Finding autumn splendour in Arnside and Silverdale

Walk checked out by the Flat Earth section of Lancashire Dotcom Walkers. Devised and described by Bob Clare

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Growing up I spent a few family holidays on a farm tenanted by my grandparents in Cornwall. You mention Cornwall to just about anyone and it immediately evokes a vision of dramatic coastal seascapes, quaint fishing villages and sweeping moorland - these and other features approximating to most people's idea of natural beauty.

It is a truism that “beauty” is a matter of personal taste. It is the element of subjectiveness that has probably led to the change from “Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty” (ANOB) to the altogether more neutral “National Landscapes” in November 2023.

AONBs were akin to National Parks like the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales but without the rigorous planning laws. Across the country 46 areas were so designated as such with Lancashire batting above its weight with two-the Forest of Bowland and Arnside and Silverdale the latter straddling the border with Cumbria.

When you come to think about the term “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” you are immediately hit with the problem, “Says who?” And not just “beauty” but “Outstanding Beauty” as if the area in question has been examined by an OFST-ED equivalent and ranked against “ordinary beauty” and “not beautiful at all” and even “downright ugly”.