| Walk: | Knott End-on-Sea, Preesall, Pilling Ridge & Old Ridge, Fluke Hall and Morecambe Bay | ||
| Start Point: | Slip way Car Park, Knott End – on Sea | Grid Reference: | SD 346 484 |
| Distance: | 8.5 miles | Ascent: | 400 feet |
| Time: | 4.75 hours | ||
| Weather: | Rather cold with a chill wind, but with some sunny spells and a few light rain showers | ||
| Comments: | Our group of 12 set off past the Ferry Terminal at Fleetwood on the other side of the river, and along the Wyre Estuary where we could see the dense smoke from a warehouse fire that had closed some roads in Fleetwood. The golf course was deserted due to the still laying snow and some very icy stretches as we passed Hackensall Hall and Cotes Walls Farm, as shown on a wall at the farm. However the OS Map says it is Coat Walls? At several points around this area, Canatxx have signs exerting their authority, but at least all the footpaths are intact. A feature of the walk was the numbers of Geese in the fields and in the air as we headed to Preesall and then passing a series of farms over some good tracts and some very wet fields, to Pilling Ridge and Old Ridge for a lunch stop in the sunshine, and in the shelter of some old ruins. Wonder what they were? It was then past Fluke Hall where we came on to the Embankment along Morecambe Bay. At least we had seen the last of the wet muddy fields, but it was rather bleak with a keen wind coming across the sea from the North as we headed back to Knott End. An enjoyable walk that had worked of some of the excess calories from the festive celebrations. | ||
Scroll down to see photos of the walk
Ready for the off
Warehouse fire at Fleetwood
Ferry ready to leave for Ireland
Icy round Hackensall Hall
No golf today
More ice on Wyre Way
Canatxx - at least the footpaths are open
Approaching . . .
Cote Walls Farm, OS map says 'Coat' . . .
and we leave . . .
along another icy track
Geese are everywhere
Coffee break at Town Foot, Preesall
Beacon Fell from back of Preesall School
Small windmill on Gaulters Lane
Muddy field as we leave Baubles Farm
Swan upping and downing!
Flocks of birds are disturbed . . .
as we have lunch at Old Ridge
More geese take off
Still some ice on the pond
Reflection and blue sky along Pilling Ridge
Last muddy field . . .
past Fluke Hall . . .
to the embankment, and looking towards Heysham
We regroup as Anne changes her socks
It is a bit bleak as we head back . . .
to Knott End