Lancar five

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Lancar here.

This is a very pleasant walk and a contrast to those utilizing large stretches of the canal. From the railway station it goes up to the castle and then down the slope to the cycle track. After passing Sainsbury’s and following the road underpass it follows the cycleway along by the river Lune. The new flood defence walls are tastefully done and do not detract from the walk. The route crosses the river by the impressive Lune Aquaduct, reaching the canal side path via steps or a slope. After the crossing it leaves the canal via a short steep slope, crosses the canal on the road and then descends into a field via a ladder stile. A short walk in the field by the canal leads to a muddy area by the stile, caused by cattle which are sometimes present in the field. Crossing the stile leads to Green Lane, a track going north towards Bolton-le-Sands. There are very pleasant views from here, over towards the city and to Morecambe Bay. The route then follows a quiet lane into the village, skirts the main street and passes the school onto another lane but this time a cul de sac. After Mount Pleasant the road becomes a footpath and leads to the canal towpath at Thwaite Bridge. Again, good views are possible towards Bowland, Morecambe Bay and the Lake District and there are many wild flowers. From here there is a short walk along the towpath followed by the road into Carnforth, as before.

This is a very pleasant route that is completely different from the previous LanCar routes, as it hardly touches the canal at all. The uploaded GPS track is a bit short on detail in a few places so I have added some detailed text here, for those not familiar with the area.
The route crosses the railway bridge then passes the castle and the priory, and heads down a few steps and a long slope towards the river. After another flight of stairs, do not cross the tarmacked cycle track as indicated on the map, but instead turn right along it. If you progress right down to the riverside road, you will need to use the two short sections of the Millennium footbridge in order to get onto the higher up cycle track. After passing Sainsburys, and reaching the pavement of the main road, you need to double back slightly in order to use the subway beneath the main road and get back alongside the river.
The riverside cycle track is straightforward and you soon reach the magnificent Lune Aqueduct. To get up onto it, you have the choice of a steep flight of many steps, or a long gentle slope with cycle barriers, which starts by the pylon. There is a bridge soon after crossing the aqueduct. It is necessary to go up onto the road here, and cross the canal, then there is a footpath sign immediately after, pointing down some steps and over a stile into the field. At the other end of this path, in a muddy corner, is another stile, which takes you out onto Green Lane. (I understand, as of 2021, that there are plans for new housing in the fields next to Green Lane, so there may be some disruption to the route here.)
The route from here is pretty straightforward, along farm lanes and a very quiet single-track road, through pretty scenery, into Bolton-le-Sands, and then on past Hawksheads and Mount Pleasant. By this point the route is a footpath with hedges which encroach onto the path in the summer, and which can turn into a bit of a stream in wet weather. (Still pretty though!) Eventually the canal towpath is reached, and soon so is the centre of Carnforth.

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