Name of walk	Beach Houses, Sea Wood and a Stone Circle
Date of walk	2025-04-12

On Saturday morning Andy, Sue and I met up at the beach car park at Bardsea for a bellringers’ walk. There was a ringing meeting at St. Mary’s in Ulverston in the afternoon. Our route was flexible, but would include Sea Wood and the stone circle on Birkrigg. I wanted to show them the beach huts and sculpture garden first and the inscriptions on the limestone further along the beach, which they hadn’t seen. Thankfully it was sunny and warm.

We head along the beach path towards the beach houses.

The grasses are over 7ft tall. Sue's phone app identified a Reed Warbler.

Sue's photo of me and Andy taking a photo of the grasses.

The path below the limestone edge of Sea Wood.

We reach the sculptures in the Sanctuary Garden of The Wildernest, a timber framed beach house on stilts with a grass roof. The home and workplace of the late John Fox, and Sue Gill. John and Gill founded Welfare State International in 1968, a loose association of freelance artists bought together by shared values and philosophy. John also started the Ulverston Lantern Festival, he died in March 2025.

The weathervanes.

The Wildernest.

The top of one of the weathervanes.

One of the many installations

Something to scare small children?

Observation Pod by Duncan Copley set in a perfect E/W and N/S alignment with the ancient hill fort on the summit of Ingleborough, visible across the Bay in North Yorkshire’s Three Peaks.

We meet a friendly cat with lovely markings.

Andy says hello.

Four poster images at the beach house on the garden wall leading up Swinestead Lane towards Baycliff. Printed on metal. Heron, Dragon, Lobster, and Mackerel.

The cat, with his tail high in the air, is clearly enjoying our company.

Sue and a enormous Cardoom.

Andy's photo of Wildernest. There used to be bird silhouettes on these poles, but the elements decide which sculptures are temporary or permanent.

The beach house to the left of Wildernest is completely different, but I know which one I'd like to live in.

We head further along the beach so I can show Sue and Andy the inscriptions on the limestone rocks.

The large area of limestone rock.

About 400m past the Beach Huts is some limestone pavement with an inscription carved by the late Bill Stables. The inscription contains names, poetry, and song lyrics, it dates from 1977. This is only a small section of the inscription, it covers quite a large area.

Sue and Andy on the limestone rock.

We head back the way we came, past the beach houses and head for Sea Wood.

We enter the lower section of Sea Wood. The largest ancient deciduous woodland in South Cumbria, once owned by Lady Jane Grey, who was once Queen of England for nine days and then executed in the Tower at age 17.

Wild garlic tunnel.

We cross the road and head into the main section of the wood. The wood anemones are flowering.

Andy finds a den.

The blue bells are flowering too.

Sue was using her app to identify birdsong. We heard Wood Pigeon, Wren, Barn Swallow, Black Cap, Robin, Chiff Chaff, and Nuthatch. We also heard a Woodpecker and probably a cuckoo.

Andy's photo of an erratic showing the effects of freeze/thaw.

Andy's fungi.

We head out on to Birkrigg and walk to the stone circle with views back to Bardsea and Morecambe Bay.

Andy's photo of me.

Selfie.

Andy's photo of the Gale Monument and limestone paving on the golf course.

Lambs!

We head down the lane. There are new fences behind The Olde Mill, we can no longer walk beside the mill pond. That area has been sectioned off for horses. There is a foal.

Alpacas in front of Wellwood House.

The mill pond from the path.

Horse and foal showing the fenced off new path.

Once back at the car park we headed for Roy's Ice Cream van.....decisions.......

Ice cream selfie.

Then we drove to the World Peace Cafe in the Manjushri for lunch. Andy's photo.

Tasty pea and mint soup!

The walk was just under 5 miles and took 2 hours and 50 minutes. Thanks to Andy for organising the walk and to both Andy and Sue for letting me use some of their photos. Thanks also to the late Paul Bryden who told me about the good little walk to the beach huts and rock inscriptions back in 2012, and I’ve kept returning ever since.

Jo.