The Beetham Trail

Andy Bellinger

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The walk covers a whole host of interesting features and magnificent views in Silverdale Arnside Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There is an old mill, a Norman church, woodland, an 'erratic', a ruined fort, limestone pavements, red squirrels, a corpse road, fairy steps and parkland with fallow deer. The route provides outstanding views across the estuary to the Lake District hills. The Wheatsheaf Hotel offers fantastic beverages and if you take in a visit to the mill at the start of the walk and tour the Norman church in Beetham, the walk can easily last a day. A great walk for the family, not too steep and plenty of interest for children.

The erratic is a large granite boulder transported in the Ice Age from the Shap Fells. There are many in the area and in medieval times, farm tenants gathered here to pay their rents. The limestone pavements consist of limestone with deep fissures or 'grikes' in the rock. These were formed many thousands of years ago by the rain. In Victorian times the people of Arnside had no church of their own, so they carried their dead to Beetham. It was a tough journey and consisted of climbing a steep slope at Whinscar. There is a deep grove in the rock containing steps; these are the 'fairy steps' used to walk up the slope. An iron ring to the north of the fairy steps may have been used to pull the coffin up the rockface.

England - North England - Cumbria - Lake District - South East

Features

Ancient Monument, Birds, Butterflies, Cafe, Church, Flowers, Food Shop, Gift Shop, Good for Kids, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Pub, Restaurant, River, Tea Shop, Toilets, Wildlife, Woodland

12/20/2018 - Rhodri Thomas

Walked this route December 2018. Directions are excellent. Lots of new waymarkers in the wooded areas. A wonderful walk in woodland and open areas with great views. (I measured the height gain as 250m not 50metres. )

5/19/2013 - paul smith

Just returned from this walk today - very enjoyable, plenty of lovely views and woodland. Directions very good - can be slippy under foot in places when wet but excellent walk.

4/28/2013 - Ann-Marie Entwistle

We've just got back from completing this very enjoyable and interesting walk as a family. The guide instruction's are very easy and accurate to follow. I do have one little issue though and that is the stile at waymark 7 is very narrow, at it's narrowest point it's only about 6 inches wide. I was able to climb over the dry stone wall fortunately, otherwise this very enjoyable walk would have to have ended at a very early stage.

6/29/2012 - Laurence Fitt-Savage