AONB

Heathwaite Coastal

Easy

5.3 miles | 8.5 km | 243 m Ascent | 6.5 Naismith miles | Alison Kinder & Colin Stroud
We are lucky enough to live in a location that gives us easy access to some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK, and we immediately think of the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the Forest of Bowland in this context. To that list we must surely add the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – a compact but varied area that offers a wide variety of scenery, flora and fauna: One of the smallest AONBs, it covers just 75 km2 between the Kent Estuary, the River Keer and the A6.
This easy walk starts from the ever popular seaside village of Arnside, then takes a route along the coastal fringe of the Kent Estuary, looping round to Morecambe Bay at Far Arnside before returning via Heathwaite and onto Arnside Knott with its fantastic viewpoint. We end with a view of the fabulous gnarled trees on the Knott – complete with artworks – before taking a woodland route back to Arnside.

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Storth and Arnside

Easy

7.4 miles | 12.0 km | 183 m Ascent | 8.3 Naismith miles |Sue King
Arnside is a firm favourite of the Bentham Footpath Group, and this is the second walk in this area in the 2023 spring program. So why do we like Arnside so much?
Well, where else can you find an easy walk that combines a sandy estuary with a backdrop of the Lakeland fells, a disused railway track bed converted into a safe and accessible path, industrial archaeology, beautiful riverside meadows, a country house and deer park, an ancient corpse road, atmospheric paths through rock fissures, a pele tower, and a seaside town with a unique railway viaduct.
The entire area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) so expect to see interesting flora and fauna too.

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Fairy steps from Beetham

Easy

5.7 miles | 9.2 km | 309 m Ascent | 7.2 Naismith miles | Don Cartledge
December 2022 saw The Bentham Footpath Group walking from Heversham with views South toward Beetham and the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Just one month later, we start at the Heron Corn Mill in Beetham and then head through woodland and the famous “Fairy steps” to gain the complementary view – West across the estuary toward the Lakeland fells, and North toward Heversham and St. Anthony’s Tower.
We then skirt the estuary via the old railway track bed that we met on the Heversham walk, and then head up the river Bela, past Dallam Tower, and then though the deer park back to Beetham.
This walk is ideal for the shorter winter days – it’s relatively easy and offers a variety of landscapes as well as breath-taking views.

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Stocks Reservoir

Moderate

7.6 miles | 12.3 km | 329 m Ascent | 9.2 Naismith miles | Don Cartledge
Stocks Reservoir is just a short drive from Bentham over interesting roads with great views, and when you get there, the choice of walks is impressive.
This walk starts from the causeway linking the two parts of the reservoir, and then loops around the southern, and much larger, part of the reservoir.
At the time of the walk the reservoir levels were deliberately very low – as part of engineering works to increase capacity in the long term.
On the way round this relatively flat route, we see signs of the buildings that were abandoned to enable construction, traces of the railway that enabled materials to be imported, and foundations for the village that temporarily housed the army of builders.

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