Middlebarrow Quarry and Arnside Tower

Middlebarrow Quarry is a huge abandoned stone quarry dug cleanly into a hill. An incredibly impressive and grandiose site, it's almost completely unknown, returning very few results on Google, and when I was there on a sunny weekend, I was the only one there. This is largely because, for a huge open-air quarry, it's surprisingly well-hidden, visible only from neighbouring hilltops, or on satellite imagery, which is how I discovered it.

Whilst I visited the site by car, it is actually easily accessible by train. The traintracks go right past the entrance to the site, but of course there is no station there, however Silverdale train station is only a 2km walk away. The start of the hike is at the end of Waterslack Road, which seems to only serve a couple of farms, however at the end of the road you'll notice a left-turn down a narrower, tree-lined road, and at the end of this road you'll find a small car park, which is almost guaranteed to be empty.

This car park is an appropriate start for the hike. It is located right next to a level crossing, which you should first cross, before then entering the big metal gates into the quarry (this is entirely legal and the gates will be open). Feel free to walk around the quarry however you see fit, there really is nothing left of the quarry infrastructure other than a few rusted bits of metal lying around, however the topography of the site and natural beauty of the site more than make up for this.

Once you're done taking in the site from within, I recommend taking a hike all around the site, first to King William's Hill, then to Arnside tower and back. First, exit through the metal gates and turn right, not down the wide gravel road, but down the footpath which goes through the forest. Keep following this path for a while until you're faced with a choice between continuing straight on or turning sharply to the right. Take that sharp right turn and start going uphill, parallel to the walls of the quarry. There is a stone wall separating the path from the quarry area, however if you hop over it you'll be able to enjoy a view of the quarry from higher up - there'll be a metal wire fence before the actual drop.

Near the top of King William's Hill, the single path turns into a complicated network of different paths, some clear, some quite faint. This is, in my opinion, the most naturally beautiful part of the Arnside & Silverdale AONB, with patches of limestone pavement within a particularly diverse and authentic forest. There is also a nice view onto the sea and Silverdale from the top.

In order to continue towards Arnside tower from the peak, turn to face away from the view, and into the treeline. You'll find one larger path, ignore it and continue perpendicular to it until you meet a second larger path. Follow that one to the left. This path should be very straight and will take you all the way to Arnside tower, the ruins of a small medieval castle. in an open field. From there, head downhill, parallel to the trees, and then enter the forest again at the bottom of the hill. You will join an uncomplicated path that will take you right back to where you started.

Overall this hike is very easy, the hill isn't even 100m high and the terrain is paths are not very muddy. It is however extremely off the beaten track, you'll see some locals on the paths in the forest but the quarry itself is empty, with evidence of only very occasional visits. Despite this it is probably the most impressive site in the area and as such makes for the perfect under-the-radar destination.