Flookburgh, Cark and the coast

Moderate

8.3 miles | 13.4 km | 138 m Ascent | 9.0 Naismith miles | David & Sheila Longton
A number of Bentham Footpath Group walks feature views of Morecambe Bay – usually with the Kent or Levens estuaries as the backdrop to higher level walks such as those at Cartmel or Silverdale. This time we do the full seaside experience: Starting at Flookburgh, we walk along the coast getting sand on our boots for a while, before heading inland to Cark, on to Low Bank Side, then across the valley to Templand before returning on a route running through trees below Boarbank Hall. On the way we pass old airbases from both world wars, atmospheric salt marshes, bridleways across the bay, signs of the old shrimping industries, grand Italianate houses, and the odd lime kiln.

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Rather Heath and Burneside

Moderate

8.8 miles | 14.1km | 212 m Ascent | 9.8 Naismith miles |David & Sheila Longton
The Bentham Footpath Group have completed a number of great walks in and around Kendal – search on the website for Staveley, Levens or the Lancaster Canal to see some of them. This walk adds to that library and because it intersects with earlier offerings, creates a great opportunity to build our mental map of the area.
We start from a layby on the “old road” – once the main route from Kendal to Windermere – and then walk through woodland on Rather Heath passing the edge of Ratherheath Tarn before striking out to Plumgarths where we visit the Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s gardens. We then head parallel to the A591 before crossing onto Kendal Fell at Helsfell Nab. Unusually for a BFG walk, we then go into the outskirts of a town (Kendal), for lunch in the park, before we head out to Burneside. We have a good look at the Church and the paper mills before heading upstream along the Kent to Bowston on a section of the Dales Way. A final section over the railway, then under the main road brings us back to our starting point.

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Rydal Water

Moderate

7.7 miles | 12.5 km | 756 m Ascent | 11.5 Naismith miles | David & Sheila Longton
Rydal Water is one of the smaller lakes in the Lake district at just 3/4 mile long and 1/4 mile wide.
We start at the lane next to the White Moss car park, then head up to White Moss Common, before tracking around the hillside below Alcock Tarn. We cross the A591 and take a low level path into Grasmere before re-joining the road and taking the pavement along the edge of the lake for a while.
We pick up a pleasant path down into the woods and follow the River Rothay to the western end of Rydal water then head uphill to Rydal Cave, before following the path down to Rydal Mount and Rydal Hall. From there we take the Coffin Route west toward Nab Scar, and White Moss Common, which leads us back to our start

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Devils Bridge to Casterton and Barbon

Challenging

9.5 miles | 15.3 km | 350 m Ascent | 11.2 Naismith miles | David & Sheila Longton
This long but relatively gentle walk starts from Kirkby Lonsdale, and takes quiet lanes through High Casterton to Casterton Village. From here we follow the base of Barbon Low Fell over to Barbon where we cross the A683 and return through Kirkby Lonsdale Golf course before taking a path down the side of the River Lune for a while. We briefly return to Casterton before finding a route back to our starting point via Casterton Golf Course and the caravan park.

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