Tuesday 24 May 2016

Cumbria Ways - Day 4 Ulverston to Barrow in Furness

Distance: 17 miles
Ascent: mostly on the stairs to the 4th floor of the hotel
Weather: hot and sunny in morning, cloudier later
Bunnies, eider ducks, ringed plovers, oyster catchers, sedge warbler, shore crab

High tide today was at 2pm and we needed to be away in good time to be able to use the footpath along the shoreline and not have to walk up the road.

We left Ulverston by the Ropeway path, which is a long straight footpath where they used to make ropes, unsurprisingly.

The morning was sunny without a cloud in the sky, and it was quite hot and hard going walking along the shingle. There were areas of reedbeds, containing noisy elusive birds. Eventually we managed to get a picture of one, and think it was a sedge warbler.

It was a bit of a relief after a couple of miles when we reached Ulverston Sands, the tide was well out and the walking on the sandy beach easier on the feet and far more pleasant than crunching along pebbles. 

On the beach, we passed lots of Scars: Cowp, Mill, Sea Wood, Bean Well, Maskel, Church, Aldingham, Moat, Newbiggin, Leonard, Point of Comfort and Cunninger.

A long sit down, and lunch, was had on a handy bench just above Back House Close Scar, and then we walked over the causeway over to Roa Island for views over to Piel Island and ice creams. At about this time, the sun went in and dark clouds began to gather.

Turning around the headland at Beacon Hill, we saw the gas terminals and flare stacks and industry of Barrow. There were a couple of seagulls flocking around the flames, it wasn't entirely clear what they were doing.

We walked into town around Cavendish Dock, which was once used for making airships, and is now a popular fishing spot.

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