277 Grange-over-Sands to Cark

This turns out to be one of those glorious autumn days when the scenery is so visually delightful I take photograph after photograph, and so this blog post is going to be image heavy and text light.

I set off from my B&B in Grange-over-Sands, and walk down to the promenade, which nowadays overlooks marsh, not sands.

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276 Arnside to Grange-over-Sands

Today I face a long trek – much longer than my usual walking distance – in order to get from Arnside to Grange-over-Sands. If you could walk over the railway viaduct, this walk would only be about 4 miles long. But you can’t.

I start from the railway station in Arnside. It’s a windy day, with dark clouds chasing across blue skies, and the trees are just beginning to turn golden with their autumn colours. It’s perfect weather for some dramatic photography.

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275 Carnforth to Arnside

I take the train to Carnforth station, made famous by the classic film Brief Encounter. Although the station itself is lacking in romance, they capitalise on their fame with a ‘heritage museum’, complete with a Refreshment Room and old-fashioned porter trolleys.

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274 Morecambe to Carnforth

My husband drops me off at Scalestones Point, at the far end of Morecambe, and I have another chance to enjoy the mother and child statue.

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Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting Lancaster Girls Grammar School and talking to some 6th formers about my coastal walking, and about the writing opportunities it’s brought. After the talk, I walked along the canal path from Lancaster to the village of Hest Bank. It wasn’t part of my coastal walk, but an opportunity to do some fun walking just for the sake of it. Continue reading

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273 pm Heysham to Morecambe

I’m not sure where Heysham ends and Morecambe begins, but the promenade goes on and on…

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… and on and on. It’s a shared walking/cycling track, and I think of my hubby cycling somewhere inland. Continue reading

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273 am Sunderland Point to Heysham

The next day my hubby drops me off at the car park where I ended my walk yesterday. Pott’s Corner according to my map, but Middleton Sands according to the road signs.

It’s a strange place, temporarily transformed into a construction site (more drainage works?) overlooking marsh and fringed with caravan parks. That’s Morecambe Bay ahead and those are Cumbrian hills in the distance.

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272 Oxcliffe to Sunderland Point

It’s a long drive from Lincolnshire to Lancaster. My husband has come with me, and we eat a late lunch at the famous Snatchers Inn, otherwise known as the Golden Ball pub. The sun is shining when we arrive and we eat outside. But, by the time we’ve finished lunch, the weather has changed. Dull. Rain threatening.

I set off down the road. There are dairy cows in the fields and they look very skinny to me. Huge udders and ribs showing. Poor things.

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But I don’t have to worry about cattle encounters, as I will be road walking for the next few miles. Continue reading

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271 Lancaster to Oxcliffe

I’m going home today, but have planned a shortish, circular walk for this morning. My lunchtime destination? The pub on the other side of the river – the one I saw yesterday.

First I want to explore Lancaster, and so I walk up the hill behind my hotel, through an area called Quay Meadows. On the way I have a tremendous view of the priory and castle, looming above me – but sadly am unable to take photographs because of poor light conditions and my temperamental camera.

The town centre is mainly traffic free and I have a delightful meander. Lancaster reminds me of my home town of Stamford, although much larger. It’s got the same historic feel, and the older houses are built from a similar warm-looking stone.

I walk back down to the river and stand on a footbridge to take a photo looking back at St George’s Quay.

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270 Cockerham to Lancaster

It’s another dull morning. From Marsh Lane I rejoin the Lancashire Coastal Way and walk through low-lying fields, full of sheep, past Pattys Farm (nice name) towards Bank End. The path curves around what might have once been a beach.

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269 Fleetwood to Cockerham

When I arrive at Knott End-on-Sea, the tide is low and the ferry over to Fleetwood isn’t running yet. I could just set off walking from here, but I want to take the ferry to Fleetwood and back, in order to keep the circuit of my walk complete.

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