95p

A walk up the Lune Valley betweenLancaster and Kirkby Lonsdale

A walk up the Lune Valley betweenLancaster and Kirkby Lonsdale

Page 2

Lancaster

Kirkby Lonsdale

Melling

Arkholme

Newton

Whittington

River Wenning

HornbyAughton

B6254

Devil's Bridge

River Greta

Leck Beck

A683

A6

M6

M6A6 to

Carnforth

River Lune

River L

une

B6254 toCarnforth

Crook O'Lune

Caton Map not to scale.

Cover photo ‘Lune Valley from the Air’ and ‘Lancaster Castle’ above right © Jon Sparks

ContentsLancaster,

start of the Lune Valley Ramble Page 3

Lancaster to Crook O’Lune Page 6

Crook O’Lune to Loyn Bridge Page 8

Loyn Bridge to Newton Page 10

Newton to Kirkby Lonsdale Page 12

Further information Page 14

Access to the WalkThe Lune Valley Ramble starts at Green Ayre,beside the river at Skerton Bridge in Lancaster.See page 5.

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Lancaster Castle and the south Lakeland Hills

The Ramble links the City of Lancaster with themarket town of Kirkby Lonsdale, two historic butvery different centres. It makes the most of thevalley’s intimate and tranquil pastoral setting,passing through woodland, meadows and alongthe riverside itself. Along or near to the route arepicturesque villages and hamlets, castles andancient churches, nature reserves and wildlife inabundance.

The River Lune is the inspiration for the Ramble.The river rises from a source in the Howgill Fellsand meets the sea in Morecambe Bay, justsouth of Lancaster. Fed by its many tributarieswhich drain the north-west of the YorkshireDales and the northern Forest of Bowland, it isone of the most important salmon rivers in thecountry.

A walk up the Lune Valley betweenLancaster and Kirkby Lonsdale

Lancaster, start of theLune Valley RambleAlthough the Romans established a fort onCastle Hill around 80AD, it was those laterconquerors, the Normans, who causedLancaster’s rise to prominence. The Castle andPriory Church, which still dominate the skyline,were both founded before 1100. The Castle wasradically strengthened and enlarged by KingJohn in the early 13th century as a regionalcentre of government and a military hub againstthe marauding Scots, who at least twice burnedthe town.

It became the centre of the County Palatine ofLancashire, virtually a self-governing part ofEngland whose most famous “ruler” was the

IntroductionThe Lune Valley Ramble is 161/2 miles (26.5 km) long and traces the course of the River Lune’slower reaches through some of the North West’s finest lowland countryside. Bounded by highmoors, limestone hills and shadowed by the distant peaks of Ingleborough, Whernside and LeckFell, the route offers excellent, easy walking and is signposted and waymarked throughout.

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redoubtable John of Gaunt. During the Civil Warit was first a Royalist, then a Parliamentarystronghold; in 1651 Charles II was pronouncedKing in Market Square, a full nine years beforeascending to the throne!

Lune Valley Ramble

John O’Gaunt’s Gate, Lancaster Castle

Lancaster, start of the Lune Valley Ramble - continued…

The infamous Pendle Witches were imprisoned,tried and hanged here in 1612. During the 1745Rebellion the “Young Pretender” Charles EdwardStuart passed through Lancaster on his ill-fatedmarch south to Derby.

Used as a small port since Roman times, therise of trans-Atlantic trade in the 18th centurysaw Lancaster gain prominence as one of thenorth-west’s premier ports. Cotton, sugar, rumand coffee were the main cargoes handled.

A more unusual import was hardwood for thelocal furniture manufacturer Richard Gillow, whodominated the manufacture of fine Englishfurniture for more than 200 years. The wealthfrom such trade (and the profitable slave tradewhich enriched many local shipowners)generated an explosion of building duringGeorgian times when many of the City’s sublimemerchants houses, terraces and the finewarehouses along St. George’s Quay wereerected.

The award winning Maritime Museum in the OldCustom House well repays an extended visit. Theexuberant, green-domed Ashton Memorialdominates the skyline to the east of the City. Itwas built in 1907 as a memorial to the wife ofJames Williamson, the first Baron Ashton, whoseoilcloth and linoleum mills once employed asmany as a quarter of Lancaster’s workforce.

Other striking buildings include the City Museum(Old Town Hall), Judges’ Lodgings and the GrandTheatre.

For further information about Lancaster, visit theTourist Information Centre on Castle Hill or theLancaster City web site onwww.lancaster.gov.uk

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Green Ayre, the start of the Lune Valley Ramble

Meetin

gH

ouse

Lane

West Road

StationRoad

Kin

gStreet

River Lune

St. George's Quay

A683 to M6

A683 toMorecambe

A6 fromCarnforth

Parlia

ment

Stre

et

CentralShopping

Area

GreenAyre

MaritimeMuseum

Castle

LancasterCity Museum

RailwayStation

BusStation

WaterStreet

GreyhoundBridge

SkertonBridge

Start of Lune Valley Ramble

PrioryChurch

Link pathfrom

Rail Station

SkertonWeir

RiversidePark

Sainsbury's

RomanBath Houses

From A6and

University

From A6and

University

Access to the Lune Valley Ramble from Lancaster City Centre

Lancaster evening skyline

Lancaster to Kirkby Lonsdale

From Lancaster Railway Station turn right alongStation Road, right again up West Road then leftat the hill crest into the Castle grounds. Take thepath to the left of the Priory Church (signed forMaritime Museum) and descend the steep path.Turn right at the foot of the steps, joining the oldrailway cyclepath to reach Green Ayre.

From the Bus Station cross into Water Street tojoin the cyclepath behind Sainsbury’s and turnright (upstream) to reach Green Ayre via theunderpass. The old crane (formerly located atHornby Station goods yard) marks the start ofThe Lune Valley Ramble.

Map not to scale.

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The Ramble traces the course of the oldLancaster to Wennington railway, closed underthe Beeching axe in the 1960s and now alandscaped cyclepath as far as Bull Beck, Caton.There are more than 15 miles of suchtransformed railway line in the Lancaster area.A riverside park is being developed betweenLancaster and Caton with grants from theMillennium Fund. Watch out for the newenvironmental sculptures along the route.

Lancaster to Crook O’Lune

Above Skerton Weir the Lune Aqueduct stridesacross the river. Built in 1797 by John Rennieand Alexander Stevens it is constructed of stoneand is 664 feet long with five semi-circulararches, each with a 20 foot span. It carries theLancaster Canal at a height of 50 feet abovethe river.

The canal was constructed between 1792 and1819 to link Kendal, Lancaster and Preston withthe coalfields of South Lancashire. Today the 41mile stretch from Preston north to Tewitfield onthe Lancashire/Cumbria border is the longestlock-free stretch of canal in the country. Thecanal is now used for a wide variety of leisurepursuits including boating, canoeing, anglingand walking.

Lune Valley mists and distant Ingleborough

Swans on the River Lune

Passing beneath the M6 viaduct the Ramblereaches the old Halton station above HaltonBridge and lower weir.

To cut short your walk here, cross the bridge toHalton village which has shops, pubs and a goodbus service back to Lancaster. You could alsocomplete a circular walk to Lancaster by turningleft along Halton’s main street, pass beneath theM6 and join a riverside path back to theAqueduct, Skerton Weir and Skerton Bridge.

White Lion Inn, Halton

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River Lune

Halton

LancasterCity Centre

Skerton

Caton

M6 to Kendal

M6 to Preston

Green Ayre

Start of LuneValley Ramble

Halton CircularWalk

Aqueduct

A683 to Hornby

Crook O' LunePicnic Area

Link to Catonvia old railway

Motte & Baileycastle

Lancaster Canal

Halton OldStation

Mill

Jct. 34

Concessionaryfootpath

to Gray's Seat

The Ramble itself follows the old railwayacross a high bridge to reach CrookO’Lune. This idyllic wooded setting,created by an incised meander of theriver in the shape of a shepherd’s crookhandle, was a subject for the renownedlandscape artist J M W Turner.

There are car parking, toilet and picnicfacilities here and a mobile snack baropens daily in summer (weekends onlyin winter). A ramp has also been built toease access down to the railway bridgesand to the riverside. It is worth going upto the picnic site by the car park for thesweeping views right up the Lune Valleyto Ingleborough, in the Yorkshire Dales.Nearby, a new concessionary footpathleads to Gray’s Seat, named after thepoet Thomas Gray and from which pointTurner painted.

Caton village, half a mile further alongthe old railway, has a wide range ofshops, refreshments and buses back toLancaster. The Lune Valley Ramble,however, leaves the old railway here.

Lune Valley Ramble

“Crook O’Lune near Lancaster” by J M W Turner 1775 - 1851

Map not to scale.

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Join the river bank and walk upstream, the Luneto your right. Low Mill at Caton standsprominently on the flood plain. It was poweredby water, the plentiful supply of which madeCaton a village of mills in the 18th and 19thcenturies.

Between the Crook and Loyn Bridge the Rambleis within the Forest of Bowland Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty (see page15). Aparticular landscape feature of the Lune Valley isthe “hanging woodlands” which cling to thesteep northern side of the valley. Many of thesewoodlands are “ancient woodlands” as theygrow on land which is unlikely to have everbeen cleared of trees. Some trees may be asmuch as a thousand years old. The ancientnature of the woods is shown by the widevariety of wildflower species that they support.The show of bluebells and wild garlic in springis particularly dramatic.

Just beyond the Waterworks Bridge (theThirlmere Aqueduct, piping water from the LakeDistrict to Manchester) are Lawson’s Wood andBurton Wood, the largest of these hangingwoodlands, managed by the Lancashire WildlifeTrust. These host small-leaved limes, a relic ofthe woodlands that several thousand years agowere widespread in Britain, when the climatewas warmer.

Man’s use of woodlands for timber, fuel andfodder has changed their species compositiondramatically over the ages. Today the sessileoak is the main tree species, but theoutstanding feature is the ash-wych elmwoodland on the lower slopes in which the limetrees are to be found. Sadly, Dutch Elm Diseaseis continuing to take its toll on the woods in thisarea.

The Ramble hugs the river bank around a greatmeander. This was created in relatively recent

Crook O’Lune to Loyn Bridge

Bluebells, Lawson’s Wood

times - the river once flowed directly below thefoot of the woods. This is dramatic evidence ofthe dynamic nature of the Lune. The forces oferosion and deposition are forever at work,shaping the nature of the river channel.

The Lune Valley is a farmed landscape, itsbeauty and appearance shaped over thecenturies by man. Most of the valley’ssettlements are sited above the flood plain.Aughton (pronounced Afton) is typical. A hamletof a few cottages and farms, it clings to thesteep north valley side of the Lune. The Ramblemeets the bottom end of an old lane at AughtonBarns, from where fords once crossed the riverto Claughton. We, however, remain on thenorthern bank, passing below Great Close Woodand above the shoals and gravelly islands inmid-river. Across the river the turbines of CatonMoor Wind Farm feather the ridgetop. Belowthese the course of two aerial ropeways can bediscerned which transport clay drawn fromquarries on Claughton Moor down to ClaughtonBrickworks. The Ramble leaves the waterside topass behind a bungalow. Beyond it turn right,cross the cattle grid and wind with the drivewayto the heavy, low-set gate on the right betweenstone gateposts. Go through this, fall to the slopefoot and bear slightly right to a stile in thedistant fence, some way to the right of theplatform.

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Riv

erW

ennin

g

Riv

erL

une

A683 toKirkby Lonsdale

Aughton

Gressingham

Caton

Castle StedeMotte & Bailey

Castle

A683 to Lancaster

BurtonWood

Lawson'sWood

ApplehouseWood

GreatCloseWood

The Snab

WaterworksBridge

Low Mill

Claughton

A683

Hornby

Lagoon

AerialRopeway

Artle Beck

Loyn Bridge

Crook O'Lune

Gressingham, above Loyn Bridge

Lune Valley Ramble

Here rejoin the riverside path. This area is one ofthe prime birdwatching locations in the north-west of England, renowned for its over-winteringgeese, shellduck and waders, great flocks ofoystercatcher and redshank. The river Wenningjoins from the opposite bank, one of the Lune’smajor tributaries. Looming over this is, in themiddle distance, the Eagle Tower of medievalHornby Castle, which is still lived in as a privatehouse today. Crossing a footbridge in trees, theRamble reaches Loyn Bridge.

To cut short your walk here, cross the bridgeand rise to a junction, here bearing right toHornby (about half a mile from the bridge). Thevillage has shops, pubs, accommodation and aregular bus service to Lancaster.

Map not to scale.

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Loyn Bridge to NewtonThe present Loyn Bridge dates from 1684. It isconstructed of square sandstone blocks, makingthree arches separated by triangular cutwaters.The bridge is of historical importance and isdesignated as an ancient monument. The singlecarriageway affords the only road crossing ofthe Lune between the Crook and KirkbyLonsdale. Overlooking the eastern end of thebridge is the impressive Norman earthwork ofCastle Stede motte & bailey castle, fronted by aSecond War pillbox! Half a mile west of thebridge is the hamlet of Gressingham; withchurch, Hall and cottages huddled around thefern-bedecked falls of Gressingham Beck.

The Ramble remains on the west bank of theriver, here sharing the route of the LunesdaleWalk, a 37 mile walk which incorporates thehigh moors of Bowland and the limestone hillsto the west of the Lune. A companion booklet tothis one, and detailing the route of theLunesdale Walk, is available. Our route risesalong narrow paths through Thrush Gill Woodbefore re-joining the riverside pastures - insome stretches the river itself is invisiblebeyond flat watermeadows. Across the river tothe north-east is the distinct peak ofIngleborough.

About two miles upstream of Loyn Bridge thefoot of a lane leading to Arkholme is reached.Known as “Erghum” when Norse settlers werehere, and recorded as “Ergune” in the

Domesday survey, the village is a veneer ofidyllic 17th and 18th century cottages beside alane dropping from the old Carnforth to KirkbyLonsdale turnpike down to the Lune. There usedto be a ferry here across the river. Melling isvisible on a low ridge, and the Wenning gapthrough the line of the western Pennines and sointo Yorkshire. At low water the remains of theferry steps may be seen. This was such animportant link that in Norman times a motte andbailey castle guarded it. The structure is stillclearly defined, with the motte being particularlywell preserved. Later the tiny St. John’s Chapelwas built within the bailey. The bell has aninscription from the 14th century.

Loyn Bridge near Hornby

Main Street, Arkholme

St. John’s Chapel, Arkholme

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The Lune sweeps beneath Loyn Bridge

Map not to scale.

Lune Valley RambleArkholme village centre is half a mileup the lane. Here are a pub, postoffice stores, organic farm shopand buses to Lancaster, Carnforthand Kirkby Lonsdale. The Ramble,however, leaves this lane just 200 yards orso up from the river, passing behind thechurch and along an old driveway toeventually pass beneath the railwayviaduct to reach Lower Broomfield Farm.

Carefully follow the waymark arrows here,to the right of the farm complex, soonpassing by Higher Broomfield Farm toreturn to the floodplain. On the other bankthe river Greta ends its winding coursefrom high in the Yorkshire Dales. It has itssource on Whernside, one of the “ThreePeaks” of Yorkshire and has flowed to theLune via the famous “Waterfalls” walk atIngleton.

Past here an abandoned loop of the river istraced to the foot of a rough lane. Thehamlet of Newton lies up this. Here islocated Tobilane Designs ToyWorkshop where you can see newtoys being made or antique rockinghorses being repaired. It’s well wortha visit (telephone 015242 72662).

Riv er Greta

River Lune

To B6254 KirkbyLonsdale

Loyn Bridge

Arkholme

Newton

B6254 toCarnforth

ThrushGill

Wood

Hall

Motte &Bailey Castle

Newtondiversion

Hr.Broomfield Farm

Lwr.

River

Wennin

g

Hornby

Castle StedeMotte & Bailey

To A683 KirkbyLonsdale

GressinghamCastle

Tobilane ToyWorkshop

TheHerb Stall

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Newton to Kirkby LonsdaleTo continue the Ramble, do not follow the roughlane to Newton but instead turn right to return tothe riverbank. Here it passes along a shortstretch of concessionary footpath kindly madeavailable for use by the Newton Hall Estate.

The second of two rough lanes on your left,Burrow Mill Lane, is a possible cut-off toWhittington village, just over half a mile away.The village boasts the Dragons Head Inn, whichdoubles as the post office, sublime cottagesand a fine church. The village was recorded as“Witetune” in the Domesday Book. Centurieslater, in 1783, it was the birthplace of WilliamSturgeon, the inventor of the electro-magnet. Itis also on a bus route for Kirkby, Carnforth andLancaster. Burrow Mill itself was on theopposite bank where the Leck Beck meets theLune, reached by an old ford from Whittington.

The Ramble hugs the riverbank betweenBurrow Mill Lane and Kirkby Lonsdale, onlyleaving it for very short distances. There is littlewoodland along this length and the character isof wide open spaces with expansive views.

Whittington Church

Summer’s tranquillity near Arkholme

Devil’s Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale

Beyond the river, the gathering heights culminatein the lonely Leck Fell, highest point in today’sLancashire at 2,057 feet (627m). The medievalDevil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale marks the endof the Lune Valley Ramble. The bridge datesfrom the 14th century and takes its name from afamous legend. The devil built the bridge inorder to claim the soul of the first person tocross it, but was thwarted by an old woman whothrew a bun so that her dog crossed ahead ofher. The devil is said to have burst into flamesand vanished!

Well-used footpaths lead from Devil’s Bridge tothe heart of this charming little town. Standing

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B6254 to Kendal

A65 to Kendal

KirkbyLonsdale

Whittington

Newton

A683 toLancaster

A683 toSedburgh

A65 to Settle

WaterworksAqueduct

(no right of way)

Devil'sBridge

OverBurrow

Leck Beck

Burrow Mill Lane

Hall NetherBurrow

Whittingtondiversion

Tobilane ToyWorkshop

“Kirkby Lonsdale Churchyard in the Vale of Lune”J M W Turner

The end of the ramble, Devil’s Bridge

just over the county boundary in Cumbria, themarket town is wonderfully situated on a highbank overlooking the River Lune. The gloriousviews from the churchyard and from “Ruskin’sView”, up the valley to the Howgills andCasterton Fells, have drawn many artists,including J M W Turner, and were described as“one of the loveliest scenes in England” byJohn Ruskin himself. The town grew up on anold packhorse route and during the 18thcentury an annual hiring fair was held there.There is now a weekly market every Thursdayin the Market Square. The attractive narrowstreets radiating from the Square are lined withshops, cafes and public houses.

Leck Beck and Leck Fell, Burrow Mill

Lune Valley Ramble

Map not to scale.

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Further InformationWalking the routeThe Lune Valley Ramble is 16.5 miles (26.5km)long. The route is well waymarked by frequentfingerposts and discs. The relevant OrdnanceSurvey Maps are Outdoor Leisure sheet 41(Forest of Bowland & Ribblesdale) andPathfinder sheets 628 & 637, available fromlocal bookshops and Tourist Information Centres.

Seasoned walkers can complete the Ramble ina day. The Ramble also lends itself to shorterwalks. Suggested cut-offs are detailed in thetext, each leading to a regular bus route back toLancaster. The text is presented as a walkupstream from Lancaster. It is as easy to walkdownstream from Kirkby Lonsdale; again, theroute in this direction is well marked.

The Ramble can be combined with other wellwaymarked trails in the Lune Valley area to formmulti-day walks. These include the LimestoneLink from Kirkby Lonsdale, the Lunesdale Walkfrom Loyn Bridge (Hornby) and the Lancaster toKendal Canal Walk.

TransportThere are regular bus services betweenLancaster, Carnforth, Kirkby Lonsdale andIngleton serving routes on both sides of theLune. For details telephone (01524) 841656.

There is ample car parking in Lancaster, at theCrook O’Lune, in Hornby village and in KirkbyLonsdale. Parking is also possible in the villagesmentioned in the text (except Aughton).

Equipment and SafetyAlthough the most difficult path surfaces havebeen improved, many of the paths are along theriverbank and the ground can be rough andslippery in places. It is important to wear theright footwear (boots or stout shoes) and clothingand carry some refreshment. The Ramble cannotbe completed when the river is in flood assections will be impassable and dangerous. Ifwalking alone make sure someone is aware ofyour planned route.

Tourist informationStaff at Tourist Information Centres (TIC) will bepleased to help with further information onpublic transport, places to stay, other walkingtrails and local attractions. TICs are at

Lancaster, 29 Castle Hill (01524) 32878

Morecambe, Station Buildings, CentralPromenade (01524) 582808

Kirkby Lonsdale, 24 Main Street (015242) 71437.

AcknowledgementThe Lune Valley Ramble has only been madepossible through the co-operation of landownersand farmers along the route whose assistance ismuch appreciated. In particular, the generosity ofMrs Kimber of the Newton Hall Estate in grantinga concessionary footpath through part of herland is acknowledged.

Maintenance, new stiles and waymarking arecarried out by Lancashire County Council’sCountryside Service (Tel: (01772) 263919 toreport problems).

Further copiesThis leaflet is obtainable from Lancaster Tourist Information Centre,29 Castle Hill, Lancaster LA1 1YN.Tel: 01524 32878

Please note:The route of the Lune Valley Ramble is subjectto constant upgrading and improvement. Attimes the route may vary from the informationsupplied in this booklet and occasionally stilesand gates etc. may be altered or changed aspart of this ongoing maintenance programme.

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The Forest of Bowland AONBEqual in status to a National Park, the Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) wasdesignated in 1964 to facilitate the co-ordinatedprotection of the fragile landscapes of heathermoorland, secluded wooded valleys, unpollutedwatercourses and grassy fells whichcharacterise the area.

The AONB is managed to ensure that a balancebetween environment, ecology, economic andsocial well-being is maintained for the benefit ofboth current and future generations.Management is through a partnership of localauthorities, government agencies, the locallandowning and farming community and otherinterest groups.

A Countryside Service employs rangers andproject officers who work in the area to helpmanage the landscape, bring aboutimprovements to public access and to liaisewith visitors and residents. For details contact orvisit the Bowland Visitor Centre at Beacon FellCountry Park (Tel. 01995 640557).

Lune Valley Ramble

River Lune at Thrushgill Wood

Please follow The Country Code• Enjoy the countryside and respect its life and

work.

• Guard against all risk of fire.

• Fasten all gates.

• Keep your dog(s) under close control.

• Keep to public paths across farmland.

• Use gates and stiles to cross fences, hedgesand walls.

• Leave livestock, crops and machinery alone.

• Take your litter home.

• Help to keep all water clean.

• Protect wildlife plants and trees.

• Take special care on country roads.

• Make no unnecessary noise.

Back cover photo:‘Evening lights the River north of Arkholme’ Neil Coates.

Photography:Neil Coates, Jon Sparks, Robert Swain and Kate Young.

This publication was produced by Simon Holt Marketing Services (www.SimonHoltMarketing.com)for the Lune Valley Initiative. The Lune Valley Initiative is part financed by the European Community European Regional Development

Fund with support from the North West Development Agency, Lancaster City Council and Lancashire County Council.

This publication was produced by Simon Holt Marketing Services (www.SimonHoltMarketing.com)for the Lune Valley Initiative. The Lune Valley Initiative is part financed by the European Community European Regional Development

Fund with support from the North West Development Agency, Lancaster City Council and Lancashire County Council.

LANCASTERCITY COUNCIL

February 2000