A Geotrail takes you through pleasing countryside, helping you to understand and enjoy its geological secrets. It is also a fine walk through glorious autumnal woodland and along quiet lanes and roads, from where there are some spectacular views. The trail has been developed by a partnership between the villagers of Storth and the Landscape Trust, the charity that supports Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is the brainchild of Dr Peter Standing.

Park by the wall at the back of car park of The Ship Inn, Sandside, grid reference 478807. The Inn dates back to the 17th Century when Sandside was a thriving port for Milnthorpe and Kendal.

1 Return to the road from the car park, turn right and, with the utmost care, walk a few yards along the road to a footpath on the right. From here you can see, ahead, the information boards at the entrance to the Sandside Cutting. Through this ran the Kendal to Arnside railway, closed in the early the 1970s. Enjoy the exposed rocks, the two splendid bridges under which you pass and the wonderful coloured cotoneaster spreading over a wall of rock. Just beyond take the gate onto the main road and turn right.

2 Take great care as you backtrack along the busy road for a short way to turn right by St John’s Cross into Green Lane. Once this was an estuary crossing point. Ascend the shady lane to cross the road to do a little shopping at the community shop, run by volunteers since 2004. Continue left, very soon to bear right along Yans Lane to a little metal gate, on the right into the large playing field. Here you need to make a decision. Either to continue on the set trail or to ignore the gate and go ahead along Yans Lane until you arrive at the foot of Throughs Lane, which is a delight and a pity to miss.

3 The trail passes through the little gate and strikes ahead across the large playing field to reach Shaw Lane, where you wind right to reach Storth Road. Stroll left and continue until you come to the crossroads and unnamed Cockshot Lane. Stride left to take the third on the left – the descending Throughs Lane, lined with dramatic tree-clad limestone cliffs. At the foot of the lane, at a small junction, you join Yans Lane. Bear right for 50 yards to reach a small building, probably a garage, and take narrow footpath, with a rough rocky start, to its right side. Continue into splendid deciduous woodland. Look out for the Enclosure wall, high up on your right and now defunct. This lovely long woodland path, guided by yellow waymarks towards the end, brings you to Cockshot Lane once more.

4 Turn left for 200 yards and then take a bridlepath on the left from where there are fine views of Farleton Knott and neighbouring fells. Go past a cottage and at a ‘private’ gate into the woodland, turn left before it, and after a few steps, take the easy-to-miss small stile beside a field gate onto a path through the trees. Very soon bear right as directed and continue along another delightful path to a locked gate out of the woodland. Here look left to take another gate into open fields. Beyond, descend beside the wall on your right. Look for surface quarry pits, left and interesting lichen on the wall. From here there is a magnificent view of the estuary. Carry on down the field until you can cross a track, Lovers Lane, with a seat to your right, on the far side.

5 Take an easy-to-miss stile on your left into a narrow path, walled on one side and with fenced off woodland to your right. Follow this delightful way downhill and where it bears left coming close to the coastal road. Climb the stile, ignore a path to the road, and go on ahead, with woodland to your right. Here look for large dark boulders of Shap granite, known as erratics, transferred here by glacial action. Stroll on to climb the next stile and soon join a wide road to walk behind the Shoreline Business Park. Continue along Quarry Lane soon to pass the entrance to the huge quarry and come to the foot of several enormous limekilns. Carry on, past a builder’s yard to take, on the right, a signed footpath to the start of the trail and a well deserved drink at The Ship Inn.

INFORMATION Distance: 3.25 miles Time: 2-3 hours Terrain: Some quiet road and lane walking, long woodland tracks.

Map: Call in at The Ship Inn to borrow their master booklet with a good map on the cover and very interesting details of the geology of the walk.

NB: Restrictions on space mean that this article provides a general summary of the route. It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.