Tuesday 7 June 2016

Cumbria Ways Day 18 - Milnthorpe to Arnside

Distance: 4.8 miles
Ascent: 100m
Weather: warm and sunny

After a hot and airless night, we were up at 7am. The midge bite count is high. 

Today is the official end of our walk, we could have gone to either Silverdale or Arnside station,  deciding on Arnside so we'd be able to get an early-ish train back to Manchester, to get home in good time to catch up on three episodes of Game of Thrones before someone spoils it.

We decided to go through the deer park,  where there were cows masquerading as deer, sleepy sheep and pheasants, plus some actual deer. We also saw a grey heron flying over the River Bela.

From Beetham, we went into Underlaid Wood, following a rocky path to the fairy steps, which are down a narrow rocky gully in a low limestone cliff. A concessionary path went around it for people too large (because of rucksacks, not lardy breakfasts) to fit, so we used that. Without rucksacks we fitted quite easily, although had to touch the sides once or twice, so we won't be seeing any fairies.

Leaving the woods, we crossed some farm tracks, seeing a couple of large hares bounding through the long grass.

One of the farms had a CL caravan site, with a few vans crammed into a corner of a field. One of them had two awnings. And not only two awnings, also a double bed with a pine headboard.

Crossing some fields, along a neatly gravelled little path and over the railway line, we then went up the street to Arnside station, and the end of our walk.

In total we have done 298.9 miles. Most of it with sand in our shoes.

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