Walks from Barnacre Cottages

Walks around Barnacre Cottages

There are some lovely walks – right from your front door, with a couple of routes to Scorton or to Garstang. And luckily, the odd tempting stopping place en route, for refreshments and sustenance! These are some of our regular routes.

To Scorton

At the bottom of the Barnacre cottages driveway, turn right, walk along Eidsforth Lane till you come to a left turn. Go down this steep hill (known locally as Pig Hill, the name of the wood on the right). At the bottom of the hill turn right along Higher Lane.

Continue past the couple of fords. If it has been raining and the water is over the road, just cross by using the little footbridges. Up the two steep hills to Slean End, then along the flat a little while, then turn left down Tithebarn Lane. At the bottom of the hill you will come to the main road. (Bowling green on the right) Turn right and you will come into the village.

A quick way of remembering this route is – like a march, turn right, then left, then right again, then left at the top of the hill, right again at the bottom of the hill!

A slight variation to this walk is not to turn left down Tithebarn Lane, but walk further along and take the next left turn down Snowhill Lane. About halfway down, just over the small stone bridge, is a nice place to stop for a drink and perhaps a cake or breakfast at The Apple Store Café. It is in the grounds of an old manor house, Wyresdale Hall (which appeared on Country House Rescue a few years ago). Enjoy homemade cakes and lovely old gardens to sit in when the weather is fine.

If you continue down the lane, it will lead down into Scorton. You could then walk through the village and come back either along the Millenium Way which runs next to the river, or just up the long hill of Tithebarn Lane.

To make this walk longer, you can vary it by taking various routes through the public footpaths and bridleways and be gone for hours. The start is the same until you get partway along Higher Lane.

Via Nicky Nook and the Grizedale Valley

Walk down Higher Lane till you get past Throstles Nest (the barn conversions on the left). Turn right and go along the bridle path, through the gate and follow the river around till you get to the next gate. At this point you can turn left and end up back on the lane at Slean End, or turn right and go over the footbridge and follow public footpath signs that will fetch you out at Burns Farm. This is the farm at the very end of Eidsforth Lane. While it is a pleasant walk, the bit at this point is up a steep hill and can be very slippy and muddy when the weather has been wet.)

Once through the gate, follow the path along the river. You will eventually go past the reservoirs on the right. At one point along here, there is a footpath off to the left. It takes you up a narrow path of steps. Once up the top the view is fantastic, but it can be wild and cold up there.

Walk over the flat bit and you will start to come down another lot of steps. Eventually, you will come to a gate and Higher Lane/Snowhill junction. If you turn left, walk along the road you will eventually end back at the bottom of Pig Hill. Cross over the road and go down Snowhill, then you will end up in Scorton, past the catholic church on the left, the school on the left, with the Priory/pub/cafe on the right and the shop in front and the Barn to your left.

If you do not take the first turning off the path, but continue along, eventually you will come to another gate. On the other side of this are huge wild rhododendron bushes that look spectacular when in flower. This opens out and eventually you come onto a quiet lane with a farm on the right.

If you walk along the road and take the first left turn, this is the end of Higher Lane and you will come back round to the point where it meets the junction at Snowhill. All along this route there are various footpaths where you can divert.

Alternative routes to Scorton

Again, make your way down Higher Lane. Before you get to Throstles Nest, the bridle path and the first ford, turn left and follow the wood and continue till you get to the motorway bridge. At this point you can turn right, go down the small hill, cross over the footpath, through the field and over the stile into the wood.

Follow the track till you get to the end of the wood. Climb over the stile, go through the fields and this will fetch you out on Tithebarn Lane. I would recommend doing this walk when the bluebells are out as the woods are just blue carpets of flowers.

But, do not go this route when the ground is wet as the fields on the other side of the woods can be really boggy. Or, when the cows are in the fields during the late spring and summer months. Having been chased a couple of times when out with the dog, I really do not trust them!

If you continue over the motorway bridge, cross over the railway bridge, past the wireworks and this fetches you out onto Hazelhead Lane. Again, from here there are footpath signs directing you through the fields to the left, along the river and eventually you will end up in Garstang. Or, if you turn right on the lane, continue to the end, the T junction at the stone bridge, cross over, through the gate and follow this path (Millenium Way) to the end, then join the footpath following the road, under the railway bridge and another 10 minutes and you will be in Scorton.

Walk to Garstang
Shortest route about 35/40 minutes

From Barnacre cottages driveway turn left. At the end of the lane turn right, past the church, over the motorway bridge. At the mill pond on the corner, carry straight on (do not follow the road round) past Lower Lingard Farm on the left till you come to the public footpath signs further along. This route takes you through some fields and a short way along the river ending up at the car park behind the Discovery centre at the top of the High Street.

If you walk past this first lot of footpath signs, continue along the track and the next lot will take you over a narrow bridge over the river. On the other side of here are more signs which will turn you left, following the river and again ending up at the car park on the High Street.

Alternatively, at the bottom of the drive turn right, go down Pig Hill and continue along Keepers Lane(this lane can be dirty and muddy at all times of year) this will fetch you out at the bottom of the hill past the church, just before the motorway bridge. If anyone just wants a short 30 minute walk, then turn left at the end of Keepers Lane, walk up the hill past the church, turn left into Eidsforth Lane.

There are lots of public footpaths in the area and they are well signposted. If you wish to go further afield, there are also set walks and also some organised by the Wyre Countryside Service. Garstang also holds a walking festival once a year which has a week of walks accompanied by a Ranger.

For anyone confined to a wheelchair there are specially adapted tracks that can be used with the Tramper vehicle. An all terrain, 4 wheel drive type chair that local businesses, including us contributed to that and our guests can use it free of charge.