Details have been announced for the eighth Barrow and Furness Walking Festival.
Described as one of the ‘best 8 Walking Festivals in the UK’ by The Sunday Times in 2009, the Festival runs for five weeks, from the 1st July until 31st July 2011.
The Mayor of Barrow-in-Furness, Councillor John Murphy, will get things underway as he personally leads the first event, The Love Barrow Walk. This will include a personal introduction and tour of Barrow Town Hall.
One of the highlights this year is an owl prowl, organised by the Barrow Wildside Project and Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
All walks are led by qualified walking guides and in collaboration with SeaChange, Feet First in Furness, Cumbria County Council, Westmorland and Furness Bat Group, Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the National Trust.
The full programme of walks is: (subject to change – so please check before the event)
- 1st July 2011 Love Barrow Walk 1 pm Barrow Town Hall
- 2nd July Cistercian Way 12 noon Rose Garden, Ulverston
- 2nd July Beach clean Earnse Bay 10-12 noon
- 3rd July Walney Walk plus Widows Crossing 1 pm Dock Museum
- Meet at North Scale 4pm to explore the beasts of Walney Channel
- 5th July Barrow – Foxfield long coastal walk. Barrow station 10.30am
- 7th July Walney North End Sunset walk 6.45pm
- 8th July A walk from Furness Abbey (Greenway) 6 pm
- 9th July Dalton Walk Meet Tudor Square 1 pm
- 10th July Haematite Heritage Walk 1 pm Wax Lyrical Lindal
- 14th July Walney North End Sunset walk 6.45pm
- 15th July Biggar Village Walk 5.30 pm
- 16th July Barrow’s Wildside Ormsgill Quarry & How Tun Woods 2 pm
- 1pm – 4 pm Intro to North Walney Nature Reserve
- 17th July Barrow’s Wildside South Walney Nature Reserve 10.30 am
- Morecambe Bay Stroll 1 pm Leece Tarn
- 21st July Walney North End Sunset walk 6.45pm
- 23rd July Piel Walk 10.30 am Snab Point explore the Heritage of Piel and Sheep Islands, Piel Castle and
The Ship Inn with John Murphy - 24th July Piel Walk and 11 am Snab Point A guided walk peppered with interesting stories and facts
led by John Murphy. Artgene want to gather your favourite anecdotes about this magical isle. - Family Wildlife Safari North Walney 1 – 4 pm
- 24th July Barrow’s Wildside Owl Prowl Abbotswood time 9 pm
- 28th July Creatures of the Estuary Sandscale Car Park 2 pm – 4 pm
- Walney North End Sunset walk 6.45pm
- 29th July Local Heritage of Furness Walk Meet Furness Abbey Amphitheatre 6 pm
- 30th July Barrow’s Wildside Extended Westfield Trail 12 noon
- Bat Walk 8.45 pm Barrow Park
- 31st July Wildlife Walk Sandscale 11 am – 3 pm
Copies of the Walking Festival leaflet can be downloaded here
Walking Festival leaflets are also available from Barrow Tourist Information Centre, outlets across South Cumbria and are featured in the What’s on in South Lakeland Guide.