• Want a day out with a difference? Try this - it's not too hard on the body and the youngsters might well enjoy the variety of transport involved (as well as Mum and Dad!).
  This is a day out rather than just a walk and is best reserved for a day when the glorious views of the Kent estuary and the Lakeland Tops can best be appreciated, but it does have a 'fallback' advantage of being sheltered from the elements at many parts of the outing and so is quite a reasonable option for those days when the weather is more British than Mediterranean!
   
• Distance of walk from Grange to Hampsfield Fell and back is 6.17 k.
• Terrain - good for most of the walk, ranging from pavement to a well signed and firm track up the fell
• Refreshments - Excellent Tea Shops at Carnforth station (see below) and along the promenade of Grange
• Toilets - as for refreshments
• Map - Landranger 97, Kendal and Morecambe.

Getting there: -
To get to Carnforth station the most obvious way is to use the train!
Failing this, leave the M6 at junction 35, go down the M601 for a mile to the large roundabout at the end of this motorway spur and turn left (south) down the A6 to reach Carnforth after a further mile. Turn right at the first set of traffic lights and go down the gentle incline to reach the station.

In 1945 Carnforth station was used as the basis, and location, for the David Lean film "Brief Encounter" starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard, filming taking place on Carnforth station during February 1945.The station was gradually run down after the Beeching cuts of the ''60's but in November 1996 the Carnforth Station and Railway Trust Co. Ltd. was formed to attempt to rejuvenate the station, and after strenuous efforts, and with the assistance of Railtrack, plans were put in place, and the rejuvenation of the station started late 2000.The Rejuvenation continued for nearly three years, and on the 17th October 2003, the Brief Encounter Cafe, and the Visitor / Heritage centre's were opened. These are well worth looking around (cup of tea/coffee in the period café is essential part of the day! The food is also very good). Get to the station at least one hour before the train is due - there is much to see!

The train service to Grange is frequent, being part of the service to Barrow. The line swings North West to Silverdale, then Arnside; after leaving Arnside station the train trundles over the bridge across the River Kent with wonderful views of the estuary, then turns West along the Southern flank of the Lake district to Grange over Sands.
Look around when on the platform at Grange - in the summer it is awash with flowers in hanging baskets as well as the formal beds; the view over the estuary must be unequalled for any station in England. Although you could start the walk from in front of the station, why not amble along the main road into the centre of Grange? It will take about 20 minutes and you will first pass by the main park, with its lake and floral displays, and then come to some lovely Victorian style shops. It is well worth going into the Information Centre - it is well stocked.
 

Start the walk with the Information Centre on your left and walk along the road back towards the station to reach a mini roundabout with a garage facing. Turn left at this point and go up Windermere Road for 200 yds or so, and then turn left at the edge of the woods through a squeeze-stile under a clear sign ' Public Footpath Routon Well and Hampsfell) to enter Eggerslack Wood on a good footpath. Ascend the stony path, which is well signposted, go across one driveway and, after 300 yds, a second one, bearing left and continuing to ascend steeply for a further 800 yds to a stone stile in a wall with the open fell facing you. Cross the stile to the open fell, and follow the path upwards and diagonally to the left, looking out for the yellow arrow posts. Keep the low limestone cliff on your right and follow the path between two sycamore trees. Cross the wall by a well-marked stile and turn right and go up the slope in front of you to the summit taking in a fine view of the Arnside peninsula and the Kent Estuary to your left.

On the summit of this fell is a small stone tower known as the Hospice. The Hospice was provided by a pastor of Cartmel in 1846 for the 'shelter and entertainment of wanderers'. There is a small ladder on the side of it to the roof where a 360-degree panorama can be enjoyed. The views extend across the Cartmel valley to the Lakeland peaks, across to the Howgills then the familiar shape of Ingleborough. Looking further to the South, we see Lancaster then the Arnside Peninsular and a wide vista across Morecambe Bay. About 80 yds to the North of the Hospice there is a small outcrop of limestone pavement; this is a fine spot to stay for a while and take in the view, possibly to enjoy a bite of lunch as well.

On the return, go back to the hospice and retrace the path down the slope until a minor path is soon met, veering away gently to the right. Go down the slope always moving slightly to the right, across a meadow and meeting with a lane going left to right. Turn right on this path and go through a gate at the end of the meadow to come immediately to a T - junction of paths. Take the right hand path and pass through the centre of 'High Farm' . Follow the narrow path leading from the farm, ascending gently for a while; the path levels out and approaches another farmstead, 'Spring Bank';  turn left just in front of the farm and go down a stony track to reach some farm buildings after about 100 yds.  Turn right and after 15 yds turn left through a stone stile in the wall and walk up the path in the field with a low stone wall on your right and go through a small squeeze stile.

 Turn left after the stile and follow the narrow path for a while to come to a road where you turn left again, go past a sign 'Public Footpath/Private Access road' for 50 yds, bear right at a Y-junction and arrive at a small cross roads after a further 75 yds. Turn left here and go up a small lane for 100 yds passing by an electricity sub-station on the right to come to a path which enters a wood (Yewbarrow). After 30 yds bear right at the fork in the path and then left at a Y-junction 60 yds further on. Go through the woods on a good path for 200 yds to a boundary wall; the path now swings right at this point and descends to Grange with the wood on your right and open fields to the left. Join onto a driveway, bear left here and descend for 75 yds to link with a lane. Turn right and go down the lane (Ashmount Road) to come to a T-junction after 400 yds; bear left (down Grange Fell Road) into the centre of Grange and the Information Centre. As you probably noted in the first part of this walk, the station is further down Main Street, and passes by numerous shops and refreshment stops - enjoy yourself, you have earned it!