Since the romantic poets led by William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey gravitated there in the early 19th century, the Lake District has been one of England’s most alluring regions.
Its photogenic qualities are matched by its popularity with visitors from home and abroad, won over by the glorious tapestry of lakes, fells, villages and Michelin-starred restaurants.
Though some parts of Lakeland remain quiet and pristine, others can feel a bit crowded, especially in the warmer months. You even get the odd traffic jam. This is not something that can be said about the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which nestles just south of the Lake District National Park, straddling the counties of Lancashire and Cumbria.
Hiking here on a pleasant dry day in early summer, our moods boosted by the slow-paced serenity and spellbinding scenery, we agree it’s one of those places you can safely put in the “hidden gem” category.
The locals are friendly and willing to point you in the right direction should you get lost amid the winding country lanes and marked footpaths that snake past woodlands, meadows, orchards and fields dotted with cows, sheep and ancient stone walls.
We’re also regularly entranced by the views over majestic Morecambe Bay, whose presence makes up for the lack of lake vistas. Handily, you don’t need your own wheels to reach this delightfully under-rated pocket of England’s north-west. From the city of Lancaster — which is on the west coast mainline linking London’s Euston station and Glasgow — it’s just a 15-minute train ride to Silverdale. Hopping off here, you’re right next to Leighton Moss, a nature reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and buzzing with diverse wildlife such as herons, harriers, tits, otters, spoonbills and egrets.
More birds, bees, butterflies and dragonflies flit past as we press on towards the village centre of Silverdale, where there’s a cluster of pretty stone houses and cottages, plus a pub with rooms and a cafe selling various refreshments, from caffeine and cake by day to Spanish-style pintxos in the evening. A poster is advertising an annual June festival that sees local artists opening their studios and homes for the weekend, allowing the public in to view paintings, sculptures and other pieces inspired by the region’s landscapes.
A stone’s throw away, we’re happy to find the tide of Morecambe Bay is out, so we’re able to walk on the broad, flat sands of Silverdale beach. Our attention is soon drawn to a row of craggy, tree-capped limestone cliffs and caves that have a Jurassic look about them and remind me of exotic faraway islands (including some in Thailand). While our walk today is mostly flat, there are some thigh-straining summits to seek out if you choose to.
They include the Queen Victoria Jubilee monument, known locally as the “Pepperpot”, and Arnside Knott, a hill with an elevation of 159m. On our way there, we pass a little cricket ground, where players are getting ready for a match. A little further ahead are the ruins of a late-medieval tower-house.
On Arnside Knott we rest on a bench, Morecambe Bay sprawling below, with the peaks of the Lake District looming to our right. We can also glimpse trains crossing an impressive Victorian viaduct, linking the village of Arnside below with Grange-over-Sands, a seaside resort across the bay. Descending the hill, we run across wildflower-carpeted fields, passing retirement complexes and tidy streets lined with stone cottages.
Before long, we’re back by the bay in Arnside village, where about 20 people are out and about, mostly patronising the handful of pubs, tearooms and shops selling ice cream and fish and chips. A short walk from here is Arnside’s railway station. And after a refreshment break, that’s where we head, glad to have spent a day discovering a part of England that most of the English, let alone the rest of the world, are unaware of.
fact file + For more information on visiting the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, see arnsidesilverdaleaonb.org.uk + You can also get direct trains to both Arnside and Silverdale from other cities in England’s north-west, including Preston (40-minute journey) and Manchester (90 minutes). + To help plan a trip to Britain, see visitbritain.com
