Nicky Nook Circular
Walk Leader: Ann Holden
Number on walk: 10/13/14/13/10, 2 dogs (extremely well behaved)
Distance: 10.9 miles
Weather: Cool, drizzly, warm, sultry!
10 of us gathered in Woodfold Lane, just next to the A6 with a showery weather forecast ahead of us. We made our way through Claylands caravan park and over the River Wyre to Scorton, where we picked up 3 more walkers (David, Kate and Mike), bringing us up to 13.
We walked up Tithebarn Lane and took the wooded path through to join Snowhill Lane and eventually climbing up to the top of Nicky Nook where we finally took the group photograph! Unfortunately the usual 360o view was hampered by the drizzle. Descending Nicky Nook by the grassy slope we walked the duckboards to Grizedale Bridge. It was drizzling by this point, so waterproofs on for a while as we walked a section of road to pick up the track alongside Grizedale Lea and Barnacre reservoirs, which looked to have low water levels.
After passing the masts and starting to descend, we had our lunch stop on the banking – Blackpool Tower just in view despite the grey skies. The route then took us past Birks Farm, Helbeck Wood (great bluebells display) and Barnacre Church, where we picked up the field footpath through to Keepers Lane. After a short section of road, we took the track by Long Crossey Wood to the M6 bridge, turning right just before the bridge through Woodacre Great Wood (more bluebells) to eventually reach Tithebarn Lane and back into Scorton where we said goodbye to David, Kate and Mike (back to 10 walkers).
From here we retraced the start of the walk back to the cars, finishing in dry and sultry weather.
And the 14 walkers? Ann’s mis-counting part way through the walk! We won’t mention the shout of ‘car’, which turned out to be a light aircraft.
