It was my 28th birthday on Sunday, and Sam treated me and the dogs to a two night stay in a fancy glamping cabin (he tagged along as well). Historically, my birthday is usually a bit of a washout (see my post about our trip to the Peak District), and sure enough driving over on the Friday afternoon, the windscreen wipers were on full whack and rivers were nearly level with the road. We were therefore resigned to just dash out wherever it looked like there was a dry window, and to shelve our Wainwright plans for a future trip. However, the sun shines on the righteous as they say, and we must have been exceptionally nice people all week, as by the time we pulled up on Friday afternoon the clouds were parting and the sun was shining.
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Haverigg Beach
We were staying at a farm just outside of Millom, so the plan was (if the sun miraculously appeared, which it did, hurrah) to stop at the coast and let the dogs have a good sprint around on the beach. The Cumbrian coast is seriously underrated – everyone makes a beeline straight to the Lake District and therefore misses out on everything the coast has to offer (all the better for those of us who do head that way and have it to ourselves).
This time we went to the beach at Haverigg, and somehow timed it to coincide with the sole hour of sunshine that day. This did mean that we were there at the same time as all the local dog walkers, but the beach was big enough that we were all very spaced out and it felt like we were the only people there – bliss. There’s free roadside parking next to the dunes and it’s a very short walk of about 2 minutes to get to the beach itself.
Dog friendly rating – 5/5. The beach at Haverigg is dog friendly all year round, and the only other people we saw all had dogs with them enjoying the sand (is there anywhere more exciting for a dog than the beach?). It was lovely and quiet too, which is always a huge bonus when you have a reactive dog like Coal.
Swinside Stone Circle
Saturday dawned reasonably bright but very blustery, so we opted for a lower down walk exploring the quieter side of the South Lakes. A very short drive from where we were staying was Swinside stone circle, a scheduled monument which you would probably miss if you didn’t know it was there. It’s a bit of a walk to get to unlike the very popular Castlerigg stone circle, but this just means you’re more than likely to have it to yourself.
We followed a roughly three and a half mile walk from our Pocket Mountains guide to the Lake District (similar route on AllTrails). Starting from a lay by parking area on a quiet road, you head steadily uphill along a well surfaced bridleway to reach the stone circle, before using field tracks (pathless and boggy in places) to return to the quiet road for the final leg of the walk.
Ever since reading Outlander I always feel marginally (and irrationally) worried that I’m going to get sucked into another time when I’m at a stone circle, but either Swinside is safe or I don’t have the magic time travelling gene! In all seriousness though, there’s something a bit special about these sites and trying to imagine what people used them for thousands of years ago. Was it a social gathering place or a site of religious importance? The likelihood is we’ll never know (but it makes for some great historical fiction).
This is a great walk for a morning or afternoon when the weather isn’t fantastic and you don’t want to be out all day, but still want to have a decent length excursion. While there is a little up and down, there are no steep sections and it should be manageable for anyone with a basic level of fitness.
Dog friendly rating – 3/5. While the bridleway at the beginning of the walk starts off along an enclosed lane, you’re soon walking through fields where you may encounter livestock and dogs should be on a lead (we saw sheep and horses). The stone circle itself is on privately owned land so please respect the countryside code should you choose to visit the stones. There are a few stiles to navigate along the way, but most have dog gates or are easy enough for dogs to clamber over on their own.
RSPB Hodbarrow
There aren’t many nature reserves where you’re welcome to take dogs everywhere on the site, but at RSPB Hodbarrow you’re able to do just that. The site has a beautiful coastal lagoon, grassland and its own beach, and walking around the site along the lagoon path makes for a cracking, completely flat three mile walk. Along the way you can drop down to the reserve’s sandy beach and enjoy a paddle in the waves or just stand and watch the surf. There’s also a hide for keen bird watchers, but you’ll see plenty of birds as you wander around the site.
Parking is free in the sign posted area, with space for a limited number of cars. We turned up just after lunch time on a sunny (if windy) Saturday and got parked with no issues – most of the other people we saw were locals and it was by no means busy.
Dog friendly rating – 4/5. Dogs are welcome everywhere at the site, but bear in mind this is a nature reserve and keep them under control appropriately. Ours loved having a run on the beach, but we made sure there weren’t any birds down there first and kept them out of the ponds and other wetland areas. The walk is stile free but you do pass through a relatively busy holiday park – this was the only part of the walk where we encountered traffic. The holiday park does have a dog friendly cafe if you want to stop off – although we didn’t try it so I can’t say whether or not it’s any good!
Duddon Bridge Iron Works
The Wild Guide to the Lakes and Dales has lots of interesting and ‘off the beaten track’ suggestions of places to visit. There’s plenty to see and do in the area around Millom, and Sam picked out the ruins of the old iron furnace at Duddon Bridge. The site is amazingly intact and wandering around the ruins, it’s easy to imagine what it would have been like with the furnace alight. It’s very strange to think that the people working here while the site was operational from 1736-1867 will have lived through the second Jacobite rising, the American revolution and the Napoleonic wars.
There’s a small Lake District National Park car park close to the furnace – parking is free, but you can choose to make a donation through a parking app. Once at the site you can walk through the gate and explore the ruins at your own pace – you’ll probably be the only person there.
Dog friendly rating – 4/5. Your dog is able to explore the ruins with you, and there’s no stiles or busy roads to navigate in order to do so. The ruins don’t take up much space though, so your dog will probably still be raring to go on another adventure by the time you finish!
Black Fell and Holme Fell
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you might remember my last (unsuccessful) attempt to tick off Black Fell – a relatively small Wainwright close to Tarn Hows. Sunday morning dawned bright and dry, and so we set out to re-attempt the summit, as well as the nearby peak of Holme Fell. We followed an eight mile circular route on WalkLakes, which starts from the large pay & display car park at Tarn Hows (National Trust members park free).
This is a really lovely, enjoyable walk. It takes in two Wainwrights, but there are no sections which feel seriously tough or steep, and there are great views all the way around, especially from the summit of Black Fell.
From Black Fell, it’s a fairly long walk across to Holme Fell, but this is varied and interesting walking with lots to enjoy – in particular, the dramatic quarry at Hodge Close is more than worth a visit on it’s own. From the quarry it’s a steady walk uphill, first through woodland, and then up across the heather clad slopes of Holme Fell. On this part of the walk the path does become overgrown and difficult to follow in places, so navigation skills and an explorer state of mind are sometimes required!
Holme Fell has good views, but not quite as good as Black Fell. The official summit is on a rocky promontory close to the cairn – so don’t be fooled into thinking that the cairn is the top! Descending from the fell is a fairly long but gradual business, which ultimately brings you out by Yew Tree Tarn, where you cross the road to climb back up for a way to return to Tarn Hows. Look out for Tom Gill, the impressive waterfall which you will pass on your way up. We met lots of people coming in the other direction from Tarn Hows who were clearly detouring to visit the waterfall – there were lots of ‘is it much further to the waterfall’ queries, but it’s really not that far! Or maybe I just have a different perception of what ‘a long way’ is…
Dog friendly rating – 3/5. Leads will be required for most of this walk: apart from the short forested section on the approach to Holme Fell, you may come across livestock at any time (sheep and cows, although thankfully the cows were in the far distance!). Passing by the quarry there are some extremely steep drops, so leads absolutely should be on here. There are a few places where your dog can get a drink along the way and which should be sufficient in cooler weather, but if you’re visiting in summer, extra water for your dog is a must.
All told it took us about 4 hours to get around this walk at a fairly leisurely pace – it’s definitely not one I’d classify as a tough walk. That being said, after a busy few days, we were both glad to see the car and set off for home at the end of the walk!
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Happy birthday! 🙂
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