Arnside Knott and Eaves Wood

Sunday 29th April 2018

As I set off from Arnside the sun was shining in the Lake District on the other side of the Kent Estuary and promised great things to come for me later in my holiday, while I was walking in the shade on the north facing bank below the steep slopes coming down to the village. It was looking like it was going to be a fabulous day and I was soon enjoying the walk along the beach beside Kent Channel. These sands are notorious for their fast moving tides, and for quicksand, so I was wisely keeping to the shore despite the low tide as I made my way over the rocks of Blackstone Point whereupon the vast expanse of Morecombe Bay came into view. Released from behind the hills I was now basking in the sunshine as I gazed across the sands towards Grange-over-Sands. This was a great start to the day and my second in the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. I had never been to this area before so before spending two weeks in the Lake District I thought I would spend the weekend in this tragically neglected area and I was amazed at what I had been missing. My view across the sands continued to expand as I made my way south along the coast, but soon I had mud to contend with underfoot so after rounding Park Point I was thankful to spot a path that comes off the muddy beach and slowly climbs into the woods.

Passing through a holiday park I turned inland through Far Arnside heading for Arnside Knott, a hill that dominates this area and looks over Arnside. While the warning sirens sounded for the incoming tide, clear paths took me through the woodland and eventually brought me to a viewpoint that looks out over the estuary and towards the Lake District. A viewfinder names all the fells that are in sight and I couldn’t help looking for the tops that I was planning to climb over the next few days and contemplating the fabulous walking that I had in store. The early morning sunshine was now gone only to be replaced by clouds, but the Lakeland Fells were still visible and made me eager to cross the estuary as soon as possible so I could begin enjoying that most special place. Turning my back on the view I headed uphill to the trig point that marks the highest point on Arnside Knott, and from there to the top of a line of crags that affords great views towards the south. Beyond Arnside Tower I could see the woods of Middlebarrow and Eaves with Silverdale nestling behind.

Ahead lay my route, but with a precipitous cliff below I had to make a traverse to the right along the top until I could reach gentler ground where a descent could be safely made through the woods below the steep hillside until I could reach the road at the bottom. Passing the ruins of Arnside Tower I took a path that skirts the edge of a large caravan park while dodging a brief, sharp shower or two until eventually I reached Eaves Wood. Coming off the main path I climbed up through the woodland to a spectacular arrangement of limestone pavement that looks out over the sea of Morecombe Bay, and not far from there I came across a tall monument, known as the Pepperpot, that was erected to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. Next to it, and in a quaint and complementary way, there is a viewfinder erected to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee. A path took me slowly down through the wood and eventually brought me to the edge of Silverdale village.

I still had plenty of time left before I had to catch my train, so I headed south exploring this wildflower-rich area passing many small areas of woodland. Although green plants were in abundance many of them were not yet in flower, although the wild garlic does not need to be in flower to be either instantly recognizable or strongly smelling, and there were plentiful displays of this sweet-smelling plant for me to see as I wandered around. Further south, beside the sea, is the National Trust property of Jack Scout which was full of wild flowers including cowslip and loads of celandines that provided me with plenty to see as I came round Jenny Brown’s Point and into the mouth of Leighton Moss turning inland once more as I headed towards Silverdale railway station. Like the previous day, this was not a full day’s walk as I had a bit more travelling ahead of me to get into the Lake District, but I was still able to sample a little more of the delights that Arnside and Silverdale has to offer. Despite the sunny start to the day, the weather was not as great as I had enjoyed the day before, but I enjoyed exploring this amazing area that is notable for its limestone crags and wild flowers. This weekend was a fabulous warm up before the start of my two week adventure in the Lake District.