Explore with Amie

Arnside is a small village on the border of Cumbria and Lancashire. Although not technically part of the Lake District National Park, Arnside and the rest of the peninsula is a lovely area to explore. I imagine in the summer especially this will be a beautiful place to visit. Don’t let that put you off going any other time of year though, as I had a great time on this walk, even though it was raining.

There is also the option of getting the train as Arnside is only a short (and cheap) train ride away from Lancaster or Barrow, with links to Manchester as well. I had passed through the town so many times on the train so it was really nice to actually see it properly.

First of all, the walk takes you up and past a little cafe which I think would be really nice to visit in the Summer. I’m going to stop repeating that now but, just know that I’ll be sure to go back to Arnside when the weather is nicer in a few months time. It just seemed like it would be a great place to get an ice cream and have a walk along the front. But, rather than do that on this walk, you head up into a housing estate and from there to Arnside Knott. The peak is 159m so it isn’t too high or anything like that but, I do think you would get some great views on a clear day. Before you get to the Knott, there is another view point with one of those metal signs that tells you what you can see. As I said, it was very misty but the sign did suggest that you would be able to see very far in better weather conditions.

One area where I would suggest deviating from the route that we took is the descent back to the road on the other side of the Knott. The path that we took was unnecessarily steep and took us a long time to get down. This was partly because neither of us had walking boots and also because it was wet and gravel which wasn’t the best combination. We did manage to make it down safely though, it just took us a lot longer than we thought it would. The path we took certainly wasn’t the major route but I can’t comment on how steep that would be either.

The next stop is the Arnside Tower which you should have been able to see from the top of Knott.

Arnside Tower is a late Pele tower (or tower house) which is thought to have been built in the late 14th – early 15th century. A lot of these towers were built along the England-Scotland border due to raiding parties attacking the other country. The tower was originally five storeys high but much of its structural integrity has been lost as the years have gone by. The place is adorned with signs about the dangers of entering the tower and of its collapse. It didn’t look particularly stable to me. It is also on private property though you can go up to it from the public footpath that skirts the farmyard.

The walk back to Arnside from there makes this a lovely circular route through woodlands and back along the coast. You really see how touristy this area is from the sheer number of caravan parks that this route passes through. But, they’re fairly easy to navigate so should provide you no trouble. If you’re staying in one of those caravan sites, even better, this route will be a great addition to your holiday.

That about covers this walk. One piece of advice I do have for you: don’t wear wide leg jeans. This was a rookie error on my part and it is safe to say they were absolutely coated in mud by the time we got back to the car. It doesn’t help that they’re slightly too long for me….I was also absolutely desperate for the toilet so had to go into one of the local pubs. The ‘no muddy boots’ sign was mocking me as I made my way to the ladies soaked through and with mud up to my knees. It was a bit embarrassing to tell you the truth. I didn’t really feel wet though until we got to the car as I was having such a lovely day!

As always, you can check out the route for yourself through this link or follow the step by step below.

Start Point: The Promenade, Arnside

1. Head away from the town, along the seafront.
2. When you reach the coastguard/a small cafe, take the path on the left and then the fork on the right past the cafe and into the residential area.
3. At the end of the footpath, turn right down Red Hills Road.
4. Continue to follow this road until a footpath appears on the left. Pass through the gate and cut across the field, going through the next gate on the right. (this is only a short detour off the road so feel free to just continue down the road instead)
5. Continue up Knotts Lane. You should pass a national trust sign that reads Arnside Knott.
6. Shortly after the sign, there will be a gate on the right. Pass through the gate and head up the field and through another gate.
7. Complete a short dog leg, turn right down the road and then turn left up the footpath.
8. Continue up the hill until you read a view point with a circle of stones and a signpost with the view.
9. From here, take the path on the left of the viewpoint, and follow this past some unusual tree formations.
10. Once you meet a roundish clearing with a bench, you should take one of the paths on right which will circle you around to the trig point of Arnside Knott.
11. From the Knott, take the path on the left and descend to the road.
12. Once you meet the road, turn right and follow it to the junction. Take the left down towards the farm. You should be able to see the tower you are heading towards.
13. As you approach the farmyard, a gate on the right takes you on a public footpath that avoids walking through their land. Follow this and then head straight up to Arnside Tower.
14. On the right hand side there is a stile and a gate. Take the path through the gate.
15. Continue down this path as it meets the caravan site. Keep going straight but lookout for a gate on the right which takes you to your next path.
16. Go through the gate and continue straight until the path meets the road.
17. Take the road straight ahead. It is signposted Arnside Point.
18. Continue walking through this caravan site, following the road around to the right until it becomes a footpath.
19. Follow the footpath past the sunken holes and into the next caravan site.
20. Continue straight down the road through the caravan site until it meets the coast. Then follow the path to the right as it skirts the sand.
21. Follow the coastline until you return to the promenade.

End Point: The Promenade, Arnside.

This is a nice short walk to add to a lovely day out in Arnside. What do you think?

Amie x