Walk Leader: Jane Anthony / Ann Holden

Number Walking: 10

Distance: 10 miles

Weather: Blustery showers but nowhere near as bad as the forecast, or the heavy rain on the journey there

Walk Summary Tuesday Social Walk.

Circular walk commencing from Nannypie Lane, near the Strickland Arms. 

After a brief delay to resolve some confusion over the parking location, the group set off past the Strickland Arms and through fields to Sizergh Castle car park. From there the route followed the well surfaced path to Holeslack Farm and up the track to pass Helsington Church where there are normally excellent views over the Lythe Valley, but today all that was seen were some sad looking cows taking shelter from the wind and the rain.

We then headed into the weather and onto Scout Scar for about a mile before bearing right at a cairn and dropping down to the site of Kendal’s first racecourse (used from 1821 to 1834 before reverting to pasture with a sprinking of alternative uses over the years). As the weather was having a more clement period we took the opportunity for an early lunch.

On reaching the road I handed over the reins to Ann who led the remainder of the walk which initially wound its way down through residential and urban green spaces to emerge by Kendal College. A short stretch on the main road took the route over the River Kent to reach the attractive frontage of Kirkbie Kendal school. Heading round the back of the school via a pretty little back street the route joined the course of the disused section of the Lancaster canal. For the first section this took the form of a cycle / pedestrian track, but after crossing the A65 and following a short muddy narrow stretch, it traversed fields studded with occasional redundant canal bridges. On reaching the narrow Hawes Lane, the route dropped down the lane to join the riverside path on the S side of the Kent, which was swollen to a chocolate brown torrent, at one point carrying a fallen tree – definitely not a day for a post-walk swim! On reaching Wilson Place, the walk crossed the suspension bridge (max 25 persons though I wouldn’t be happy with more than half that number). It is close to Low Park Caravan Club site, where another walker dropped off, back to her cosy (and dry) caravan. The remaining walkers followed Nannypie Lane back to the car park before decamping to the pub for some welcome refreshment.

I hope everyone enjoyed the walk, despite the weather, especially the new West Lancs member, and the local Lakeland group member who took the opportunity for a Tuesday walk close to home. Hope to see you both again.

Many thanks to Ann and Sue for leading / backmarking.

Jane Anthony