Esk Estuary to Tarn Bay

After our earlier walk today and an intermission for some family history research while waiting to ensure we were comfortably past high tide, we moved the cars to new parking places to the south of the Esk Estuary. There is a road from Bootle (the village nearest to the cottage where we were staying), past Bootle Station at Hycamoor (at least a mile from Bootle) and on for another mile or so to the coast. Here the road turns right to head north along the coast and just as it turns (at SD080907) there are plenty of places to park. We left one car here and, in the other, continued along the road to the north, past the Eskmeals Firing Range. We parked the second car in a layby on the right around SD087941, just before the road turns right again, under a railway bridge. The road has to turn here because otherwise you'd be driving in the Esk Estuary and it floods if the tide is high, hence our decision to wait a while before walking this stretch. To be honest, I suspect it only floods at extreme high tide, though the height marker in the photo indicates that you might sometimes be well under water at this point. I'd prefer not to return to find the car had washed away...

Before setting off on the walk, we went for a closer look at the estuary. It's an attractive place, with mountain-framed views up the valley (as shown above) and, straight across the river, views towards Ravenglass. The OS map shows a public right of way (a track) heading across the river close to the railway viaduct, and on the ground there is a track heading into the water. However, it looks very deep. Maybe it is possible to cross here at extreme low tide, with a guide, but otherwise I would not want to try. 

The walk we had to complete was essentially back along the road, past the Eskmeals Firing Range, to the place we'd left the other car. Not the most exciting of walks, and we weren't much looking forward to it; we were really only walking this section for completeness. However, I enjoyed it more than I'd expected. Because you've passing a firing range, you do have to follow the road quite closely. However. the road was quiet and we were able to make use of a grass verge for much of the walk.  The scenery to our left was attractive, with grazing cows and a mountain backdrop, and a train (with many more coaches than is normal on this line) passed us on one occasion. 

There wasn't any sign of activity on the Eskmeals Firing Range, but our interest was attracted by the "QinetiQ" signs at the entrance. When I'd realised we'd be walking past a firing range, I thought it would be a place where soldiers etc. learn to fire guns. However, this one appears to be primarily a test site for weapons rather than the people firing them.  It's operated by QinetiQ on behalf of the MoD. Firing rights were first obtained here in 1897 by Vickers of Barrow, to conduct artillery testing for range and accuracy.  Large naval guns built in Barrow were shipped to Eskmeals by rail for testing. We suspect that the things being tested here now are quite sophisticated; unsurprisingly you can't find out much from the internet!

The walk took us less than 45 minutes, and by the time we reached the car parked at the southern end of it, it felt as if we were well past the firing range, though we were actually only a few hundred metres beyond the danger area, which extends well out to sea. There's an unspoilt if rather wild beach here, and our onward path towards Tarn Point, about a kilometre to the south, would, we thought, be on a path along low cliffs. That adventure was for another day.

Following leg