I did some cycling around the Abbeystead area last year and realised what a pretty hamlet it is and what lovely walks are available.
This route didn’t take much devising as when I studied my map of the area, I noticed that a section of the Wyre Way long distance walk provided a perfect circular route that starts and finishes in Abbeystead. This section of the Wyre Way doesn’t seem to be especially popular as the paths looked hardly worn and this is a shame as it is a beautiful route.
The name of the hamlet derives from a small Cistercian abbey that stood here around 1200, although nothing now remains. The building that dominates in the area is Abbeystead House, a huge Elizabethan structure built in 1886 but the architectural style make it look a lot older.
Stoops Bridge spans the Tarnbrook Wyre, and this joins the Marshaw Wyre just to the south of the hamlet. These two then become the river Wyre that eventually flows into the Irish Sea 28 miles away at Fleetwood.
1. The car park is on the right of the narrow road leading from the main road at Stoops Bridge. There is a footpath sign and path to the left of the car park at the end of a wall, follow the path then cross a track and then cross a metal stile into field. There is a footpath marker post pointing straight on.
Follow the path with a metal fence on the right to reach and cross a footbridge and then keep slightly left and follow the path to reach another footbridge over a stream. Cross this and keep straight on, with the river on your left.
Carry straight on to another footbridge over the Marshaw Wyre then cross a gate stile and drop down to the riverbank with a wire fence and the river on the right. Keep on and cross a stile then another stile and follow the path as it skirts a wood with a wire fence leading away from the river.
As the wire fence turns left at the end of the wood, carry on towards a wall straight ahead then, keeping the wall on the right, reach a track and follow this to a wooden gate leading out onto the main road.
2. Carry straight on along the road and pass Marshaw Farm on the left and eventually reach the fine building of Tower Lodge. It was built to be a shooting lodge but was never completed.
3. Take the track on the left immediately before the building and follow this uphill. Reach a wooden gate on the left and, once through this, follow the sign that says ‘Public Footpath to Gilberton’.
Follow the path as it goes into an area of newly planted saplings to reach a footpath sign pointing right then follow this to reach and cross a stile. Keep going uphill but bearing left to reach and cross a stile in a wall then bear slightly right to reach and cross a ladder stile over a wire fence. Once over this, bear left to a stile by a wooden gate then turn right and, with a wall on the right, go downhill.
From here, on a clear day, the views of Ward’s Stone and Clougha Pike are breathtaking. Ward’s Stone is the highest hill in the Forest of Bowland at 1,841ft/561 metres.
Carry on and go through a wooden gate with a Wyre Way marker stone next to it and continue downhill to reach and cross a stile. As the wall gives way to a wire fence, follow the path down through a gate towards a stone barn.
Pass the barn on the right and then go through the gate also on the right and follow the track towards the farm buildings of Gilberton. As the track reaches the farm, turn right and cross a footbridge over the Tarnbrook Wyre then join the main track leading from the farm over a bridge and through a metal gate then follow this towards the hamlet of Tarnbrook. Go through a metal gate leading into the hamlet and turn right.
4. Pass Tarnbrook Cottage and then turn left at the footpath sign and follow the path through two gates and across a footbridge. Bear right uphill to a gate and a stile and cross this and follow the path to and through a metal gate, then onto and cross a ladder stile over a wire fence.
Follow the path bearing diagonally left to reach a gate stile into a track then turn left and cross the gate stile on the right and follow the wire fence on the left. Cross a stile over a wall and keep on, with the wire fence on the left, and as this bends away left there is a Wyre Way marker stone pointing straight on across the field, there is also a stone barn over to the right. Cross a stile in a wire fence, then a small bridge and another stile into an open field.
A house appears straight ahead in the distance so aim for that and cross two stiles then follow the faint path to reach a stile on the right of the house. Cross the stile and turn left and follow the path as it goes around the house to reach the drive of the house and follow this down to the main road.
5. Across the main road and slightly to the right is a stile cross this into a field and carry on, bearing slightly right, to reach a gate with a stile next to it and cross this. Keeping the wire fence to the right, reach and cross a stile into a field then follow the path as it skirts past the woods on the left with a wall around them.
Cross a gate stile, then pass a chicken coop and go through some white painted gates onto the main road and turn left and follow the road downhill to Stoops Bridge.
COMPASS POINTS
Start and finish: Small car park near Stoops Bridge, Abbeystead, LA2 9BQ
Distance: 6.5 miles/ 10.4km
Time: Three hours
Map: OS Map OL41 Forest of Bowland and Ribblesdale.
Terrain: Mainly footpaths through fields and some road. Boots or walking shoes in good weather.
Facilities: None on route although Scorton has public toilets.
