Arnside Pier

Best foot forward for the cross-bay walk to Grange

This unassuming pier projects out into the River Kent, but it’s often listed in Britain’s Top 20 pier attractions. It’s not that long, and has nothing on it, except for park-style furniture and a coin-operated telescope at the T-shaped end. But the views are terrific and therapeutically soothing, especially as the setting sun glints on the water: use the telescope to get close-ups of birdlife, of the far shoreline, and of the Lake District’s southern fells and mountains.

The pier actually came about by accident. There was never any intention of building it, until the coast-hugging railway was constructed in 1857, and the long, low viaduct erected across the river. The most suitable point was at the northern end of the small boat-building and fishing village, and though it still looks the picture of elegance, the viaduct meant that the port of Milnthorpe upstream, and the landing point at Sandside, were cut off. In compensation, the railway company built Arnside Pier for unloading goods from the small vessels that plied the coastal waters, and the Irish Sea. The old unloading area timbers can still be seen, beneath the silt on the foreshore, as can the old goods warehouse, now owned by Arnside Yacht Club – a reminder of nautical days both then and now.

The much more solid stone pier of the present day was built to replace the original structure that was destroyed in a fierce gale. But the significance of the pier remains intact: it is the starting point for the guided, cross-bay walks from Arnside to Grangeover-Sands Promenade: three hours one way, three minutes back by train. Charity fund-raising parties, often several hundred strong, are led safely across the potentially-treacherous sands and channels by the King’s Guide, a historic appointee that dates back to the 16th century, when monks needed safe passage from Furness Abbey to Lancaster.

Address Arnside Promenade, Arnside, Carnforth, LA5 0HA | Getting there Half-mile walk from Arnside station, down Station Road and the Promenade; by car, from M 6 J 35, follow the A 6 north, turn left at Milnthorpe traffic lights to Arnside | Hours Always accessible; visit www.guideoversands.com for info on cross-bay walks | Tip The locallyowned Pier Lane Gallery, on the other side of the road, is an imaginative use of the old library, and has a wonderful collection of local art, photography and craft goods for sale (www.pierlanegallery.com).