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Discover The Lakeland Byways

Long Marton Village, Kirkby Thore

Long Marton Village

From the centre of the village with your back to the telephone box and a tastefully converted barn, take the road sign posted to the school.  After 50 yards turn right into Back Lane and continue along here passing some tidy allotments on the left with an unusual greenhouse – without glass, and sandstone cottages on the right. The road sweeps round to the right towards the centre of the village again but you must take the bridleway signed to Kirkby Thore & Stamp Hill which is straight on and to the left of the large farm.

It is a lovely lane in May as the hedgerows are full of birds busying themselves with nest building and feeding young, as well as shouting at the occasional walker for disturbing their peace! Everywhere is green and the blossom on the varieties of hawthorn makes the scent delicious particularly after a shower of rain. It’s possible you may catch a glimpse of a wren hereabouts and the finches are always chattering relentlessly in the undergrowth and appear to say “look behind you”!

Continue along the bridleway down to the dip and across the stream, and across to your right you can see the newly established caravan park blending in quietly with its surroundings.  The Settle to Carlisle railway line separates the bridleway from the caravans and after having passed by a couple of gates you will come to a sharp left hand bend. At this point go through the gate on this corner and travel in a right inclined direction towards the railway line making for the gate in the right hand corner of the field. Keeping to the side of the railway line through each field, you will pass through 4 gates; at this last one, turn left through another gate and you are now beside the conveyor belt operated by British Gypsum which carries raw materials from the mines which is then extracted to give gypsum. This is used for a multitude of building projects such as in the make up of thermal insulation to plaster board.

Follow the conveyor along and turn right with it after about 400 yards; in another 500 yards or so at the road turn left and walk down hill into Kirkby Thore. After passing the first few houses on the left, turn into the road named Sleastonhow Lane, which eventually brings you to the farm of the same name. Again this makes for pleasant, quiet walking with the company of the birds and any cattle and sheep which may be watching you curiously from the fields as you pass by.

The views along here are uninterrupted to the west and east and in clear weather many landmarks such as Blencathra, Kidsty Pike and Mallerstang can be seen, along with Cross Fell and the pikes of Knock, Dufton and Murton. In a field between the bridleway and the Pennines is a “winter tarn” – a small expanse of water usually only in existence during the winter and early spring time – which attracts several different species of

On reaching Sleastonhow farm turn left into the farm yard – remember to put your dogs on a lead at this point – although there is a very well behaved border collie often asleep in the warm sunshine here! Continue straight on through the yard and follow the way mark down the hill towards the stream and bear right and then left and proceed up the hill. On reaching the sign posts follow the one pointing to Long 

Marton and then this will bring you out back into the village along side the school playing fields having passed by more allotments and several geese and hens in another field close by. It is worth turning left here and walking a few yards to take a look on the wall of the school at the mosaic created by the school children depicting the village and the surrounding area. The railway line, the river, the 11th century church and the Pennines are all highlighted and of course the school is in the centre.