A Walk - Whitfell Why Not with John Parkinson
14 miles (22.3km) with 1,800ft (549m) Total Ascent
Whitfell is not a hill to write home about. If it were at a party, it likely would be sat in a far corner clutching a warm orange juice vainly waiting to be asked to dance. But it´s there, and so are we, so it would be rude not to hike a quick step on its slopes.
Leaving Broughton in Furness we head past Duddon Bridge and hike up to Buck Barrow before heading for Burn Moor and finally to the unprepossessing Whitfell from where our gaze is best directed away towards the Lake District fells proper. Turning our back on its stoney summit, we descend north west towards Fox Crags before we turn east to cross Bigertmire Pasture and start the long meander back to Broughton.
B+ Walk - Cumbria Ways with Val Walmsley
10½ miles (19.9km) with 520ft (159m) Total Ascent
Leaving coach at Gawthwaite we pick up the Cumbria Way to Broughton Beck and Netherhouses. Turning West we join Kirkby Slate Road as far as Wind Farm, with lovely views of the Duddon estuary from here. We now head South West to Kirkby-in-Furness via Friars Ground from where we now take the Cumbria Coastal Way north via Foxfield, Eccles Riggs back into Broughton-in-Furness.
B Walk - The two rivers and two valleys with Judith & Stuart
8 miles (12.9km) with 900ft (274m) Total Ascent
Leaving the bus we will walk through Broughton Tower estate across to Manor Farm where we will cross our first valley that of the river Lickle. We walk up to lower Bleansley and middle Bleansley and then back across the valley to the Hagg and lower Hawthwaite. After a sheepfold we pass the old school house now converted into a very desirable residence.
We then pass through Moss Side Farm and Brookside and on into Burntstead Wood. We then cross the 2nd valley bottom that of the Galloper Pool across to Ring House Farm and up to Thornthwaite and Woodland Hall. We then descend via Thornthwaite Latter Rigg across the valley of Galloper pool to West End Farm and our return to the bus.
The views on this walk across to the Irish sea are fantastic and we might even see some deer.
C Walk - A Hot Walk in Furness with Dorothy Dobson
5½ miles (8.9km) with 300ft (91m) Total Ascent
We begin the walk from the square in Broughton-in-Furness (Toilets. Free admission) and go for a short while along the disused railway before entering fields via a stile to Wall End and eventually reaching Mireside Farm. Now heading north to Moss Side Farm we turn south along a track through woods to West Park.
We pass Broughton Tower, a Medieval building, which began life as a Pele Tower - to defend the possibility of Scottish attacks. The Tower, which has a dungeon, was turned into a Manor House in the 18th century, later a boarding school and now flats. We then join the railway again to return to the square and refreshments.
