November
8:00 Start with 16:30 (4:30pm) Return
A Walk - Farleton Fell & Hutton Roof with Graham Hogg
12½ miles (20km) with 1650ft (500m) Total Ascent
Today´s A walk presents an opportunity for an early start and a linear walk to Kirby Lonsdale. We will leave the coach on the A65 at Lupton, opposite the Plough Inn & Restaurant.
Heading for Aikbank and then Puddlemire Lane, we commence our ascent of Farleton Fell to reach the summit at 265m/870ft. Hopefully, weather permitting, we will be afforded some fine views across to Arnside and the South Lakes.
It´s off to Hutton Roof next, across the Uberash Plain and some intricate weaving around and in between heavily vegetated limestone outcrops and pavements, to reach the trig. point at 274m/900ft. Farleton Fell and Hutton Roof are part of the Morecambe Bay Pavements Special Area of Conservation, and the combined area of limestone pavement on the two fells represent a significant proportion of the United Kingdom´s overall total.
From the summit of Hutton Roof, we descend in a south westerly direction, over Dalton Crags, making for Henridding, Keer Holme and then Docker. From Docker, footpaths and tracks lead us to Whittington where we head towards the River Lune and follow this north until we arrive at Devil´s Bridge and Kirkby Lonsdale in time for some refreshments.
B+ Walk - Barbon Low Fell with Sue Banister
9 miles (14.5km) with 1345ft (410m) Total Ascent
We leave the coach a few miles north of Kirby Lonsdale on the A683 at Hodge Bridge then walk through Barbon village and into Barbondale.
After crossing Barbon Beck at Blindbeck Bridge we join a bridleway south to Bullpot Farm. This is the home of the Red Rose Caving and Pot Holing Club. Here you are standing over the longest caving system in Britain known as the Three Counties system. You can go underground in Yorkshire, pass under Lancashire and emerge in Cumbria!
From Bullpot, a short stretch of lane leads us to a path which takes us up to the trig point and highest point of Barbon Low Fell at 1437ft (438m). The views up here are spectacular if we get a decent day.
We then cross to the cairn on Brownthwaite Pike after which it is downhill back to Kirby Lonsdale by fields and lanes via Blindloss Farm, Cragg House Farm, and Laitha Lane.
B Walk - The Giant´s Boulders with Stuart & Judith
7 miles (11km) with 400ft (122m) Total Ascent
We will start from the car park close to Devil's bridge.
Walking up through the caravan site we will pass through Cragg House Farm, Blindloss Farm and onto the remains of Fell Foot road. It is up here that we will see some of the giant's Boulders as we progress to Tuplot wood.
From here we walk to Hole House and Langthwaite on our way into Casterton. Down by the river we will pass Casterton Hall and Marigold Well on our way back.
C Walk - The long way round to Ruskin´s View with Bob and Margaret
6 miles (9.7km) with 215ft (65m) Total Ascent
After thinking about it, I have decided to repeat Bill Manning´s walk of 2014, going through fields with some easy climbing, as it suits a November day.
The walk starts from Devil´s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale (toilets cost 40p and you pay by contactless card, no cash accepted). Then it is an easy climb to Laitha Lane track passing the caravan park and golf club on the way to the A683. Turning left here we have a short walk on the A683 to reach the field paths to Casterton Hall and Marigold Well.
We continue through woodland before either climbing up or passing by Gildard Hill and then on through further woodland and fields to reach Lowfields Lane. Turning left we can either go under the old tramway bridge and take the broad track down to the River Lune. Or go across the fields alongside the river. Both routes end up at the castellated bridge over the Lune, and weather obliging a pleasant stop for lunch.
After crossing over the bridge and out of the woods it´s a right turn and then left to walk down the narrow lane to Kearstwick and go left on to the B6254, where a short walk brings us to another left turn to go along the track leading to Ruskin´s View, St Mary´s Church and the Hot Spots of Kirkby Lonsdale for refreshments. After refreshments it´s a 10 to 20 minute walk depending on the route taken to get back to the coach.
