Germany, returning in mid-September.

Bittern

Bearded tit

Occasional rare visitors, like the osprey, promote great excitement on the grapevine for ‘twitchers’, and Leighton Moss is invaded by keen bird watchers from a wide area. There is a public hide on the Causeway; access to the reserve hides is free to RSPB members, but a charge is made to non-members.

Walking seasons

Walking in the Silverdale and Arnside area can be enjoyed throughout the year. Springtime, with its abundant flowers, and the colourful displays of autumn are especially rewarding. Summer is the busiest time, with the greatest influx of human visitors. In winter vast flocks of birds can be seen in Morecambe Bay, and the weather is often good for walking here when the nearby Lake District is shrouded in mist and rain. The woods can also provide sheltered walking in strong winds.

Every season holds a special charm. Perhaps most rewarding is late spring, when the trees are bursting to life with delicate fresh green leaves, and flowers carpet the floor of the woodlands in a spray of colour – whether it is purple violets, white wood anemones, yellow primroses or daffodils or the pink of herb robert. Almost all year round the woodland carpet is dog’s mercury. Its early shoots accompany the earliest flowers, and its leaves hide the ground providing a backdrop for more colourful flowers during the rest of the year.

High summer is predominantly green. Most of the popular walks are on paths that are broad enough to be traversed comfortably even at the zenith of vegetation growth. Where the paths are slender the trails take on a jungle character, where you follow too closely at your peril or you may suffer the whip-lash of a punitive branch. Bracken can be troublesome on Hutton Roof Crags, where some of the paths become difficult to negotiate.

Autumn is another high point of the year when the blaze of colours is at its best, particularly in the abundant deciduous woodland. This is the time to seek out the stately beeches in Eaves Wood, although caution is necessary on the leaf-covered paths where slippery limestone lurks unseen. When winds blow too strongly for comfort on the shore, the woodlands can be pleasantly sheltered. Autumn is particularly good for fungi, and there are organised fungus forays throughout autumn to find elf cups, fairy clubs, earth stars, bird’s nest fungi and many more.

Bracken invades the paths on Hutton Roof Crags

Winter is not to be despised for the delicate tracery of stripped branches can be very attractive. There is a surprising amount of greenery still around. Limestone supports a large number of yew trees which, with the particularly abundant moss and ivy, become much more obvious in winter. The ivy wreaths around trunks, creeps over boulders and walls and sometimes seems to be devouring the long, low crags. Lattice patterns of branches capture sunlight like a stained glass window. Wands and branches weave in the wind as the trees rustle and creak in a never ending tune-up. On the limestone pavements, the micro-climate of the grikes provides a sheltered haven where ferns and small flowers still linger.

Walking on the shore

The shore is a place to visit in all seasons. Walking on the shore has become much rougher since the erosion of the salt-marsh, once a broad expanse of springy sea-washed turf dissected by narrow water-filled channels. Erosion started around the late 1970s and has continued since then, and now only a few remnants of grass remain. The channel of the River Kent swings backwards and forwards between the Grange and Silverdale sides of the estuary; in the 1840s Silverdale was a popular bathing beach, but the channel moved and salt-marsh developed. By 1915 the marsh had eroded to the low cliff line before building up again to its peak in the 1970s.

Where once you could stroll on sheep-cropped turf, now you need to scramble along a rocky foreshore. A coastal walk needs more careful planning as high tides sweep right up to the cliffs and the Kent channel reaches the Silverdale shore. On a receding tide it is great fun, especially for children who love to scramble on the rough limestone. Take special care, however, as wet or green seaweed-covered limestone is very slippery.

Be aware that the tide advances very rapidly – you don’t want to be trapped in a secluded cove! Take care not to wander onto the sands of the estuary as the channels can hide quicksands; these can occur close to the shoreline as well as further out. Along the bay there are warning notices which point out the dangers. A leaflet, Morecambe Bay Advice, is available locally and its advice should be heeded. Tide tables are readily available from local shops, and it is essential to know the times of tides. There is also a 24-hour telephone number 0151 931 3341 for information about tides run by the Coastguard service.

Walking in the woods and hills

The wonderful woodland walking contrasts pleasantly with that of the open bay. Several of the walks combine a bit of both. A general criticism levelled at forest walking is that the trees are all the same, the views restricted and the paths dull. Although this may be true of plantations, the more natural woodland walking in this area is completely different. The scene is constantly changing and there are beautiful clearings and dells. There are huge spreading yews, wand-like hazels, grand oaks and beeches, ashes and hornbeams and a smattering of larches and pines.

Yew trees are a feature on many walks

The paths are rarely dull, for they run over a thinly soiled limestone, where the craggy structure is constantly poking through. There are limestone pavements, where some of the crevices sprout prickly hawthorns, delightful in blossom time. Tiny crags, often clothed in rich mosses and trees, are either companions to the path or features to be crossed. Views are restricted at times, especially in the height of summer greenery, but the paths weave an intricate course amongst the rocks. Suddenly a clearing may reveal a glimpse of silvery Morecambe Bay or the surrounding hills. Where the woodland thins there are pleasant clearings, sometimes fringed by brambles which can be profitably visited in season.

Rock climbing

The limestone scars are used by rock climbers, both those living locally and those driven away from the Lake District in their search for dry rock. There are many small outcrops, some of which form valuable gymnasiums for dedicated unroped climbers to train on problems of great difficulty. (Note This brief résumé of the climbing in the area is intended to enlighten non-rock climbers using this guide. Climbing should only be done with proper equipment and the necessary knowhow.)

On the edge of Warton village there is a car park in a small quarry, where climbers can often be seen. On a terrace about half-way up the hill and almost directly above the Main Quarry is another little horizontal scar, the Pinnacle Crag, named after a small pinnacle at its foot. After playing here, climbers move on to the short open scar which crowns the top of the hill. This is Warton Upper Crag, the most popular for climbers of medium standard.

Warton Main Quarry is a complete contrast. Climbs here are up to 70m long on loose rock in very serious situations. Since the first climb was made in 1970 it has been networked with routes, the best of which are very impressive. Quarry climbing is a relatively recent development which caused concern on the part of quarry owners. It is a shame that in these days of increased leisure activities quarries are not recognized for what they are: valuable assets as a sporting facility for young people. Some councils spend thousands of pounds on creating climbing walls and bar access to natural facilities! Climbing is allowed at the quarry but access is restricted during the peregrine falcon nesting season from March to June.

The most popular climbing area is at Trowbarrow Quarry. There are several clean slabs, one of which, The Main Wall, attracts climbers from afar. Trowbarrow is now a Nature Reserve where climbing and conservation can co-exist harmoniously.

Another interesting cliff lies on the coast at Jack Scout Cove, known locally as Cow’s Mouth. Here is the nearest thing Lancashire possesses to a genuine sea cliff, indeed at high tide water washes the base of the crags and has resulted in some rock falls. Other short training crags are at Woodwell and Fairy Steps.

Farleton Crag is a steep band of cliffs hidden amongst the trees and barely visible from the M6 although the upper crag’s steep nose can be clearly seen. Hutton Roof Crags offer attractive little climbs especially on The Rakes, an intriguingly complex area. This is an ideal spot for experienced climbers to take novices.

Climbers enjoy The Rakes at Hutton Roof Crags

The climbs are documented in Lancashire Rock, published by the BMC. The party which makes the first ascent has the dubious honour of naming the climb, and the climbs thus named make fascinating reading, from the mundane ‘Original Route’ or descriptive ‘White Fright’ (very loose!) to the exotic ‘Essence of Giraffe’ (you need to stick your neck out to lead this one). Other interesting names are ‘Limestone Rain’, ‘Plastic Iceberg’, ‘The Onedin Line’ (a traverse at Jack Scout Cove) and ‘The Shriek of Baghdad’. They’re inventive, climbers!

Getting there

If approaching by car from the south leave the M6 at junction 35. This joins the A6 at a roundabout and according to your start point turn left to Carnforth or right towards Milnthorpe. From the traffic lights in Carnforth take the Warton road whence a choice of lanes leads to Silverdale. Warton can be reached more directly from the A6 heading towards Milnthorpe. Another useful approach from the northbound A6 is via Yealand Redmayne, whence a right turn leads past Leighton Moss to Silverdale or Arnside. From Milnthorpe a busy but very scenic road leads along the coast past Sandside to Arnside.

The hills east of the motorway are easily accessible from either Junction 35 or 36.

Public transport

The Furness railway (Lancaster to Barrow) runs through the area with stations at Carnforth, Silverdale and Arnside, the latter two being unmanned. There are several trains daily but it is wise to check the timetables before setting out. Many of the walks are easily accessible from these stations, and the car visitor could plan a linear route to return by train. The Silverdale Shuttle Service 33 bus connects Silverdale station to the village. The Carnforth Connect Line 1 between Carnforth and Milnthorpe links the villages of Warton, the Yealands, Hale and Beetham and a Stagecoach service runs from Kendal to Arnside. More information about transport in the area is available from Carnforth Connect on 01524 734311.

For the Hutton Roof and Farleton area a frequent bus service links Lancaster to Burton and Holme.

Using this guide

The routes described in this guide lie largely within the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which encompasses almost the whole of the land to the west of the A6 between Warton and Milnthorpe. To the east of the M6, and outside the AONB, are the equally beautiful limestone hills of Farleton Fell and Knott, Holme Park Fell and Hutton Roof Crags.

Most of the walks are on well signed, well trodden paths suitable for all the family. Footwear should have a sole with a good grip and be substantial enough to withstand rough terrain. On Hutton Roof Crags the terrain is especially rocky and rugged, and here boots are an advantage. Note that in wet conditions limestone can be treacherously slippery underfoot and care must be taken on the limestone pavements with their numerous crevices. The woodland paths have many tree roots and sections of rough stony terrain. Scrambling along the rocky shore has become more difficult since the demise of the salt-marsh and care needs to taken to heed the incoming tide. There are safe high-tide options.

Glistening channels of Morecambe Bay

The walks are short, mostly between three and eight miles. Although they may occupy only an afternoon or short day, they can be easily linked into longer walks, and all the routes here are of sufficient length to feel that you have accomplished something. The walks are packed with interest and inevitably take longer than their length implies. The network of paths enables walks to be shortened or lengthened at will.

Times are based on a moderate pace without taking into account any major halts. Fast walkers could easily link two walks in a day. Remember that a fast walker sees little apart from the path at his or her feet, while the connoisseur always takes an hour or two longer. It would be a pity to visit an area which is so rich in plant, bird and animal life and not be aware of it. The network of paths is well walked and jealously loved by locals. The walks are on rights of way or permissive paths, or over Open Access land.

Maps

The most useful map of the area is the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Outdoor Leisure sheet 7, The English Lakes South Eastern Area, which covers all the area described in this book. The 1:50,000 Landranger sheet 97 Kendal to Morecambe could also be used. It should be possible easily to follow the walks from the sketch maps in this book, which include the important features for walkers. The sketch maps also show possibilities for extending or shortening the walks.