The Arnside Bore, Arnside Knott and the woodland areas give a trip to Arnside several different focal points: tides, paths on the limestone hill and a variety of woodland and meadow landscapes. The promenade and the rail connection to Lancaster are also useful points of reference. When looking for accommodation in Arnside, you can first decide whether nature trails, the shore or the train connection is most important to your plans.

Arnside Knott and its nature trails

Arnside Knott is a 522-foot (159-metre) limestone hill. Many footpaths lead through wooded areas and across the pastures at the foot of the hill. The Knott is also one of the best places in Britain to watch butterflies, especially in June and July. If you would like to make nature the focus of your visit, these two months offer a specific seasonal guide.

Woodland areas and walking options

Grubbins Wood is an ancient woodland; the rare Lancastrian Whitebeam grows by the shore. Dobshall Wood combines ancient woodland with a species-rich meadow. The two areas therefore offer different natural highlights: at Grubbins, the rare tree species is a distinctive feature of the shore, while at Dobshall, woodland and species-rich meadow go together.

The walking routes also differ. Dobshall Wood has a 500-metre circular route that is generally level. Grubbins Wood has a waymarked half-mile trail through the woodland. At Dobshall, the circular route and generally level terrain are useful points of reference; at Grubbins, they are the waymarking and the route through the woodland. This lets you compare the two options by route shape and character, rather than looking only at distance. The waymarked trail at Grubbins is half a mile long, or just over 800 metres, making it longer than Dobshall’s 500-metre circular route.

Promenade, tides and getting there

There is a small pier on Arnside’s promenade. You may be able to watch the Arnside Bore from there if you are on the promenade 1.5 to 2 hours before high tide. The tidal wave forms when the incoming tide meets resistance from sandbanks and channels in Morecambe Bay. As the chance of seeing it depends on the tides, check the high tide time for your visit and plan around the time window given.

There are also staffed public toilets with disabled access on the promenade. The railway station is on Station Road and is part of the Northern Rail network; regular trains run to and from Lancaster. If you plan to travel by train, check the timetable for your travel date.

Discover more destinations: Frizington, Temple Sowerby, Kirkoswald, Patterdale, Kirkby Stephen, Storth, Backbarrow, Allerdale District.

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