Total Distance: 14 Km or 8½ miles
Time: 4 hours
Terrain: Easy riverside walk to begin, followed by a climb through pasture land over to Tatham, with more moderate climbing to Wray. Thereafter an easy riverside walk back to Hornby.

Start:
Car park just before Hornby Bridge on A683, in the village centre. From junction 34 M6 follow signs for Kirkby Lonsdale. After 7 miles you will reach Hornby. (It is also on a regular bus service from Lancaster city centre.)

Map

1. Hornby to Tatham (7 Km or 4½ miles: 2 hours)
From car park walk back to the road. If the village institute is open for one of its regular coffee mornings then you are recommended to drop in.



Not only will you be made to feel most welcome, but you will be given the opportunity to admire the interior of this fine building. Moreover the coffee is ridiculously cheap! Whether you partake or not cross the bridge. Here you may admire the castle, and once across the bridge you may be further attracted by the church.





If you are now ready – we’ll do the walk!
At far end of bridge turn left onto footpath indicated by this sign.



This will take you along the banks of the River Wenning to its meeting with the Lune. This section begins with an attractive tree lined path to reach this stone stile, leading you out into the pastures beyond.




About 15 minutes from Hornby you will come to the confluence. Here you will experience a great sense of space – views are all encompassing.



With the river on your left walk up to Loyn Bridge. At first the way is flat, but after Priory Farm, the large complex on a rise, the route becomes more undulating as you near the bridge. Some 200m before you reach Loyn Bridge you are offered a concessionary path to the lane.



Take it. The path rises steeply from the river.



Turn left onto the lane and then right onto a footpath that passes close to a world war two pill box and the motte and bailey of a castle, an interesting juxta position of two forms of defence works built some 800 years apart. Keep on footpath as it passes a huge farm on the right. On reaching a concrete track cross it to this gate.



From the gate take a diagonal course to reach the A683 in the opposite corner.



Turn right onto the road. BE CAREFUL. This road has appeared in a league table as the second most dangerous in Britain. At 250m cross to this sign.



The footpath climbs to meet a track. Turn left onto the track which will take you into the next field where it peters out near the top of the hill. This by the way is a magnificent viewpoint for the western high fells of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. A feature of this walk is the helpfulness of its way mark signs. Look for this sign which will lead you into a field with a well built barn on your right.



Following the direction of the arrow you will arrive at this ladder stile.



Cross and continue to this gate.



Go through and bear left through trees to cross another stile.



After three fields with frequent way marks to assist you, you will arrive at Park House. Here just inside the confines of the farm turn left between out buildings to locate a track to the rear of a large barn.




Follow the track for 600m (10mins) to where it finishes. Over a stile, cross the field up to Lodge Farm.



As you near the farm house turn right and drop to this stile some distance away.



Once again careful study of the way mark signs will keep you on track as you cross large pastures. In about 15mins you will reach this lane behind Tatham church.




From the church follow the lane down to the B6480. (Turn left for the Bridge Inn if refreshments are needed).
 
2. Tatham to Wray (4 Km or 2½ miles: 1 hour)
On reaching the B6480 turn left and then right into School Lane.



After 800m follow track around to the old school house which you pass on your right. Once again careful attention to waymark signs will yield its own reward. For general guidance keep straight along an undulating route.



After 500m you will notice a fine farm building on the left. Soon after this stile indicates a fork with a waymarker pointing left.



Keep straight. After crossing a brook aim to the left corner of the next field up a rise and thereafter follow waymarks to bring you across fields and stiles to Meal Bank on Agnes Ing Lane.






On reaching the lane turn left and then right through the farm yard. In the pasture beyond follow a well defined path to a stile and then drop down to this outbuilding.



Once again waymarks help.



Your way is left through the farm, on a track that leads to a lane just before Hindburn Bridge. Turn right onto lane and walk into Wray.

3. Wray to Hornby (2 Km or 1½ miles: 40mins)
Wray has many attractive aspects but it is perhaps best known for its scarecrow festival held in the week leading up to May Day Bank Holiday. This attracts scarecrows from all over the world. From village main street turn right on B6480. Just before the bridge bear left onto Back Lane.



This will lead to the sewage works.



Here turn right onto a footpath which will bring you close to the River Hindburn for a short stretch. Once again pay attention to waymark signs, and also Hornby Castle which will be prominent before you. On approaching these agricultural buildings you will be directed to turn left.



The route then crosses four fields to arrive at this stile where you have a choice – bear left to skirt a wood to arrive at a farm or go straight to reach a track that leads to the same farm.



This second option has the merit of finishing the walk beside the river.



Surprisingly the farm gives out onto Hornby Main Street just by its Institute through a rather forbidding metal gate.



The Bridge Inn, Tatham



We made a slight detour to take lunch at The Bridge Inn at Tatham, the detour being very worth while. The Bridge is a small village pub with small rooms and low ceilings, lending itself to character and atmosphere. The service was friendly and efficient, the menu surprisingly varied for a fairly remote village pub. We had Ham sandwiches on brown with a very good side salad and curly chips.
Two cask ales were on offer - Black Sheep Bitter(3.8%) and Everards Beacon(3.8%). (Everards is a family run brewery in Leicestershire and they have been brewing beer since 1849. Having sampled their ales before, we can definitely recommend them). Unfortunately the Everards was at the end of the barrel and we 'had to make do' with Black Sheep. As Black Sheep is one of our all time favourite beers this was no hardship, especially as it was served in excellent condition.