Footpath Surveys In Whicham Parish

Last Thursday we started a new batch of footpath surveys, this time in the south west corner of the park just north of Millom. We parked at Kiskin looking across at Black Combe (which we have to survey) It was a lovely, sunny day with great views to the fells. We don't get to the coast much on our walks so a good change these low level footpaths, & the dogs enjoy a dip in the sea.

We are on the Cumbria Coastal Way, this the bridge where it crosses the River Annas & the parish boundary between Whicham & Bootle.

Zooming in on Barrow in the distance the BAE Systems Marine ship building hall, which is the largest building in Europe.

Sheep in the fields

Closer to Black Combe here

The tide was slowly going out as we walked along the cliffs

We followed the coast & then cut inland to Whitbeck

Red Hot pokers still in bloom here

And this hydrangea

We then walked inland back to Kiskin on what we soon discovered was the worse footpath we had ever walked in terms of deliberate obstructions & damage, don't think the farmer welcomes walkers here. Andy noting down the problems with this stile

The next stile rather overgrown

More like being back in Oxfordshire as we walk through this field.

Barbed wire obstructing access to this stile

And then all over the stile when we get to it

This fence isn't on the map & obstructs the right of way

We made it back to the car having completed 7 footpaths (nearly a quarter of the parish) & noted as many problems as in the whole of Ennerdale!