RSPB Leighton Moss

Trains: Rochdale to Silverdale, changing at Preston/Lancaster 

We spent two days at RSPB Leighton Moss, staying for the starling murmerations at dusk. The reserve is only a short walk from the station, although we did go over to the coastal hides as well. There aren't any pavements or footpaths that join the sites which is a shame but the road isn't too busy and it was fine.

On day 2 we had time in Preston to walk around Avenham park down to the River Ribble, reminiscing about our Lancashire Way walks.

Cadair Idris

Distance 6.5 miles

Ascent 990m

The weather forecast had improved for Thursday so we decided to walk up Cadair Idris. 

We parked at the Dol Idris carpark, where the café is now only open weekends and started slowly up the steep stone steps. The steep stone steps continued up to a slate bridge that crosses the Nant Cadair and up into the clouds on to Mynydd Moel 863m. As we walked along the edge the clouds started clearing briefly giving us occasional views down across Llyn Cau and the hills beyond. A short rocky climb led up on to the top of Cadair Idris for cloudy photos, then it started to drizzle so we went into the shelter to have lunch. It started raining and the wind got up. Some other people came and went. There was some flask envy. The rain stopped and we headed out. 

After a bit of path confusion and some slippy rocks, we found the Minffordd Path and dropped down to Craig Cau and up around the sharp ridge above Llyn Cau. The skies cleared and we had great views. The steep stone steps took us down and around Craig Lwyd and Ystrad-gwyn alongside the stream and into the woodland with waterfalls, where we had a sit on a bench near the bottom and laughed at the small child moaning and puffing his way up from the visitor centre.

Ridge Walk to Diffwys

Distance 15 miles

Ascent 1,120m

 

From the cottage, we walked up the hillside through fields and along stonewalls, up past the sheep fort (not disturbing the occupants today) along to Bwlch Y Llan. After a short distance we left the clear path and headed up a very steep grassy, rocky path alongside a wall directly up on to the ridge to Bwlch Cwmmaria. 

An undulating walk in the clouds took us across the gap at Bwlch Y Rhiwgyr up to Diffwys at 750m the highest point of the day. The trig point sits precariously on a steep edge, shrouded in clouds. There was nowhere conveniently out of the wind to sit and have lunch so we headed down a bit. Here we met a chap (at 462m) who was walking the coastal path and had decided to take the hillier option today and had got lost. We walked down with him a while and gave him directions to Tal-y-Bont, then we left him to continue our walk the other way down along the grassy ridge of Braich to Uwch Mynydd. 

We stopped part way down for a not very sheltered but large lunch. A pleasant path led along the valley floor and into a wet cow track. Wet cow track eventually became dry cow track which became dry sheep track, then we passed through a farmyard with the smallest digger in the world and out on to a lane. We followed the lane around back into Barmouth and into the Last Inn for beers and dinner, hoping our feet didn't smell too much of cows.

Barmouth via Gellfawr and Levels

Distance 7 miles

Ascent 372m

 

The paths were slightly drier today up the hillside to the fort, and improved by better sock choices. We went to look out from the fort, to the dismay of the sheep, then followed the pretty grass path around the hillside overlooking the sea. We passed a man sitting by the side of the path eating his lunch and had lunch envy. We visited the flag on the outcrop at Craig Y Gigfran, through the old abandoned stone buildings, then walked down the grassy zigzag path down into Barmouth coming out by the old church. We bought lunch and ate it out on the concrete sea defences by the beach watching the tide go out.

Barmouth via the Panorama Walk and Barmouth Bridge

Distance 15 miles

Ascent 590m

We decided to walk into Barmouth along the hills from the cottage. A steep path goes up directly behind, through some fields and along a stonewall which joins a track above Ffridd Fechan. It was possible my sock decision hadn't been the best, the path became quite wet. 

We passed a hillfort defended by sheep and crossed a bog - proving wrong the cottage-lady who said they don't have bogs here. At Bwlch Y Llan we went through a gate and dropped down to a lane that led down to a wooded path at Cutiau that was quite flooded in places and on to the Panorama Walk. We had a sit on the bench and admired the panorama, complete with red kite and seagulls. In the second bad decision of the day, we didn't bring the flask but the bara brith was good. Leaving the bench we dropped down into the trees and the path led to a carpark on a lane, which leads down into Barmouth. 

A short ferry ride took us across the estuary onto the shingle on the south bank of the harbour. We walked along the road and top of the beach then around up to the footpath that crosses the Barmouth Bridge, which is now unmanned and has an honesty box. We had a cup of tea outside at the harbour and then had tea at the Royal.

Lancashire Way Day 14

Silverdale to Morecambe
Distance 14 miles
Ascent
Weather: warm and sunny

We walked along a quiet lane (apart from one big fuel lorry with quite a lot of greenery attached) down to the sea front at Jenny Brown's Point, then across the salt marsh. There were lots of black headed gulls squawking and a man with his emotional support car battery.

We stopped for half an hour and saw redshank, lapwing, shelduck, little egret, Kingfisher, a wader that was possibly a bt godwit, sedge warblers.

Passing a tank on the back of a lorry we left the lane and headed up to Warton Crag on a pleasantly shady track. Then we emerged from the trees out on to the summit path where there was a woodpecker, a dragonfly and a girl with a tape measure.

The top of Warton Crag had terraces of limestone carpeted in flowers.

Back down at sea level, we walked around to the salt marsh, pausing to look at a marsh harrier and saw hello to a horse.

Successfully avoiding quicksand, we made it to Red Bank Farm and its caravan site, walking up to the trig point at 21m.

Approaching town, there were lots of small car parks along the lane, with people out enjoying the seaside by sitting in deck chairs next to their cars and sunbathing next to their cars.

There were also people sitting in deckchairs right in front of a bench and using the bench as a table for their ashtrays. Thankfully bench rage was averted.

A hot sunny walk along the promenade took us into Morecambe, visiting Trafalgar Point at the end of the jetty where we had ice creams, but not vanilla as there seems to be a shortage in Lancashire. We are staying at the Midland Hotel and are making the most of our sea view.

Lancashire Way Day 13

Tewitfield to Silverdale
Distance 9.5 miles
Ascent 200m
Weather: warm and sunny

We set off under blue skies, the first part of the walk along the Lancaster Canal Northern Reaches, which is not navigable but they are hoping to restore it all the way to Kendal. That won't be too hard here, but there are parts farther north that are basically stone bridges in the middle of fields.

After not long, we turned off the canal and through a (very clean) tunnel under the M6. Then we crossed fields and farmland to the grounds of Leighton Hall, without disturbing the lambs! And then into Leighton Moss RSPB reserve.

We saw osprey, reed bunting, great crested grebe, a heron actually swimming not just standing by the edge of the water. Greylag geese, coots, Moorhen+j, buzzards, reed bunting, marsh harriers m, f+j. Sedge warbler, reed warbler, a tiny little frog, little grebe, ducks which might have been anything, canada goose.

After leaving the reserve, we crossed a very quiet golf course (judging the lads in the buggy) and followed the footpath through the park and into Silverdale. We reached the coast at Cove Well, where we walked on the first day of our Cumbria Coastal Way walk in 2016.

The tide was out so we walked on the sand (mud) and then spent most of the time between the beach and the hotel trying to get it off our shoes. We are staying at the Silverdale Hotel. The fish and chip portions are enormous.