Name of walk | Sandscale Haws & the Black Huts to Roan Head |
Date of walk | 2016-10-23 |
Sunday was a lovely day so in the afternoon Brendan, Tom and I took a walk to the Black Huts and along the beach to Roan Head, coming back via the signed footpath to Sandscale Haws Nature Reserve. We parked on the unnamed road leading off Park Road, where the Owl Sanctuary used to be.
The entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Blackcombe ahead, the Black Huts are to the left. Next to the path is a World War Two pill box.
For the connoisseurs it is a Type 24.
Looking over to the Black Huts.
Tom and Brendan.
A boat left stranded above the high tide line. We passed a couple.
The high tide mark is to the right of the road, which means that the Black Huts will often be cut off.
The first of the huts has been made from an old boat.
The Black Huts always reminds me of a Falkland Island's community.
Looking across to the northern tip of Walney Island.
It looks close enough to swim across.
Positively tropical!......For October!
There is no mains electricity or gas here. Small wind turbines provide the electricity, or they rely on a generator. The gas is bottled.
We now head for the beach to walk around the edge of the dune system to Roan Head.
The beach is easy walking.
I take a break to throw this Black Lab's disc toy a few times.
The sea wall of the Hodbarrow Lagoon and lighthouse.
We take a small diversion on to the top of the dunes.
Looking into the Nature Reserve and Rabbit Warren.
We continue along the beach. We are now around the head and all the mountains are now in view. Askam is ahead of us.
Looking out to the Coniston Hills.
Askam and Kirkby Moor.
Haverigg.
We head around a small clay edge towards Roan Head.
Ahead is a small roped-off section. The remains of a Minke Whale washed up in 2014 are buried here. Owners are asked to keep their dogs away.....the bones will be a bit big to carry away in their mouths!
What looks like the remains of a wooden pier.

Mountain panorama. Left click to enlarge, click again to return.
A pebble layer in a dune.
One last look out before we head on to the boardwalk to Roan Head car park.
Just in case you can't tell which mountain is which.
We head up the road, but look at a couple of the fishing ponds created by mining. This is Nigel Pond.
Another smaller pond on the other side of the road.
Past the farmhouses there is a gate and footpath sign. This very good footpath will take us back to the start of Sandscale Haws Nature Reserve. We pass sheep fields.
A calf.
Looking back along the footpath.
This excellent walk was five and a half miles and took us three hours and fifteen minutes. All very easy walking when the tide is out. We then went for a late lunch at Wetherspoons.
Jo.


