The Morecambe - Skipton Line
- Walk one - Long Preston - Hellifield
- Walk two - Bentham - Wennington
- Walk three - Lancaster - Morecambe
- Walk four - Bare Lane - Carnforth
- Walk five - Gargrave - Skipton
Long Preston - Hellifield
Appx 1.5 hours; 5.3 Km - 3.3 miles; Lane & Fields
St. Aidan's Church - Hellifield
Arriving from the north, leave Long Preston station yard and turn right. Arriving from the south, turn left at exit on the road bridge. Continue to the main road, cross with care, turn right and then left into Church St. Follow the path along the right hand side of the church of St Mary the Virgin which dates back to Norman times.
Exit through the small gateway into a lane and continue straight ahead. Follow the lane past several properties, including Beckstone House on the left after which the lane becomes unsurfaced. At the gates ahead proceed through the left hand gate. At the next farm and buildings follow the track round past the sheep pens and go through the right hand gate aiming for the path going diagonally up the hill to your right.
At the top of the rise the path can be seen going straight ahead - keep the small pond to your right and head for the junction of two walls ahead. As you approach the wall bear right at the water trough and follow the path aiming for another wall junction ahead. At this junction climb over the style, cross the stream and follow the left hand bank downstream until the water bears right. Continue straight ahead across the field aiming for a gate to the right of the feeding troughs which gives access to an unmade lane.
Follow this track to the right, across the railway, (this is the site of the former Hellifield station prior to the building of the Settle-Carlisle line) and into Hellifield where the road emerges opposite St Aidan's Church. Turn right and follow the main road through the village, pass under the railway bridge and round the bend. The road to Hellifield Station is signposted on your right. The station is itself a listed building and currently possesses a pleasant café.
Visit - St Mary's Church Long Preston
View - Highland cattle
St. Mary's Church - Long Preston
Highland Cattle
Sheep near Little Newton Farm
Bentham - Wennington
Appx 2.25 hours; 6Km 3.75 miles; Across fields
St. Margaret's Church - High Bentham
On leaving Bentham station turn right down the road, pass St Margaret's Church on left and cross the bridge over the River Wenning. Notice Historic Bentham photos on exit from station car park and beside river. Turn right on the far side of the bridge signed Riverside Caravan Park. At gate to park bear right following sign 'footpath to Low Bentham', continue through the caravan park keeping river on your right. At fence bear left and then right through kissing gate at back of reception to caravan site. The path rises up steps giving good views of Ingleborough to the right. The path returns to the river bank near a waterfall. Continue alongside the river until the path rises again and emerges on a lane.
Weir & fish run, High Bentham
Go straight across over style, keep house on right. Bear slightly right through two fields towards the church in trees ahead and emerge, keeping the short hedge on your left, onto another lane. Bear left on lane and take footpath on right following the river bank. After crossing a footbridge the path rises, up steps, to the left emerging in a large field. Aim uphill across this field aiming for the diagonally opposite corner of the field; keep the top of the hill on your left and the bushes representing an old wall boundary on your right. Exit at the corner of the field onto a track with small wood visible to the your left. Proceed down the track to the right. There are views of Ingleborough and the fells to the right. Pass in front of Robert Hall Farm and proceed straight ahead across the next field, keeping the wood to the left. Straight ahead through the next field keeping the hedge to your right. Over stile, bear left and cross beck slightly upstream on small wooden bridge. Head across next field towards farm. Pass directly across access lane between buildings and continue in same direction. Straight across the next field keeping the hedge to your left. Ignore small gate on your left halfway across field, and go to far boundary. Over stile and proceed across next field in direction of arrow. Cross the surfaced track and over stile in stone wall opposite. Keep wall on right and exit over stile into a lane. Turn right down lane between farm buildings and climb stile in corner behind fir tree.
Keep wall on right and pass through gate into track alongside wood, turn immediately left through a gap in stone wall and follow the path through wood. The exit is directly in line with the farmhouse ahead. Cross the field towards the white fence to the right of the farm building and emerge onto a road at a bend. Go right on the road and take the first footpath to the right, head across the field in the direction of the large hall visible across the valley, cross over another stile in a fence and drop steeply down. Bear left along a track and Wennington station will be seen on your right. Access over road bridge.
Distant view of Ingleborough
Waterfall
Ingleborough & High Bentham
Lancaster - Morecambe
Appx 1.75 hours; 5.75Km - 3.6 miles; Surfaced Paths
Priory Church - Lancaster
Leave Lancaster station over the footbridge via the high level exit beyond platform five. Turn left up the small pathway. At the top turn right, signposted City Centre, and then left on the path adjacent to the castle, with the castle immediately on your right. Keeping the Priory Church also on your right follow the path between a gravestone and the church down some steps. The path continues downhill with views over Morecambe Bay to the Lake District on your left. Pass the sign for Roman bathhouse. Turn right at the top of the next flight of steps down a small path, turn right at the bottom of the path and you will see the Millenium Suspension Footbridge on your left. Turn left over the suspension bridge, signposted Lancaster North/Morecambe.
From this bridge, which crosses the River Lune, one can see the historic Lancaster Quay and former warehouses on your left. A memorial of the former slave trade stands a little to the left of the quayside entrance to the bridge. The building with columns is the former Customs House now a Maritime Museum.
Turn left on leaving the bridge and follow the tarmaced path parallel to the river. The path rises briefly alongside the main road and then drops again, and passes beneath Carlisle Railway Bridge which carries the West Coast main line. The path then proceeds straight ahead on the track of the former Morecambe Promenade to Lancaster Green Ayre Railway. Seats made of former sleepers can be seen alongside the path as well as occasional old concrete supports for the former overhead electrical cables. The flatter area on the right of the path a few hundreds yard s beyond the bridge is the site of the former Scale Hall station. Signs at various stages alongside the path explain local history and details of local flora and fauna.
Riverbank at Lancaster
After a while the path dips under a low bridge. Continue under the bridge and carry straight on passing some commercial properties and housing, remain on the main path ignoring smaller paths to left or right. On reaching a road the path continues via a dogleg left and then right and crosses the Heysham railway line. Continue straight ahead, the path bears right with a ditch on the right hand side. Passing under a road bridge the railway appears in view on your right, as shortly does Morecambe station.
The path ends at a road opposite a supermarket car park. To reach Morecambe station turn right and then right again at the main road. The station entrance is about 100 yards on your right beyond a Blockbuster Video Store.
If you have time by turning left on reaching the main road you will shortly reach Morecambe Promenade with its famous statue of Eric Morecambe, beyond which is the stone jetty Morecambe's only remaining 'pier'.
Bare Lane - Carnforth
Appx 2 Hours; 8.5Km - 5.3 miles; Lane & Canal Towpath
Woodland near Blands
On leaving Bare Lane Station turn right by the level crossing and after a few hundred yards turn right again, just before a bus stop, onto a footpath signposted Hest Bank. The path crosses one road and at the second road bear left and then right.
Path at Bare
The path winds past the rear of Happy Mount Park and Morecambe Golf Course to your left. After crossing a small footbridge the path runs alongside the Morecambe - Carnforth railway line before crossing it and then passing under a bridge carrying the West Coast main line. The path then bears left and runs adjacent to the railway before bearing right up a lane. As the lane reaches a bridge over the Lancaster canal step right onto the towpath and turn left under the bridge.
Our route then follows the towpath all the way to Carnforth. En route there are a number of picnic sites by the canal side. At Hest Bank there are boat moorings featuring a wide variety of craft, and beyond here the land drops to the left of the canal allowing good views of Warton Crag and across Morecambe Bay to the Lake District. At Bolton-le-Sands the Packet Boat Hotel can be seen on the right hand side of the canal. In historic times there was a regular boat service to Preston, to-day a tourist service still operates in summer between Lancaster and Carnforth.
At Carnforth there are further boat moorings and on the left the Canal Turn Public House. Leave the canal here and turn right on the main road. Cross over by the traffic lights and bear left at the bathroom shop. This road leads to Carnforth Railway station which can be found on the left at the bottom of the hill.
Swing-bridge - Lancaster Canal
On-looker at Bare
Canal at Hestbank
Gargrave - Skipton
Appx 2 Hours; 8.25Km - 5 miles
Swing-bridge near Gargrave
From the Leeds bound platform at Gargrave station follow the road straight ahead. From the other platform climb the steps and turn left - cross the road with care. Follow the road into the village of Gargrave over the River Aire to a "T" junction. Cross the road towards the Dalesman Café, and turn left - West St. After the Village Hall continue straight ahead - still West St. Turn right on to the canal bank (signposted Skipton) and follow the towpath to Skipton.
Lock near Gargrave
Pass Gargrave Locks and follow the canal out into the open countryside. The canal crosses Eshton Beck on an aqueduct with wooded hills to your left, and then passes under the main A65 road and on past two swing bridges. It passes under the A59, after which the towpath runs adjacent to a main road for a short distance before approaching a third swing bridge. The canal then passes under the Skipton By-Pass before entering the outskirts of Skipton. After an old factory and a few rows of stone terrace houses a further swing bridge comes into view. Here turn right and Skipton Station is directly ahead of you
If time permits proceed a few hundred yards further on down the canal which then enters the centre of Skipton. The centre of this old market town is well worth a visit with a selection of shops, a street market and historic castle
