A walk along the River Lune from Halton Bridge, then along a disused railway line and iconic beaty spot, Crook O' Lune.
For some reason I haven’t done much walking along the River Lune. This is probably as it passes in a blur when I cross the bridge on the way to the Lakes on the M6 and the mental promise of “maybe I should have a look around here” is forgotten just as quickly. And, of course, on the way back from walking in the Lakes my mind is too focused on a shower and the cold beer waiting in the fridge to notice the Lune.
The river is 53 miles long and empties into Morecambe Bay. It was a major river for trade coming into the port of Lancaster since Roman times but fell behind Liverpool as navigation into Lancaster could be difficult for larger ships.
Above Lancaster, the Lune valley is incredibly beautiful and the route I chose to walk followed the river upstream from Halton Bridge then returned along the disused railway line of the North-Western Railway. The route passes through the impressive Crook of Lune where the river forms a horseshoe and is crossed by two railway viaducts.
1. Leave the car park and turn right, then cross over Halton Bridge and turn immediately right and follow the road to a T-junction. Turn right here, then left and follow the road, with the river on the right.
The road passes through a small industrial estate then turns into a track, keep on this, and cross a stile into a wood. Follow the now footpath as it goes through the wood passing the impressive Forge Weir on the river then climbs up hill to reach a metal gate stile leading into the main road.
Cross the stile and turn right, then cross the road to join a track that runs parallel with the road, ignore the two stiles on the left and keep on the track to reach the Crook of Lune car park. Cross the car park and go down some steps to reach the old railway track and keep left and cross the viaduct.
2. Immediately over the viaduct the route suggests going through a gate stile on the left. I did this and it’s a very steep descent to the riverbank and not to be recommended. Instead, carry on then take a track on the right and cross a stile and drop down to the river then turn right and go under the viaduct and pick up the not-much-walked path and follow this with the river on the left.
The walk is obvious as it simply follows the river. There are several stiles but again they are obvious along the riverbank so there is no need for me to describe them. One high spot of the walk is the Waterworks bridge.
The bridge was built in 1906 and carries a four-pipe pipeline that forms part of the Thirlmere Aqueduct that carries gravity fed water from Thirlmere in the Lake District to Manchester at a rate of up to 200 million litres a day. It was near here that I met Dean and Linda Howson whose trekking in India and the Middle East puts me to shame and – remarkably – they had driven to the Crook of Lune in a Tuk Tuk.
Note: The disused railway line was the North-Western Railway and ran from Skipton in Yorkshire to Morecambe. The section the walk is on linked Lancaster and Wennington and was closed to passengers in 1967 and dismantled.
3. This is not a way marker as such on the route but a point where a magnificent view of distant Ingleborough can be had. Keep on the path until it turns into a track. Follow the track and cross a stile by a metal gate and once over keep on the track do not be tempted by the stile on the left. Follow the track and cross another stile by a metal gate next to a building and follow the now tarmac track.
4. Just before the main road the track reaches the old railway line, turn right, and join this and follow this, passing a quaint stone house on the left. Simply follow the railway track from here, it crosses a bit of tarmac road but is well signposted on the other side. Recross the viaduct at the Crook of Lune and keep straight on. Cross the second viaduct and keep on all the way back to the car park.
COMPASS POINTS
START AND FINISH: Former Halton railway station car park, Denny Beck Lane, LA2 9HQ
DISTANCE: 6.25 miles/10km
TIME: 2.5 hours MAP: OS Map OL41 Forest of Bowland and Ribblesdale
TERRAIN: Really good walking on good paths and tracks
FACILITIES: Public toilets at the Crook of Lune car park
