Cumbria Ways - Day 3 Flookburgh to Ulverston

Distance: 15 miles
Ascent: 380m
Weather: warm and sunny

We rejoined the Cumbria Coastal Way this morning in Cark and, opposite the tradesman's entrance to Holker Hall, turned up a lane towards Hole of Ellel, where a sign informed us that the guide book was wrong. At the end of the lane, on the gate onto a "public way" there was another sign, this one warning us to beware of adders. We didn't see any.

The path led through grassy fields with sheep and cows and lots of poo. There were many different styles of gate among the drystone walls, one particularly confusing. The fields opened up into moorland and we heard a cuckoo.

There were far fewer people out today than over the weekend,  but we did see a(n odd) well dressed couple out walking their dog, a mysterious kilted figure in distance and a horde of walkers sitting by Biglands Tarn just where we'd planned to sit for lunch.

We continued on down a damp rocky path through lush woodland carpetted with ferns, primrose, bluebells, red campion and wild garlic.

Crossing the road, there was a pretty bridge being painted by an art group. Well, some were painting,  some seemed to be content sitting in deck chairs on the path drinking tea out of thermos flasks.

We found a quiet spot a little further on on the riverbank and ate our lunch amongst a herd of sheep and lambs, watching the house martens circling around and a mother duck with her baby ducklings paddling along. Also by the river were dragonflies and a massive scary flying insect, some wiggly tadpoles and a grey heron.

Leaving the peace of the riverbank behind, we crossed the bridge over the River Leven at Greenodd and followed the path by the side of the A590. To begin with it was quite nice, down an embankment with trees on one side and the water the other, with wildflowers and orchids. After Barrow End Rocks however it got less pleasant, the CCW goes along the verge of the dual carriage way for 2 miles. We avoided doing that by crossing the road (carefully) and heading up a footpath on the hillside above. We did this twice.  The first time the kissing gate was old and reluctant to move, but the path was clear. The second time had a fine well made stile,  but the path was a dried up cow trod,  which led up to the side of a garden that was very pretty.

A lane led back down the hillside to the main road, passing a house called Race Horse, where we crossed again and 200 yards later turned up a country lane.  Along here Rob nearly had a collision with a fast cyclist. Get a bell!

Emerging onto the shoreline,  the tide was going out and we walked along to Canal Foot, passing some fishermen and then having a rest on a bench looking across the bay towards where we walked last night and saw the tractor.

While we sat the tide went out noticeably, and we saw oyster catchers, shelducks and a flock of Eider ducks swimming by. The Eider ducks breed out on Chapel Island out in the bay and it was a real treat to see them. They are the best ducks.

We are staying in Ulverston tonight so we walked into town along the canal, which is owned and maintained by GSK, who have a massive factory on the other side,  and they obviously take pride in looking after it.  We saw moorhens,  swans and ducks, flowering lilypads and yellow flag irises.