{"id":1005116,"date":"2022-03-24T19:52:38","date_gmt":"2022-03-24T19:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1005116"},"modified":"2022-11-04T15:22:44","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T15:22:44","slug":"abbeystead-tarnbrook-and-marshaw-forest-of-bowland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1005116","title":{"rendered":"Abbeystead, Tarnbrook, and Marshaw – Forest of Bowland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the current spell of warm spring weather set to continue, I decided to travel further afield than usual today. The weather was warm and still, but not very sunny, actually they were perfect walking conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an area I don’t know well, and I was unsure how long a walk to do, so I planned a route of 10.4 miles, with an option to reduce this to 7.7 miles if I wanted. I ended up being unable to resist adding a trip up to a summit trig point, and ended up doing 11.85 miles!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is an hour and 10 minutes drive from Cheadle Hulme to Abbeystead, which is a few miles east of the M6, junction 33 – Lancaster South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With 2038 feet, 620 metres, of ascent, this walk poses quite a challenge. It took 4 hours 45 minutes plus 15 minutes for lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is not suitable for dogs to run off the lead, with specific signs in many places, and sheep all around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I parked by the village hall, though could have driven down to the bridge where there is a fair bit of parking next to the river. For satnav use the Village Hall postcode, LA2 9BQ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is on OS Explorer Map OL41.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Abbeystead to Ward’s Stone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Abbeystead looks like a pretty hamlet in the spring sunshine as I set off down to the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The floods have February have faded and Tarnbrook Wyre is a pleasant babbling brook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This sheep photobombed my picture of an oystercatcher in her field! Can you see the oystercatcher?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After leaving the brook, I’m soon heading uphill and beyond Lee Plantation. Here’s the view back down, with the plantation on the left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The track is a well constructed gravel track, presumably funded by the grouse shooting fraternity. Not sure what I think about that, but it makes a great surface to walk on. Today, there were no guns, and in fact, no people at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Skylarks were plentiful; this is the best picture I managed to get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I was feeling quite energetic, and so I decided to make the detour up to Ward’s Stone, and the trig point, adding half an hour and 330 feet, 100metres to of ascent to my route. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was well rewarded, as the anemometer station preceded the classic white pillar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was so quiet as I took a short 360 degree video across this remote landscape. The air quality was poor, so no views out to Morecambe Bay, up to The Lakes, or down to Blackpool. Ward’s Stone is seen in the first couple of seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n