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WALK 2

Warton Crag and Leighton Moss

Start/Finish	west of Warton village
Distance	11.4km (7 miles)
Time	4 hours
Terrain	Steady climb with some scrambling to trig point; generally good walking on grass, woodland paths and tracks, with some road walking
Maps	OS Explorer OL7

The original beacon on Warton Crag announced the sighting of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Pause on the summit and visualise the approach of the ships as you look out over Morecambe Bay. Leighton Hall is owned by Major and Mrs Gillow Reynolds, descendants of the famous Lancaster furniture makers Gillow & Co. In 1763 George Towneley had the house rebuilt in the Adam style, and the park laid out and the woods replanted. Beyond lies Leighton Moss Nature Reserve, its limestone floor covered with marine clay overlaid with peat. Water from the surrounding hills drains into the valley and forms three main meres. Around these grow extensive reed beds which have to be controlled to prevent them encroaching upon the open water.

This walk takes you first into Warton Crag Nature Reserve, then high over the crag itself before descending through fine deciduous woodland to edge marshland and then into Leighton Moss Nature Reserve. You then come close to Leighton Hall and over its gracious parkland, finally returning through Warton Crag Nature Reserve once more.

Start from the spacious quarry car park in Crag Road, just west of Warton village, grid ref 492724. From the entrance take a footpath heading south in the direction of Warton. Continue through birch woodland, with Carnforth seen over the flat land to your right, and go down steps to a kissing gate into Warton Crag Nature Reserve. Walk on along the good footpath beside the wall with the road to your right. At a signposted way turn left to climb a short slope through trees, keeping parallel with the wall to your right.

Leighton Hall and Leighton Moss

Ignoring the gap stile on the right, pass a nature-reserve board and turn left up a well-trodden way marked by a boulder in the centre of the path. Continue upwards on a limestone terrace, moving up to a parallel terrace at an easy pace. Repeat this again and go on to a stile in the fence, which you climb – high above the quarry where you have parked.

Continue for a few metres to take the next path going off right. Climb two little ledges of rock as you go and stride ahead to a sturdy stile. Go over this and ascend the stone ‘staircase’ beyond. At the top go ahead towards higher ground to reach the elevated metal beacon and the trig point a few steps beyond.

Walk (north) along the path for a few steps to come to a signpost where you bear left in the direction of Crag Foot. Go along the gated way and turn left at a track to stride downhill. On reaching the road to Warton turn right and keep walking until you join the lower route to Warton.

Go along the pavement on the right of the road and then cross and walk on the left to take the signed left turn well before Quicksand Pool Bridge. Pass under the railway bridge, turn right to cross the Pool and step out left along the embanked way known as ‘the bund’. Follow this to a stile on the left and continue on the bund as it winds right to come to a signed stile at the foot of Heald Brow.

Turn right and follow the way through woodland to Hollins Lane. Turn right and then right again at the T-junction. Ignoring a road coming in on your right and then another on your left, carry on in the direction of the railway station and, just before you reach it, turn right in the direction of Leighton Moss visitor centre, which you may wish to visit.

Signpost at the end of ‘the bund’

Then continue a short way along the lane and take a footpath on the right which continues parallel with the road, allowing you to avoid the traffic until you eventually have to rejoin the road. A few steps along turn right to walk the wide causeway across the moss. Continue ahead to pass Grisedale farm on the left and follow the metalled road as it climbs easily to reach Leighton Hall. At the signboard bear left to climb uphill, keeping to the right of a small plantation, and head on up to the seats on the skyline.

Turn right to follow a good path through trees to a minor road. Go right and descend for about 1.6km (nearly 1 mile) to take a bridleway on the right, signed Crag Road. After a very short but steep climb, take the stile on the left into the nature reserve once more and follow the clear path that goes on and on through the trees. Pass through a stile in the wall and continue, watching out for the boulder in the path where the way drops left towards the road. Just before this, turn right along the path taken earlier to return to the car park.