Lickle bit of heaven (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Lickle bit of heaven

10:16am Friday 29th February 2008

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Park in the Hawk Bridge parking area, grid ref 239919. To access this, take the narrow steeply climbing road, nearly a mile north of Torver, that leads off, right, from the A593 Broughton-in-Furness to Coniston road. Drive on for 2.25 miles to reach an easy-to-miss crossroads. Here turn acute right and descend the lane to the parking area just after a road bridge over the beck. Or, if approaching from Broughton on the A593, take the signposted left turn for Broughton Mills. Almost immediately, turn right on to a pleasing high level road with superb views of the Coniston range of fells. At the crossroads, ignore the road ahead and take the lane to its left that drops down to the parking area.

1/ From the parking area walk ahead on the forest track to pass through a gate beside the padlocked farm gate. Carry on the glorious way until you reach a Y-junction. To see the bridge, go on ahead along the lower path. Just before it, at the time of writing, there is a very boggy stretch of track. Walk along the middle for a few steps, using walking poles if you have them, to test the depth, and then step right on to the grass verge, which is dry. Notice the lovely stepping stones. The bridge lies just beyond. It is very narrow and gives access to walkers, but it might not be quite wide enough for a wheelchair.

2/ After enjoying this quiet corner, take a narrow, roughish, waymarked path up the slope, to your left, to join a good forest road, where you turn right. Remain on this for a mile and then take a wide left turn, another good forest track, which twists and turns before winding west. At the Y-junction bear right and follow the track to its end (less than one fifth of a mile) to reach a large turning area for forest wagons. Here turn left and follow an indistinct path' through the forest trees. Several of them lie across the way, but look for where other walkers have made their way around or under them. Then you emerge on to open slopes where a narrow path descends, gently at first, and then more steeply and wet in places, to come within sight of a wide forest track. Just before the track there is a ditch to cross. A short way, left, the ditch, has been built up with stones making it easy to cross - energetic walkers will be able to jump. Across the Lickle valley lies the slopes of Caw.

3/ Turn left and continue on the track until you have walked over two wide flat areas used by forest vehicles. A few steps beyond the second one, a delightful grassy path descends very gently, right, down to the side of the Lickle, where you will want to pause. Here a stile under a fine ash tree gives access to a charming clapper bridge. Upstream you have a superb view of White Pike. After another pause in this lovely corner, walk ahead to join a path traversing the far side of the Lickle. Turn left and stroll the gradually rising path, with the river disappearing out of sight in it steep-sided, very deep gill. Continue on to pass through two gates and then head for the dwelling at Stephenson Ground. As you go, watch out for the stone potash pit, just above the path on the right. Keep on the path and follow it as it winds left to a narrow road.

4 Stroll left down the very steep lane. Just before you reach the bridge over the Lickle, look on the left banking to see a second potash pit. Then carry on down the delightful, almost traffic-free, lane for nearly a mile to reach the car parking area.

Information

Distance: 5 miles Time: 3 hours Terrain: Good forest roads (tracks) except for the area just before the new bridge. Footpath down towards the Lickle is indistinct at first and then wet in parts.

Map: OS Explorer OL 6 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.

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