The Beetham Trail
You need to log in as a member of Walkingworld to access the details for this walk and have an active subscription. Please join, or log in above if you are already a member.
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
Walkingworld members near this walk
Accommodation
Distance away