{"id":17979,"date":"2022-08-04T12:56:46","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T10:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=17979"},"modified":"2022-08-04T12:56:46","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T10:56:46","slug":"sylvian-silverdale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2022\/08\/04\/sylvian-silverdale\/","title":{"rendered":"Sylvian Silverdale"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
TRAIN\/WALK: <\/strong>Furness Line, Lancashire <\/span><\/h5>\n\n

Sylvian Silverdale<\/h2>\n\n

Explore Lancashire\u2019s rugged limestone coast on a car-free eco escape, says Mark Sutcliffe <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
At times, Leighton Moss plays host to some of Britain\u2019s rarest birds, including ospreys, Eurasian spoonbills and black terns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
\"\"
The train rolls through the Arnside and Silverdale AONB<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

For many, Lancashire\u2019s coastline conjures up images of candyfloss, \u2018kiss me quick\u2019 hats and Blackpool Tower, but the Red Rose county is also home to some outstandingly beautiful rural scenery and unique landscapes. <\/p>\n\n

Tucked away in a secluded corner of Morecambe Bay \u2013 where the foothills of the Lakeland Fells meet the rugged limestone coastline of North Lancashire \u2013 lies Arnside and Silverdale AONB. This undiscovered enclave is home to dense native woodland, wildflower meadows and extensive nature-rich wetlands. <\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Wander beneath Warton Crag, a site nationally important for butterflies and moths <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
ECO ESCAPES <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

The Forest of Bowland and Arnside and Silverdale AONBs have joined forces with Lancashire County Council to promote sustainable tourism across the county this summer. <\/p>\n\n

Their Eco Escapes campaign encourages visitors to arrive by train and explore the two AONBs on foot, by bike or on e-bike. The pretty little station of Silverdale sits at the sylvan heart of the AONB and is the perfect starting point for coast and countryside walks, as well as visiting one of England\u2019s best-loved nature reserves:<\/span> RSPB Leighton Moss. <\/p>\n\n

If you\u2019re on foot (after arriving by train), entry to this expanse of lagoons, wetlands and reedbeds is half price. It\u2019s one of the best places in Britain to hear the secretive bittern \u2013 a shy, brown heron that skulks around the water margins, making a resonant \u2018booming\u2019 call from deep within the reeds. You could also see equally rare bearded tits, marsh harriers, ospreys or avocets. <\/p>\n\n

This varied 7.6-mile circular walk cuts through the reserve and goes on to explore some of the highlights of the AONB. <\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Disembark from the Furness Line at tiny Silverdale Station <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
\n\n

THE ROUTE<\/span><\/h4>\n\n

7.6 MILES\/12.3KM | 5 HOURS | MODERATE<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
1 STATION START <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

From the station, take the first lane on the left past the visitor centre. Continue on to follow the bridleway on the right at Home Farm. <\/p>\n\n

2 WATER WORLD <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Follow the gravel causeway between the lagoons then climb through the woods past Leighton Hall, family seat of the Gillow family. <\/p>\n\n

3 HIGH GROUND <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Beyond the hall, the path swings around to the south and climbs steeply through the parkland to Warton Crag, where the rugged limestone summit affords extensive views out across Morecambe Bay and up to the Lakeland fells. <\/p>\n\n

4 SILVER SHORES <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

The path descends north then west across the seaward end of the nature reserve, crossing the saltmarsh to the rocky coastline south of Silverdale. <\/p>\n\n

5 FLORAL FORAY <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Follow the Lancashire Coastal Way past the chimney of the smeltworks. Continue on past Jenny Brown\u2019s Point and the wildflower meadows of the National Trust\u2019s Jack Scout reserve to reach Lindeth Tower, where Elizabeth Gaskell wrote parts of her novel Ruth. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

6 UNDER THE TREES <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Beyond Lindeth Tower, skirt the village of Silverdale, following the woodland trails past the wells fed by the underground aquifers in the limestone. <\/p>\n\n

7 THOUGH THE GLADE <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Continue into Lambert\u2019s Meadow \u2013 aprominent clearing in the woodlands \u2013 then climb steeply up the steps then left across the golf course and back to the station. <\/p>\n\n

Route details: <\/strong>
Silverdale lies on the Furness Line, which hugs the Lancastrian and Cumbrian coastline from Lancaster, on the West Coast mainline, to Barrow in Furness. Trains run hourly from Lancaster to Silverdale and the journey takes 14 minutes; from \u00a34.40 per adult. northernrailway.co.uk<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Mark Sutcliffe is based in the Forest of Bowland and writes about sustainable tourism and active travel. <\/p>\n\n

Photos: Mark Tattersall, Alamy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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