Walk 2: Swarthdale to Melling

Walk Waypoints

1. 1 On reaching the road, go left and next right along a track through woodland to Sidegarth. Pass by a barn, and go right, but then be certain to go left over a stile, down steps and alongside a garden boundary to a small gate. Once through, keep ahead in this high pasture, but all eyes will be left, as here is an exceptional view of Ingleborough in the distance, and the Lune Valley in the foreground.
2. 2 Cross a stile, and cut the corner to a giant of a stile in a tall hedge. Proceed to a stile, and footbridge, and then climb up the hillside aiming slightly right to a stile in the next boundary. You can see Aughton church. Head slightly right, descending the field to cross a stile. Once over, keep ahead to cross a stone step stile by a gate onto a lane.
3. 3 Go right along the lane to a junction in approximately 50 metres, where you turn left down to a cross-roads. There is a seat here to rest a while, or continue to descend into the Lune Valley (sign-posted as a cul-de-sac). This drops more steeply to Aughton Barns. Go left over a stile to walk ahead through river meadows.
4. 4 You have now joined the 'Lune Valley Ramble'. Cross the next stile, and walk upstream alongside the river. Opposite is the outline of Claughton Brick Works, and above, on Caton Moor, a wind farm. The path continues along the river, and runs through Great Close Wood, a superb section, but one which requires care, since, despite the maintenance of stiles and steps, erosion by flood waters is a perennial problem. Pass by the oxbow lake, where, in winter, wildfowl like to gather. Exit the woods by a stile, and continue ahead along a fence to pass to the rear of a house.
5. 5 Go right on the track, by the cattle grid, and then left as it rises towards a house. However, your way is to the right, through a barred gate into the flood plain for a second time. Head slightly right to cross a stile; here you regain the riverbank. There is a good view of Hornby village and castle as you turn left to walk upstream. Pass well below the dwelling Sandbeds, which is to your left, and cross another stile here before entering woodland. Follow the river valley up to Loyn Bridge, where there is a stone step stile up to the road. Go right to cross the bridge. (To cut the walk short here, bear right off the bridge, and walk up the road to the junction, here going ahead to Hornby, which has bus links, refreshment and accommodation).
6. 6 Immediately over the bridge, go through a gap stile by a gate on the left. Follow the embankment as it curves away from the river. You get a first glimpse of the village of Melling to your right. As you approach a line of trees, cross a concrete track, then head slightly left to a tapering corner, where you will find a stone slab bridge across the brook.
7. 7 Cross the bridge, and go over the stile. Now proceed ahead by an old streambed, then across to a stile in a hedge. Cross a second stile in the next pasture, and, once over, continue through a group of trees. Arkholme can be seen across the river in the distance. Once you have cleared the trees, bear right as indicated by the waymarks. There is a hedge to your right, and a water channel soon appears on your left. Cross two stiles where cattle take water, and keep company with the fence on the right, ducking beneath the boughs of alders, which line the channel here. You soon reach a barred gate and kissing gate before the railway embankment, leading to a track (right) to the main road A683 at Melling.