A fairly level walk exploring the peaceful countryside around and beside the Lancaster canal at Tewitfield and Borwick. This was one of the South Lakes Walking Club’s Monday evening walks that go from May to August. If you are interested visit slwc.weebly.com/ or telephone the secretary on 01539-733887 for further information.

Start at Longlands Inn, Tewitfield (GR SD 520737)

Information:

Distance: 4.25 miles, ascent: 300 feet

Time: 2 hours

Terrain: footpaths over fields and hedged tracks.

Map: OS Explorer OL7

Route

1 From Longlands Inn walk past the car park towards the M6 to where the canal now ends, 13 miles short of Kendal. Go past the moorings and through a squeeze stile just before the first bridge. Turn left, go over the canal bridge then immediately right onto a lane with Tewitfield Chapel on your left.

2 Continue along this green lane over the brow of a hill and through a gate with a stile next to it on the right. Keeping close to the hedge on your right, go to a squeeze stile then to another stile with a gate next to it. Here, ignore paths going straight ahead but bear right towards farm buildings. As you get nearer to the farm you will see a stile ahead near the right corner of the field. Immediately after this stile go over another stile on your right onto an uneven and stony path beside a farm outbuilding on your left, over another stile and on to a roadside gate.

3 Turn left and at the main road turn right, passing Borwick village green on your left. The place name derives from the Old English ‘bere’ meaning barley plus ‘wic’ an outlying farm, hence ‘a granary outside the main village.’ Borwick Hall is straight ahead. This is a 17th Century manor house set in 18 acres of grounds. It was built by Robert Bindloss, whose family had amassed a fortune from their business as clothiers. Robert was elected as the Member for Parliament for the Borough of Lancaster (aged 16) in 1640 and the following year was knighted by King Charles I. In London there was a saying, "As rich as Sir Robert in the north." The hall was used by the military in World War II and later became a holiday camp. It now belongs to Lancashire County Council and is used as a residential outdoor education and conference centre.

The hall is said to be haunted by a girl who fought against her parents for arranging her wedding. She was locked in the tower as punishment where she was forgotten about and starved to death. Her ghost, the ‘White Lady of Borwick,’ still walks the corridors looking for vengeance.

4 Turn right by the hall, cross over the canal bridge and turn left into a parking area. Walk ahead down the green lane (avoid turning left again by the canal). Ignore the footpath to the right and also the bridleway to the right almost immediately afterwards. Where the path divides keep right along the green lane, avoiding another turning to the right (the private Kingfisher nature reserve) and pass under the Keer railway viaduct.

5 Go over the quaint packhorse bridge and past a lovely property on your left. At the top of the lane go through the gate ahead to access the canal. Turn left to the aqueduct built by John Rennie in 1797 to carry the canal 35 feet above the River Keer. Enjoy the impressive views over the parapet then retrace your steps to cross the bridge via steps up to a squeeze stile. Turn left and walk beside the canal along a caravan park access road, continuing by the side of the canal past pretty private moorings. In the wood, keep close to the canal on your left to pass a large canal basin. Follow the path uphill through the wood past a caravan site on your right. Take the stile on your left into a large field. Bear right and head for the far right corner. Cross over the stile and keeping the fence on your left, find the stile in the corner of the field (it may be obscured by overgrowth). Continue with the hedge on your left, crossing a narrow elongated field to a stile in the left hand corner to meet a road.

6 Turn left on the road to go past Borwick Hall again on your left. Cross over the canal bridge again only this time you turn right and go through the stile. Continue along the canal towpath with the canal on your right for half a mile to where the walk began.

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.