BOOTboys

Great Little Walks

GLW1101 The Arnside Round

26th February 2011

Margaret insisted that as I am going into hospital on Monday, I should choose today's walk. After some deliberation about doing another section of the Furness Way, I decided that we should go to Arnside instead.

To what extent this was driven by nostalgia is hard to say but certainly when we arrived memories came flooding back- the old caravan at Far Arnside that my parents bought in about 1962; living next door to the Albion for several months in 1970 (and getting myself banned!) plus the various people I knew there- Geoff, Renee and the old Captain, their drinking buddies Harry and Dick from the Albion quiz team and many more.

We parked on the front and to my surprise it started to rain. Not too heavily to put us off walking but enough to mount a rainbow display in front of the viaduct.

Fortunately, it did not last long although a surprisingly strong wind remained in our faces for the first third of the walk which was mostly on the mud and rock of the Kent estuary, with only a small piece of the old salt marsh remaining.

Rounding the point, we cut up to the path in the woods, dropping back to the shore before reaching our old caravan site at Far Arnside.

Of course, with our family having owned a van there for something like 44 years, we had to go and look at what was there now. We found a smart new van in our old place and the owners were sunning themselves on the patio. When we explained our interest in the site they proved to be very friendly; they have been there for three years and love it.

Onwards, through Far Arnside with its stone pigs and then up onto the Knott.

The summit is a fine view point.

We dropped down to Arnside by the Knott Lane, past some smart residences, then cut down to the front and back to the car. It had been a very pleasant and nostalgic outing.

Don, 26th February 2011

Three Months Later

My stay in hospital mentioned at the start of the above report only lasted a couple of hours and the expected surgery did not take place. It still hasn't although I continue to experience minor episodes. Whether the knife will have to come out in due course remains an open question but we hope not.

Meanwhile, with Jamie at home for a visit and the prospect of a sunny afternoon, it seemed a good opportunity to revisit Arnside Knott. I was amazed when he told me he had never previously been there.

After visiting the Arnside Art Exhibition with the inevitable consequence (!) we did a reversed, revised and abbreviated version of the walk described above.

To the summit from the Red Hills path and then descending to New Barns and back round the coast to enjoy an excellent early tea outside at the Albion.

Don, 30th May 2011