Cruising to Kendal?– Walking the Northern Reaches of the Lancaster Canal. Tewitfield to Hincaster

A walk along the towpath of the Northern Reaches of the Lancaster Canal, from Tewitfield to Hincaster, passing beside the villages of Burton in Kendal and Holme. Along the way are various obstructions, and a flight of disused locks. The Lancaster Canal Trust's plan is to restore the canal to it's former glory, so that once again narrow-boats can make the 14 mile journey to Kendal, the gateway to the English Lake District. But the key question is: can it be done? Or will this really only ever be a unique canal-side walk.

To reach the Lancaster Canal from the main canal network, by boat, you need to use the Ribble Link. For more information see http://www.ribblelink.co.uk/

For more information about the navigable sections of the Lancaster Canal, see https://waterways.org.uk/waterways/di...

For more information about the Lancaster Canal; Trust, see https://lctrust.co.uk/

The length of this section of the walk is 9 miles, however, if returning to Tewitfield by bus from Levens Bridge, add on an extra mile to cross the deer park (see below). The start point at Tewitfield has a small amount of car parking close to the The Longlands Hotel. (https://longlandshotel.co.uk) Boaters on the Lancaster Canal can moor at Tewitfield, where there are services, (https://www.tewitfieldmarina.co.uk).

The Stagecoach 555 bus runs from Kendal to Lancaster via Tewitfield. The bus stops close to the Longlands Hotel. To reach the canal, follow the road that runs along the front of the hotel, then continue on, past the entrance to Tewitfield Marina. (Bear in mind that not all buses on this route pass through Tewitfield as some summer services are routed via the M6 motorway). Check timetable for details. See https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables, and enter 555 into the search box.

For shorter versions of the walk, the 555 bus also runs through Holme. Leave the walk at Bridge 149, (the one after the Cinder Ovens) and turn left to walk into the village. The bus stop is close to, and on the same side of the road as, the Smithy Inn.

Note that there is no bus service from Crooklands, Stainton or Hincaster to Tewitfield. At the end of this section of the walk, if returning to Tewitfield, turn right and follow the lane to the entrance to Levens Deer Park, then turn left into the park and walk to Levens Bridge (approx 1 mile), which is also served by the 555 bus. To reach the bus stop for the 555 back to Tewitfield, turn left when you leave the deer park. The bus stop is in a small lay-by opposite the main entrance to Levens Hall. To get the bus to Kendal from Levens Bridge, leave the deer park, cross the road, then turn right and walk around the corner. The bus stop lay-by is a short distance from the corner.