Beat The Bay - a photo on Flickriver

Beat The Bay

            We walked across Morecambe Bay, starting at Arnside and finishing at Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria. Walking with The King's Guide to the Sands is the only way to do this safely.

As the crow flies, it's maybe three miles (5km), but to navigate the sands with ever-changing quicksand, rivers, weather and tides, the distance is more like 8.5 miles (14km). Every tide is different, and the river changes channels frequently, too.

Once you start, there is NO possibility of turning back.

You have to wade the River Kent, and temporary markers are placed for navigation. You can lose all sense of direction if the weather closes in, and your sense of distance is minimal, too. The tidal range is enormous, and the incoming tide's speed is faster than you can run and can come from many directions simultaneously. Most people walk barefoot.

Before the advent of railways in 1857, this crossing was a vital economic route, saving days of transportation by horse and cart and over a day on horseback. 

Today, most walks across Morecambe Bay are made for charity, with walkers raising substantial amounts for good causes, adding a significant modern-day twist to this historical journey. I did the walk for the Friends of the Lake District.

Not all walking in the English Lake District is on mountains - this one is truly unique.

The route is also teeming with life; it's an SSSI.

The current King's Guide is Michael Wilson, appointed after Cedric Robinson. The King's Guide dates back to 1538, when the monasteries were dissolved, as before that, guides were monks from Cartmel Priory.

The route has been described as "the most dangerous highway in Britain".

Entry for World Photography Day 2024.

Taken in: UK / England / South Lakeland District / Grange-Over-Sands (show map)

Taken on: July 13, 2024

Tags:

Beat the Bay

Morecambe Bay

Grange-over-Sands

River Kent

Tides

Weather

Water

Quicksand

Danger

The most dangerous route in Britain

Black and White

Noiretblanc

neroebianco

schwarzweiss

bnw

Monochrome

Walking

King's Guide to the Sands

Crossing

Charity

Blanco y negro

sky

Sand

Barefoot

Challenge

Lake District

South Lakeland

Cumbria

Landscape

Seascape

Extreme

Navigation

Risk

perspective

Vanishing point

Friends of the Lake District

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