The September Ramble – Around Scorton
This month it was Veronica’s turn to lead us and she was flying solo, as Neil had to act as clerk of works on a patio project.
The walk started from the Scorton Picnic Site car park, from where we joined a footpath along the left bank of the River Wyre, After recent heavy rains, the river was in full flow and the forecast for the day was for more heavy showers, but mercifully for us, they did not materialise. The path now left the river, climbed a steep embankment and then followed the M6, before heading west across fields and along quiet lanes towards Cleveley Bank Farm, over the railway and on to cross the A6, over more field paths to join the Lancaster Canal at Ratcliffe Bridge.
The canal was now followed south and we were able to admire some of the beautifully painted traditional canal barges and one or two more modern creations, one in particular looking like a caravan mounted on a skip. (Will I receive an e-mail from the owner?). This bit of the canal is as pretty as the rest of the waterway and was followed down to Cabus Nook. We now took a short section of road before entering a long, straight and narrow green lane, (actually called Green Lane), heading eastward towards the A6 again, with splendid views of Harrisend Fell ahead of us. Eventually, we arrived at our tranquil lunch stop at the bottom of a caravan park on the bank of the Wyre.
Lunch over, we crossed the footbridge, the dogs deciding wisely not to go for a dip in the raging torrent, passed under the railway and arrived at Scorton. The village without a pub now has one, I was informed, as we passed through this pretty and very busy village, walking north now and leaving the road to follow a low path which skirted Scorton Lake, along the Wyre path and back to the car park, just as the heavens opened.
Many thanks to Veronica for leading us at a brisk pace along a beautiful and very varied trek and demonstrating impressive control of the weather!!