Leighton Moss
Leighton Moss is the site of a nationally important RSPB reservoir. This walk starting in Silverdale will take you across the marshes to the visitors' centre, as well as exploring the lovely woods nearby.
Start: Silverdale railway station. For those arriving by car park at the National Trust car park, Eaves Wood.Exit 35 M6. Join A6 northbound. Keep on A6 for a little over two miles. Turn left into Nineteen Acre Lane opposite sign for Cinderbarrow Car Park. At the junction turn right into Silverdale Road. Follow Storrs Lane past Leighton Moss RSPB reserve to reach a T junction. Turn right. Pass station on right. As the road leads round bend to right, turn left into Park Road. The car park is a short distance on the right.
Summary: Distance: 8k 5m
Time: 2 - 3 hours
Terrain: Mainly woodland paths interspersed by pastures. Note:limestone where it is encountered can be very greasy during and after wet weather.
Map: OS OL7 The English Lakes South-eastern area.
Map by kind permission of the Blackpool Gazette
Directions. [Car users should walk back towards the station and turn left into Moss Lane and pick up the directions from the railway bridge.] On leaving the station turn right onto Red Bridge Lane.After passing a fairway of the golf course, look for a footpath sign on the right at 600m (10 mins).
It points towards Leighton Moss which you will cross, but not yet.Do not cross the railway but bear left behind a property to reach Moss Lane.
Turn right. Just beyond a terrace of cottages on the left take a footpath on the right.
Initially this stays close to the lane, but after 200m or so begins to diverge to the right and then enters woodland. Keep on the path as it crosses a low limestone escarpment.
After a kissing gate, follow the path with a wall on your left to arrive at open pasture. Keep ahead and after 300m reach a cross-roads of footpaths.
Left will lead into Gait Barrows Nature Reserve.Ahead takes you to Leighton Beck Bridge. However your way is right towards Yealand Hall Allotment. The path crosses a large pasture before reaching a squeeze stile next to a metal gate.
Cross and turn right onto a firm, wide track. After 500m this track will bring you onto a lane close by Yealand Storrs.
The next part of the walk passes through the village - but will not take long since Yealand Storrs is tiny. After passing Yealand Hall take a footpath on the right.
This enters dense woodland. The route now begins to climb and continues climbing when the path reaches a broader track close by a property. Briefly the route enters a pasture.
Bear diagonally right from the stile to re-enter woodland at another stile. (A helpful signboard will make it clear to you.)Keep ahead as the path crosses Cringlebarrow Wood and Deepdale Wood. As the walk comes close to its highest point take a footpath to the right in the direction of Leighton Hall Home Farm.
Soon you are descending along a broad woodland track.
700m from the junction the track emerges from the woods and crosses pasture to the substantial farm located close to Leighton Hall itself.
When you reach the farm lane turn right and walk down to the next farm, Grisedale. After passing through the farm, the right of way bears off to the right to put you on a track that leads straight across Leighton Moss.
This is a nationally important RSPB nature reserve. A few years ago the RSPB carried out a survey to determine which area of the country possessed the greatest variety of bird life and you'll never guess which county came top of that particular chart! Yep - Lancashire. If you have time you may wish to use the hide which is on route to do a bit of bird watching yourself.
When you reach the road at the end, turn left. This will bring you to the visitors centre. At the junction a little beyond this turn right for the railway station and car park.