281 Walney Island (South)

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Ruth Livingstone

The road down from Barrow station – Abbey Road – is lined by interesting buildings, some in various stages of decay. An old bath house, a conservative club, a Nan Tait centre… but I try not to dawdle because I have a long day ahead.

I cross over to Barrow Island and stop on the bridge to take photographs. The air is clear and the water is calm and still. First I take a photo looking down towards Buccleuch Dock.

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Then I look over Devonshire Dock and take a photograph of a large building with a sign saying ‘BAE Systems’. I suspect this is the hangar where the nuclear subs are fitted out, although I don’t know for sure. Continue reading →

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280 Baycliff to Barrow-in-Furness

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Ruth Livingstone

I catch the morning bus to Baycliff and walk down to the beach, where a flock of noisy seagulls is chattering on the sands. Visibility is poor, and I can barely see across to the other side of Morecambe bay.

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Although there is no public footpath marked on my map, I’m hoping to be able to stick to the shore today. I’ll see how far I can get, anyway. Continue reading →

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279pm Ulverston Canal to Baycliff

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Ruth Livingstone

At the end of the Ulverston Canal, a footpath sign points optimistically towards the water. If the tide was out, you could actually walk across the estuary to reach Cark on the other side. But, due to treacherous tides and sinking sands, you would really need a local guide.

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279a Greenodd to Ulverston Canal

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Ruth Livingstone

I wasn’t feeling very friendly towards Greenodd because of my experience yesterday. It rained heavily, the bus I was expecting never arrived, and the ‘tea’ shop closed at 3pm. But today, with the sun shining, I decide I quite like the place.

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It’s impossible to walk along the shore from here, and the main A590 is too busy, so I head inland to pick up a quiet country lane Continue reading →

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278 Cark to Greenodd

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Ruth Livingstone

I catch the train from Ulverston station to Cark, where my walk today will begin.

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The train takes a direct route to Cark and the journey is amazing. As the train crosses the Leven viaduct it seems to be gliding above a gleaming expanse of sand and water. Continue reading →

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277 Grange-over-Sands to Cark

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Ruth Livingstone

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

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Ruth Livingstone

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

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Ruth Livingstone

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

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Ruth Livingstone

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

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Ruth Livingstone

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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