The fifth the day of our current adventure and the sun continues to shine. Walking solo again, I continued making my way round Morecambe Bay. Joanna Elizabeth dropped me off in the town of Morecambe and then went off to spend the day with her father, Dick and our daughter, Morven.
The view from Morecambe across the bay to the hills of Cumbria was remarkably clear and in contrast to the last couple of days when they were only a suggestion, shrouded by haze.
It was surprising how much promenade there still was to be walked, nearly two miles of it from the start point at Stone Jetty. When you finally leave the promenade there is a slightly tricky pebble / rock beach to be negotiated before the walk and the views really open up. The tide was high, so Warren Sands was under water. Still, with clear blue skies and an uninterrupted view down the bay, there was a real sense of spaciousness to the seascape.
Just beyond Hest Bank there is a low hill to be climbed which adds the perspective of height to the view over the bay. From the other side of t he hill, where a large marsh extends in to and around the bay, there is a road that takes a wide swing round the outer edge of the extensive marshland. Ignoring the road, I chose instead to head off across the marsh where, apart from one of two zig-zags to go round channels and rills, it was a fairly straightforward walk. I thoroughly enjoyed the walk over the marsh, the vastness and the emptiness creating a sense of solitude. Towards the end of the marsh section, I took a break just below Marsh End Farm, sitting in the sun, soaking up the peace and tranquillity of the day, lost in the vastness of the bay.
Just after Marsh Farm there is a water feature that forces you inland. Crossing the channel on a nice little bridge further up, the route follows the railway for a short distance before heading by road to the foot of the village of Warton. There is a high road and a low road choice here, the high road passing beneath Warton Crag. Taking the high road I was rewarded by a walk on an old, quiet road beneath a canopy of trees for most of the way. It was nice to be walking in dappled shade out of the heat of the day.
The road comes out at Crag Foot where, if you are going in to the village of Silverdale, you take a cross-country route on the left. My pick up point was at Silverdale Station, straight ahead, a road walk of maybe 1.5 miles.
While I waited at the station for the family to arrive, held up by my daughter's puncture on her bicycle, I enjoyed a nice impromptu lunch in the Oak Bistro at the golf club across from the station. Lunch finished when the troops arrived, they had to make do with large bowls of ice cream. There is a lot to recommend this walking lark.
The view from Morecambe across the bay to the hills of Cumbria was remarkably clear and in contrast to the last couple of days when they were only a suggestion, shrouded by haze.
It was surprising how much promenade there still was to be walked, nearly two miles of it from the start point at Stone Jetty. When you finally leave the promenade there is a slightly tricky pebble / rock beach to be negotiated before the walk and the views really open up. The tide was high, so Warren Sands was under water. Still, with clear blue skies and an uninterrupted view down the bay, there was a real sense of spaciousness to the seascape.
Just beyond Hest Bank there is a low hill to be climbed which adds the perspective of height to the view over the bay. From the other side of t he hill, where a large marsh extends in to and around the bay, there is a road that takes a wide swing round the outer edge of the extensive marshland. Ignoring the road, I chose instead to head off across the marsh where, apart from one of two zig-zags to go round channels and rills, it was a fairly straightforward walk. I thoroughly enjoyed the walk over the marsh, the vastness and the emptiness creating a sense of solitude. Towards the end of the marsh section, I took a break just below Marsh End Farm, sitting in the sun, soaking up the peace and tranquillity of the day, lost in the vastness of the bay.
Just after Marsh Farm there is a water feature that forces you inland. Crossing the channel on a nice little bridge further up, the route follows the railway for a short distance before heading by road to the foot of the village of Warton. There is a high road and a low road choice here, the high road passing beneath Warton Crag. Taking the high road I was rewarded by a walk on an old, quiet road beneath a canopy of trees for most of the way. It was nice to be walking in dappled shade out of the heat of the day.
The road comes out at Crag Foot where, if you are going in to the village of Silverdale, you take a cross-country route on the left. My pick up point was at Silverdale Station, straight ahead, a road walk of maybe 1.5 miles.
While I waited at the station for the family to arrive, held up by my daughter's puncture on her bicycle, I enjoyed a nice impromptu lunch in the Oak Bistro at the golf club across from the station. Lunch finished when the troops arrived, they had to make do with large bowls of ice cream. There is a lot to recommend this walking lark.