Total Distance: 10 Km or 6 miles
Time: 2½ - 3 hours
Terrain: One steady climb to the summit with a short pitch of scrambling over limestone rocks. Descent through woodland, followed by moderate ascent through woods and across pastures. More woodland walking before dropping into Warton.

Start: Carnforth Railway station.
For readers arriving by car follow directions from the car park at the foot of the Crag. Leave the M6 at junction 35 and take the M601 to the A6. On reaching the A6 roundabout  turn right. After 1000m turn left into Borwick Lane. When you reach the village turn left into Main Street. Continue towards the church turning right into Crag Road just before the George Washington. The Warton Crag Local Nature Reserve car park is on the right just 700m from the village.

Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette

1.Carnforth Station to Warton Crag summit (3 Km or 2 miles: 1 hour)
Carnforth railway station can lay claim to being Lancashire's most famous film location. Its buffet provided the setting for David Lean's 1946 film "Brief Encounter" starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson, a film in which absolutely nothing happens!

From the station walk down the approach to Warton Road. Here turn left  and after walking under one railway bridge, turn left just before the next one into Shore Road, in the direction of the Lancashire Cycleway.

And we're not done with railway bridges yet for another (double) one appears. Bear right once you have passed below it.

 

In 300m cross the River Keer over a footbridge joining the Lancashire Coastal Way for a short stretch.

Keep on it along a strip between river (on left) and railway (on right). At Sands Lane turn right. After 500m turn left onto a footpath just past horse-riders warning sign.

Keep straight on this, over a stile and follow hedge up to Crag Lane. Ahead Warton Crag's scarred face will seem quite forbidding.

Don't worry - you'll be above it in a surprisingly short amount of time. Turn right on Crag Lane to arrive at the nature reserve car park on the left.



When you reach a second entrance from the lane, indicated by two noticeboards, bear left up through trees to reach a kissing gate.




Go through this and turn left climbing steadily up along the edge of the crag. It will be now quite evident you are in limestone country with the bones of the earth protruding through the thin soil.
Ten minutes of steady climbing will bring you to a fence above the quarry car park.

To reach the summit of the crag cross the fence and look for a narrow but distinct path on your right. Follow this as it traverses stratas of rock interspersed by hawthorn and gorse to a stile below a rocky shelf.

 This is the way. A short and easy scramble will keep you on a path bringing you to a beacon and trig. point.

 

2.Summit to Warton Village (6 Km or 4miles: 2hours)
(This is not a direct way to the village!)
With the beacon thingy and trig. point on your right, follow the path you were on to a sign post in the woods.

 

Follow in the direction of Crag Foot. In 300m another sign will confirm direction. Again follow to Crag Foot. On reaching a wooden gate pass through the gap and turn left.

The track gently descends through lovely woodland.

 

This will bring you to Crag Lane. Turn right. Once again you are briefly on the Coastal Way. At the next junction past a telephone box and chimney, follow footpath sign for Coach Road.

In 150m turn right along a track and past the field turn left into woodland over a wooden stile.

The way now is up. Pass through a metal gate into pasture.

Out on the left you will have views of the nationally important RSPB Leighton Moss reserve.

 

With frequent waymark signs cross pastures to reach a forbidding "Private No footpath" sign. Here bear left through a gate and follow faint path with fence on your left. When you reach a red(or rusty) gate cross stile and bear right.

 

With a wall on your right look for a wooden gate marking an entrance into Hyning Scout Wood.

Almost immediately inside the wood the path forks. Keep left decending gently through the trees. When you reach a broader track bear right. Following the base of a rocky shelf you will arrive at a track with Warton in view across a field. Here turn left, passing another impressive kiln to reach Hyning Road.

 

Turn right and walk into the village.

 

Village to Station.
Car users turn right into Crag Road to return to the car park. Railway users bear left past church and rectory (both well worth closer inspection) and walk down to a children's play area.

Turn left and go through it, then turn right onto a path that will bring you into a housing estate. Turn right and then left just before No.24. Pass through metal kissing gate with a utility building on the left.
The footpath  will bring you to Millhead joining Warton Road. Turn left for railway station.

[Note: As of April 2009 the footpath to Millbeck is temporarily closed. Readers should continue past the children's playground and follow road as it bends to the left in the direction of Carnforth. This will add 10 minutes to your walk.]

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The George Washington.

Every 4th July the Stars and Stripes are flown from the church tower in Warton. This is in recognition of the fact that the first President of the United States had family connections with the village. So it is hardly surprising that there is a pub named after the eminent man.