01694 723600 info@secrethillswalking.co.uk

From Sea to Sky – South Lakes and Arnside

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From£780
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Why Book With Us?

  • Value for Money
  • Personal Service
  • Hand-picked Tours & Activities
  • No single supplement (UK only)
  • Flights from local airports (Europe only)

Make an Enquiry

Do not hesitate to contact us. We are an expert team and we are always happy to talk to you.

info@secrethillswalking.co.uk

01694 723600

You matter to us & we promise to provide you with a superb walking & social holiday, tailored specifically to your needs. We provide walking holidays for walkers & as walkers ourselves, we appreciate & understand the requirements of a walking holiday.

The Lake District is England’s only true mountain area. It has the most beautiful scenery in the land, with its bewitching mix of rugged mountains, deep gylls, shimmering lakes, bouncing waterfalls and attractive stone-built villages. Our solos guided walking holiday introduces you to this spectacular countryside.

Our unique speciality is providing guided walking holidays for singles and solos in the UK and Europe. We choose only the most stunning locations.  We also design bespoke holidays for special groups.

  • Five days
  • Refund guarantee
  • Expert Tour Guides
  • Four Nights
  • Location: Arnside
What you get on a Secret Hills Break
  • Hotel bed and breakfast– en suite four nights
  • Dinner- two courses.
  • Lunch- except first day
  • Sole Occupancy
  • Personal service
  • Expert guiding- friendly, local guides that know the area superbly well
  • Transport to walks start and finish as needed
  • Flexibility
  • No single supplement
  • A social, relaxed approach
  • Full joining details prior to your holiday
  • Our administration support from the point of booking to you joining the holiday

Hotel and Meals

We stay at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks Hotel Arnside – right on the water’s edge.

Guided walking for solos and singles in the Lake District

 

Famed for hosting groups, good , wholesome food and caring staff, the hotel compliments our walking programme. It has 22  bedrooms and offers our clients a friendly welcome.

Breakfast and evening dinner are taken at the hotel. We lunch in one of the local hostelries in the area or, depending on the walk, we will sometimes have a packed lunch.

 

We offer you the opportunity to stay additional nights, and many people extend their weekend as they wish. Just reserve what nights you need.

Great reasons to join us

There are other walking holiday companies that cover the countryside but we believe we offer the best value for many reasons….

  • We specialise in organising guided walking holidays for singles and solo travellers
  • We are a small friendly company
  • We have a loyal customer base who return again and again (so we must be doing something right) – read our testimonials page on the website
  • We offer a lot of flexibility – you can stay extra nights which we are happy to organise for you. We are also very flexible on the walks we provide, adapting to suit walkers and weather conditions
  • Our walk leading is second to none. Unlike some other large Walking Companies, we use LOCAL leaders who live in the area and who love their surroundings. They have expert knowledge of everything you need to know to make an area come alive.
  • You are safe in our hands – our guides are experts, fully qualified in first aid. Also, because of their local knowledge of the hills, they can respond to any situation that might for example demand cutting short a route. They don’t need to consult maps – they know the hills intimately.
  • Our leaders are all easy-going, genuinely sociable people who want to ensure that you have the best time you can with the rest of the group. They make the weekend fun by engaging with all members of a group, and ensuring that everyone feels part of the group experience.
  • We give great value for money. Because we recognise that lots of walkers holiday on their own, we have negotiated no single supplement deals with all our hotels to ensure the best possible deal.
  • We always use good hotels. 
  • We have smaller groups than some of the larger walking companies, because we believe the social experience is much better in a smaller group. People can talk to everyone, especially at dinner where you can all sit on one table in a small group. Our numbers vary from holiday to holiday but an average group size would be 8-12.

Directions

By rail – Arnside  lies on the rail line from Lancaster to Barrow with regular services. The hotel is a short walk from the station.

By car-  we will send you exact details – but for Sat Navs use LA5 0HD 

Itinerary

Guided walking for solos and singles in the Lake District

 

Walking starts on Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm with a local walk to get to know each other, your leaders and the local area. We then walk on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday finishing around lunchtime.

Where necessary, we will use transport to get to the start of walks, but this will not involve more than 12 miles travel.

Sample Walks

We will organise walks from the following choices…

On the first afternoon- Around Arnside Knott – a lovely 5 mile walk from the hotel starting at 2.00pm.

To Silverdale (Between 7 and 10 miles)

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 the hotel by train.   There are cafes and refreshments in Arnside, Silverdale and Leighton Moss.

Beetham and Dalam

We walk along the shore on a disused railway embankment to the pretty village of Beetham.  Lunch is at Beetham nurseries café.   We walk back over areas of limestone pavement and ancient woodlandsGuided walking for solos and singles in the Lake District

Levens Hall and Sizergh

We take transport to Levens Hall.  There are fabulous topiary gardens which give an opportunity to take a day off and just wander for those who do not want to walk all week.  The walk takes us through the pretty village of Levens and over limestone fells.  We return via Sizergh Castle, lunch, and park land to Levens. 

Arnside Knott

On our last morning we take one of several routes up to the top of Arnside Knott before a light lunch in one of the village cafes.

Farleton Knott

A fabulous limestone ridge with views over Morecambe Bay and possibly Blackpool Tower. 

Cartmel and the Ellerside Ridge 

This walk is dependent on train timetables.

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.

 

 

Meet New Friends

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.

How to Book

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.

Grades and Difficulty

The Southern Lake District, Arnside and the area around Morecambe Bay offer a wide variety of terrains and walking opportunities. We will describe each walk the night before and what it entails. We walk at a steady pace, we don’t rush – we want you to enjoy our lovely scenery. These fells and coasts are a walker’s paradise with good, mainly well marked paths and an ever changing landscape. There are hills to ascend which we will take slowly.  What’s the point of huffing and puffing, being exhausted then not being able to enjoy this fabulous land? This is a land of ever changing vistas – on any walk we get four or five different landscapes to enjoy. Don’t forget your camera.

We walk between 9 and 10 miles per day. 

The walks on this trip are rated as Moderate but each day involves a fair amount of ascent and descent. The trip requires a reasonable amount of fitness, ideally with previous hill walking experience.

Paths on this Lake District holiday are mostly well marked and walked but can have rough and uneven with stony parts to them.

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. You may find that walking poles will aid your enjoyment of this land.

Whilst we do not ascend the high fells- we will ascend and descend on our walks – up to a total in a day of 450 metres. So, there will be some short, sharp ascents and descents.

 

Location

We stay at Arnside. This former fishing port has retained many of the features from its past. The beautiful pier and port areas of the town offer stunning views across Morecambe Bay as well as providing an enduring reminder of Arnside’s illustrious history.

Guided walking for solos and singles in the Lake District

Arnside and Silverdale– this extraordinary place is famous for its amazing wildlife, stunning scenery, and superb walks. From the simple beauty of the lady’s-slipper orchid to the shining sands of Morecambe Bay, the area is simply awe-inspiring. Stunning limestone pavements, ancient woodlands, orchards and meadows and an impressive coastline make Arnside & Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty one of England’s finest landscapes. The work of the AONB Partnership aims to conserve and enhance this extraordinary place now and for the future.

Arnside Knott– is renowned for its wildlife. Take a circular walk to admire views of the surrounding countryside and enjoy the sights and sounds along the way. The peaks of the Lakeland Fells and the Yorkshire Dales are all visible from the high viewpoints so you can see down into Lancashire and right out over the sands of Morecambe Bay. Sit and enjoy the view with a picnic or carry on along the many different paths which take you down to Red Hills Wood or Heathwaite.

Close by are the fells above Newby Bridge and south Windermere – just a short drive to wonderful walking such as Gummers How.

Photos

Reviews

15 Reviews
Sort By:RatingDate

Rob Bratley

Solo Traveller

A very good holiday, and good value for money. Thank you.
Everything was done very well. Hotel – Very good, food good, room suitable, staff friendly and helpful.
Yes, very much (enjoyed guided walking). The walks were pleasant and the guide knowledgeable.

October 15, 2023

Mark Ward

Solo Traveller

The hotel and food was most enjoyable, and the staff very welcoming and friendly…
The holiday was well organised and I would certainly recommend Secret Hills to friends.
A special mention for Bridget, our Walking Guide. She was absolutely brilliant. Very welcoming and friendly throughout. She led excellent varied walks.
I shall be looking to book again with Secret Hills.

October 9, 2023

Catriona Munro

Solo Traveller

I truly like Secret Hill’s concept. An introductory walk to meet our guide and group is an asset for all. The Fighting Cocks provided excellent food and staff. The accommodation was comfortable and suited my needs. But, overall, Bridget deserves high praise. Her instant relaxing approach to greeting us set the tone for the days ahead. Knowledgeable, great sense of humour and very much a team member. I would certainly recommend Secret Hills and will definitely book another holiday.

October 9, 2023

Nicky Haxell

Solo Traveller

Bridget was an excellent leader and knew her area so very well. Walks were varied and we got a real sense of the area and its charms.
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks was a great base…Staff were very helpful and friendly.Very well organised. Yes – would reserve again and recommend to others.

October 9, 2023

John Blease

Solo Traveller

I had a great holiday and felt at ease all the time the leader was very welcoming and the group were very pleasant…I am already planning another trip…

July 31, 2023
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