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Whitbarrow Scar
(early Spring)
Whitbarrow Scar during May
The Scar in late Autumn
Winster Valley at the base
of Whitbarrow Scar in the spring
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Whitbarrow Scar can be seen from Beech Hill House and these photographs were taken from one of the rooms at the front or from the drive.
Whitbarrow is an abrupt ridge of limestone which was once a bank of an ancient sea inlet with the other bank being Scout Scar, which runs parallel to it. The valley that runs in between the two scars is the Lyth Valley.
The Scar with its exceptional limestone pavement has been designated a National Nature Reserve and is worth a visit as there is only about 2,600 hectares of natural limestone pavement remaining in the UK . The Scar is made up of limestone pavement, grassland and Juniper scrub that in mid summer is home for butterflies including the High Brown, Dark Green Fritillaries and the Pearl Bordered.
A suggested walk covering about 5 miles with an ascent of 800 feet takes around 2¼ hours. Starting from the village of Mill Side just along the road, the walk takes you up the Scar along the side of Witherslack to Lord's Seat at the summit of Whitbarrow then on to High Crag Wood, Low Crag Wood, Beck Head and back to Mill Side.
A short drive takes you to the foot of the limestone escarpment and a gentle walk along paths through woodland brings you to the highest point called the Lords' Seat. From here when you look towards the south you can enjoy the breathtaking views across Morecambe Bay and the Kent Estuary.
The Lyth and Winster valleys lie below the Scar on either side and to the west, north and east you can see in the distance the hills and peaks of the Lake District including the Langdale Pikes, Howgills and the Old Man of Coniston. From Lord's Seat follow the path down the scar through the forest covering the western slopes and back along the road that runs around its base back to Mill Side. |