Enjoying retirement
In The Red Rose County
We'd heard about Silverdale from a neighbour Phillip, and it was just over an hour away up the M6. When nearly there we saw a sign to Jenny Brown's Point, and took the single track lane and parked for a short while where we shouldn't. A short stroll showed us a really atmospheric part of the Bay. It has been said that Jenny was a lover waiting for her lost sailor to return, a nanny who saved her charges from the tide, a lodging-house keeper, or a steam engine (or "jenny") sent to Brown's Point. Take your pick. Whatever! Since we were feeling peckish we visited the Silverdale Hotel, and what a good choice it was. Lovely location, good beer, fascinating interior. We sat in the conservatory overlooking the garden. Frances had soup and I had Morecambe Bay potted shrimps. Terrific. In each of the toilets there were twinning notices...something unusual and reflecting the nature of the hotel. Something we had never seen before. A short walk took us to the shingly beach with views over the bay to genteel Grange-Over-Sands (which we did know). Silverdale was lovely, charming, quiet, and beautiful. A mecca to see thirty four varieties of butterfly in season. We will return. Driving on towards Arnside we passed Arnside Tower. Situated about a mile and a half outside of Arnside, and to the South East of Arnside Knott, Arnside tower is a spectacular and almost unique example of a Cumbrian pele tower. The oldest building in the parish, the tower was built in the late 14 or early 15th century, and was a free standing tower (most pele towers had outbuildings or were attached to a house or hall of some sort). The tower would originally have been four and five storeys tall, however due to systematic dismantling and weathering and age, it is now both roofless and floorless. The tower was severely burned in 1602, probably through a domestic fire rather than as the result of an attack, but was repaired and then occupied. Parking at a cemetery lay-by on the way in to Arnside, we made a quick decision to climb Arnside Knott. A good viewpoint apparently and 700 feet up. We made our own way rather than following any route. It was good to be in English woods but with views all round. Passing a good scree slope gave an entirely different feel, more reminiscent of The Lakes. Then climbing gave us a view back over Morecambe Bay. Until we reached what is always good to see after any climb...a bench with a view. After a short rest the views quickly opened up and we were looking at a majestic sight.....Howgill Hills to the right and The Lakes mountains themselves ahead and to the left. We chatted to two friends who came here frequently from Southport. Every time the experience entirely different given the changes in weather around here. We were lucky to see two trains crossing the viaduct (people wait for hours to get shots apparently!). A train journey from Lancaster to Arnside and then Grange is something we will do some time. Nice to eventually come across the trig point. They are of course not used any more, and this one had been adopted. We were near the end of our walk. The air must be good here. We then drove into Arnside, most definitely one of the prettiest villages in the North West. I checked out the price of houses all overlooking the front and the Bay. Out of our price range. Damn! There were one or two houses with corner entrances like this. I expect it's to shield entry from the winds. We all know now the dangers of walking onto the Bay itself. The combination of fast tides, quicksands, draining rivers, shifting channels and sheer unpredictability has trapped the unwary for centuries. But what a beautiful place.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Keith & Frances SmithArchives
August 2023
Categories |