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Route type: For all. An easy walk along a disused railway line to Woodland valley, a peaceful and delightful corner of the Lake District - OS Explorer Map OL6
Distance: 4.5 km or 2.8 km. Plus 0.6 km or 0.4 miles through Wilson Park
Start points:
Turning points:
Facilities: None on route, but car parking, toilets and refreshments in Broughton in Furness
Getting there: Car: A590 from Kendal towards Barrow, turn right on to the A5092 at Greenodd and carry on for 15 km to Broughton in Furness.
Broughton in Furness dates back to the 11th century. The oldest building is thought to be St. Mary's Church, first built in Saxon times. A picturesque Georgian market square and its obelisk is the focus of the town.
The old railway originally went to Coniston, but closed in 1958. The first 2 km have been improved and the track has a compacted, stone surface. It ascends gradually from Broughton but the gradients are not steep.
You can access the walk from two places:
Leave the north eastern corner of the market square and follow Knott Lane past the toilets. The footpath through Wilson Park is now wheelchair accessible. Continue through the woodland at the back of the park and alongside the Broughton Tower wall. There you will find a bench which gives pleasant views of the fields and trees.
Take the very start of the railway line where it leaves the main road by the library. There is a bench after 1 km or 0.6 miles, overlooking two small tarns on the Broughton Tower estate. Continue on past Mireside Farm, where the renovated section ends. A track down to the minor road is a potential pick-up and drop-off point in Woodland valley but has a hard gradient of 1:5.
