St Bees and Fleswick Bay

Date & start time: Saturday 9th October 2010, 4.20 pm start.

Location of Start : Tarnflatt Hall Farm, St Bees headland, Cumbria, Uk ( NX 948 1045 )

Places visited : Fleswick Bay, North Head cliffs, the Lighthouse and back.

Walk details : 3 mls, 750 ft of ascent, 1 hr 45 mins.

Highest point : The Lighthouse at about 310 feet above sea level.

Walked with : Ann and the dogs, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : A pleasant sunny afternoon.

[ Alter the settings to zoom or change the Map, use Everytrail to download the Gps route ]

Last time we were at St Bees we saw a footpath down to Fleswick Bay

that would provide a nice 3 mile round trip and also give us chance to visit the cliffs beneath St Bees Head.

Today a west coast afternoon seemed like a good idea.

Parking at Tarnflatt Hall Farm.	Check the map . . . you are here !

[ Pay attention and don't trip over the arrow on the way out of the yard ]

We set off across the fields on a "permissive footpath", one the landowner has created or allowed to develop

and which has been subsequently signposted to allow walkers access to Fleswick Bay.

A slightly artistic attempt of a view of the lighthouse above the newly sown winter wheat crop.

The gate was locked and the stile had an extra wire six inches above the top wooden bar making it difficult to cross.

Ann was looking rather cheesed off at the height of the stile as we had to lift Harry over. Too soon for him to be jumping over this height.

A deep valley in the fields ahead led us down towards the bay.

I'm down with the dogs but Ann is delaying slightly to enjoy the view.

Beautiful Sandstone cliffs back the beach on both sides.

The amount of rubbish on the beach was a little off putting but it was all water borne so you can't blame it on locals or visitors

It's just that the beach is so open to the westerly storms and so remote that no-one has been down to tidy it up.

A rather nice rippled sandstone rock strata worn into shape by the action of the waves and the gravel.

Looking south along the beach.

There were other people about . . . but not many.	The cliffs to the north are equally impressive.

Harry waits as I clamber over the rocks.	Time to join the coast path to the top of the cliff.

High cliffs and boulders below.	A flock of herring gulls rest on the rock below.

A dark exposure into the sun.	The lower fence indicates a bird watching spot.

Making our way over to the same fence . . .	. . . there's a picture to help identify the birds.

The busy time for birds here is in the early summer as they nest during the breeding season on the cliffs below.

At this time of year (October) there are considerably less but there are a few gulls and guillemots about.

Contemplating . . . the time to sunset perhaps.

Time to be getting back because, although it was sunny earlier, it is none too warm now.

This is the Fog Horn building that belongs to the lighthouse.

Owners of our 2010 Calendar will recognise it as " Miss June ".

Two exponents of the sport of "Bouldering"

This American couple (Heath and Libby) had travelled over from the north east just to climb some of the sandstone boulders at the base of the cliffs.

The items they carry are protective mats as the sport involves rock climbing without ropes. The mats soften their landing should they let go of the boulder !

At the high point of the walk, physically that is, not emotionally.

	The Lighthouse is one of the oldest in the country and when first built was illuminated by a coal fire.   It was rebuilt using an electric light and lenses but like all others of the UK is now fully automated.   It served to guide ships into Whitehaven and away from the dangerous headland of St Bees   Click here for more details.

Rather too early to stay till the sunset so we made our way back to the car using the lighthouse road.

This is where we completed the circle . . . as this is the gate we turned soon after the start of the walk.

The first glow of sunset as we return to the car.

Time to make our way home.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Canon 75 or my Canon G10 digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . an eye on previous occasions for a potential new walk.

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Previous walk - 7th October 2010 The High Bank Lorton track

A previous time up here - Thursday 25th June 2009 A St Bees Sunset Walk

Next walk - 11th October 2010 Crummock and Cake