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THE CUMBRIA COASTAL PATH

CCP06: Cark to Speel Bank
(plus a Cistercian Way sampler)

23rd October 2009

Cark again! Continuing our task of tackling the Cumbria Coastal Path in bite sized chunks saw us searching for a parking place in this small village. We found what seemed an ideal one by the side of a small playground. Boots were put on and off we set only to find a small sign obliquely displayed near the entrance intimating that parking was limited to one hour. As we pondered the dilemma, a lady crossed the road and said "Oh, don't worry about that. I park here all day and no one bothers!" So, given this moral and potentially financially damaging dilemma, what would you do?

The short section between Cark and Holker Hall is, at times, uncomfortable. The road has no pavement and a lot of traffic.

Estate cottages.....

The situation improves at the Hall where the estate cottages have unusual and attractive latticed windows and, also, washing on display!

.....with lattices and washing!

Drinking fountain opposite.....

Lattices

.....Holker Hall gates

The improvement continues as the Path leaves the B5278, climbing up on a minor road before becoming a farm track that not only doubles as the Cumbria Coastal Way (as the occasional signpost irritatingly refers to it despite the initial board at Arnside, and hence this blog, calling it the Cumbria Coastal Path), it also triples up as the Cistercian Way.

This is another long distance walk that emulates the travels of the Cistercian Monks from Grange to Piel Island via Cartmel Priory and Furness Abbey. The monks were obviously way ahead of their time as their Way has the boring bits completed by train!

Bet they couldn't see Blackpool Tower, though!

Blackpool Tower, 26 miles away

Is it a lamb?

We also saw in a field an unusual rock that looked very much like a lamb

After half a mile or so the monks left us and we headed through the woods to emerge near an unnamed hill and the first view of the coast we had seen for a while.

The unnamed hill appears

The Leven Estuary

At Burns Farm, just before the attractive little caravan site, there was another creature-like formation, after which we continued north through pleasant meadows to our decision point at Speel Bank.

Is it a calf?

Speel Bank Farm

Speel Bank

This, we decided, was far enough for today, a decision helped by the fact it was starting to rain so we turned south east to pioneer a new Way back to Cark.

Fortunately the rain didn't last long.

Raining!

Afternoon tea.

We took afternoon tea in a field that we probably should not have been in, thanks to some ambiguous footpath signage. It had an intriguing fallen tree that continued the creature sculpture theme with its dinosauric shape that we used as a serving table!

Is it a dinosaur.....

.....with its powerful limbs!

After negotiating a very slippery and barbed wall to regain the right path, we passed through an attractive cluster of buildings at Hill Farm- although initially we thought they might have been built for midgets!

Hill Farm midget house?.

Ford below Walton Hall!

We briefly met up with the monks again at Walton Hall.....

Walton Hall with perhaps a touch of artificial enhancement!

.....then crossed down to Seven Acres and its abandoned farm buildings.

Desirable residence?

Situated on the edge of Cartmel Race Course you would think it was worth a fortune and it is difficult to understand why such a desirable residence has been allowed to dilapidate like that. Perhaps it is due to the ghosts of the monks whose Way we rejoined to take us back down to Cark.

We entered the village by a fine old building, name not known. I should have photographed its distinguished front door but instead you will have to make do with its rather less distinguished washing and rear view!