From Sea to Sky – South Lakes and Arnside

We walk between 9 and 10 miles per day.  We walk at a steady pace, we don’t rush.  We want you to enjoy our lovely scenery – these hills and valleys  are a walkers paradise with good paths and an ever changing landscape.

There are hills to ascend  – we go up to a maximum of 200 metres over two miles of walking, but the climbing is gradual and we won’t rush. What’s the point of huffing and puffing, being exhausted then not being able to enjoy this fabulous land.  Descending is not precarious, and is gentle in relationship to many walking areas.

Paths on this Lake District holiday – “From Sea to Sky ” – are mostly well marked and walked but can be rough and uneven with stony parts in places. These we take carefully, bearing in mind your safety at all times.

You need good walking footwear, preferably waterproof walking boots with good soles for protection.

Whilst we do not climb the high fells- we will ascend up to a height of max 200 metres in any one walk.  So, there will be some short, sharp ascents and descents.

We will organise walks from the following choices…

Hempsfell – a lovely 5 mile walk from the hotel starting at 2.00pm.

Cartmel and the Ellerside Ridge 

Walk from Grange to Cartmel, part of the way on the Cistercian Way.  Cartmel is an historic village with an ancient priory, as well as being the home of sticky toffee pudding and a race course. The walk takes us through woodland and undulating fells with fabulous views of Morecambe bay 11 miles.

Whitbarrow Scar and the Witherslack Valley (10.5 miles)

This walk takes us up the escarpment of Whitbarrow Scar, through the Winster valley and rolling woodlands of Yewbarrow.  A perfect example of the pretty South Lakeland Limestone Fringe.

Arnside and Silverdale (Between 7 and 10 miles)

A six minute train ride to Arnside opens up a variety of options, depending on the tides.  We may walk along the shoreline or over Arnside Knott, all within an AONB.  There is a variety of bird life from Greylag Geese to cormorants.  The limestone is a wild flower haven.  We may visit the Leighton Moss nature reserve where this the option of returning back to Grange by train.   There are cafes and refreshments in Arnside, Silverdale and Leighton Moss.

West and North

Staveley in Cartmel woodland walks taking in Simpson Ground Reservoir and the iconic Gummers How view point.

South

Heathland and woodland walks taking in the pretty tarns of the area. There is an option to walk to Haverthwaite and return by the steam railway 

Humphry Head – Morning 

A perfect end.  A stroll along the Grange promenade to Kents Bank.  We then walk along the shore to Humphry Head.  Humphry Head  is reported to be where the last wolf in England was killed.  It’s a narrow rocky outcrop of limestone with fabulous views across the bay.  Return by the same route.

Its all about meeting new friends. Each holiday is designed to be a friendly, relaxed and stress free occasion. Talking is as important as walking on Secrethills Walking Holidays. We don’t go in for discos, we may use an event that is taking place in the area we are in to boost the weekends activities – but its good, old fashioned chat that makes our short breaks successful.

“Make new friends that turn into old friends” – that’s our motto.

You might be surprised by what fun you’ll have with people who are older or younger than you during a holiday with us, and that’s exactly the sort of atmosphere we encourage; people find it very rewarding. It doesn’t matter what your reasons for traveling with us are, we’ve had people who are single, divorced or widowed, people who have partners that are unable to travel, and people who can’t holiday with their friends anymore as they’ve all got married themselves. There are people who want to make friends, see sights, and experience something completely new. Whatever your reason, we’ll welcome you with open arms and our friendly hosts will help you to get the most out of your holiday.

Don’t worry if this is the first time you have ventured to join a group holiday – its always a bit daunting – but we will look after you and ensure that you get used to being amongst friends again. Trust us to to get you back into the swing of things.

Oh – by the way – its not a dating agency – over the years we have had people meet and fall in love – but that’s just chance. Our aim is that you make like minded friends – just relax and enjoy.

Just arrive and enjoy.

To reserve a place on any of our holidays, please follow these simple instructions.

Reserve online  – once you have chosen your holiday, click on Proceed Booking and complete the online form. If you have difficulty reserving online, please  contact us (tel: 01694 723600, email: info@secrethillswalking.co.uk) and we will assist you to complete your booking.

Payment

Please note we cannot take credit/debit card details over the phone. You may pay by the following methods when you book online…

• Paypal – if you have a Paypal account, simply click on the link to the Paypal website.
• Credit / Debit card – we use Paypal to host our credit/debit cards facility because it is a very secure system. So if you want to pay with a card, simply click on this option which will take you to our page on the PayPal website. Check in there as a “Guest” to enable your card payment. You do not need to have a Paypal account for this transaction.
• We will also accept a Bank Transfer – you will find our account details on the booking form.
• Finally, we will also accept a cheque payable to Secret Hills Walking Holidays and sent to: Secret Hills Walking Holidays, 35 Sandford Avenue, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 6BH

Please note than an initial deposit is required with each booking regardless of which payment method you choose. Your booking will be accepted when your payment (deposit or full balance) is received. Note – if you are reserving a holiday within a month of the start date then the full amount is due immediately and no deposit should be paid.

It is important that you read the terms and conditions before you sign the booking form.

Note – if you are reserving a holiday within a month of the start date then the full amount is due immediately and no deposit should be paid.