A Walk Up And Around Nicky Nook, Lancashire

Nicky Nook, Lancashire is not a big hill by any means at just 215m (705ft) but honestly if you want great views all around and good paths and trails then a walk up is definitely recommended. Being such relatively small climb it is great for the whole family to go up if you want to take children on an adventure.

There are so many paths up to and the drone pic I took here above shows how clear and well maintained the path is. Plus that being most of the path you can see how short it is for many standards of walker.

You can make it a straight up and down, an exploration all around the top or walk down the other side into the beautiful Grizedale Valley and the reservoirs. There are easy ways to make it a circular walk too. On a sunny day it is all very beautiful to experience.

Parking for Nicky Nook you have a few options. You can start in the lovely little village of Scorton itself or you can do as I do and park near the Applestore Cafe a mile or so away.

From here you will see a narrow road that goes to the right (if facing the cafe car park). That is where to start walking, along this road down then up semi steep. Within a few hundred metres you can see the entrance to the Nicky Nook fell path with a big sign.

From here the path winds up straight to the top and you can do it within 20 minutes or so if you are on a mission! But where is the enjoyment in that? Look back and you already start to get the views.

Like I say this is a small fell, but on a clear day you can see for miles and miles, especially looking west and north. being situated on the edge of the Bowland Fells there are no interruptions in the view across to the sea and Morecambe Bay etc.

Across to the Fylde Coast you can easily see Blackpool Tower against the skyline. Looking north west you get a super view over Arnside Knott and the mountains of the Lake District.

Now then. If you pass over the summit straight on you start heading down into the Grizedale Valley and it doesn’t take long to follow the path down to Grizedale Reservoir. A very quiet place to be, even if the hill is busy at times.

Grizedale Reservoir is a wonderful tree lined body of water that was built in 1866 to provide water for The Fylde area and Blackpool.

It is a great setting. with a backdrop of the higher Bowland Fells.

If you are wanting to do the circular around Nicky Nook, head down to the reservoir and turn right at the bottom. Again a great  mainly flat path takes you from here around and back to Scorton. After you pass the end of the reservoir there are also a few opportunities to take a path back up to the top. Which is what Malc and I did.

Also on the summit plateau of Nicky Nook you will see a couple of tall, stone pillars if you explore. These actually mark the route of the Thirlmere Aqueduct that passes below. Yes, you may know Thirlmere Reservoir, many miles away in Cumbria. Well that reservoir was created in the 19th Century to provide water to Manchester. So the water needed to be carried the 96 miles all the way down from the lakes. A true engineering feat.

These pillars mark the route it passes deep below, there is another actually over on the other side of Grizedale Reservoir too. They could be the spots of the openings from when the waterway was built.

We then made our way back to the summit proper again for a rest in the sunshine. We had all the time in the world to enjoy and explore in the sunshine.

On the way back down we went via one of the small tarns you will find and can see easily from the top. Malc needed a paddle to calm down. For me it was a time to relax and take in the moment.

As we strolled back down to the car park I looked back up the hill with a smile. Walking, hiking and climbing is not all about height, distance or being on a slog. Some little hills surprise us so much in history, scenery, variety plus massive and surprising views. This is definitely one of them.

A bonus of starting from the Applestore cafe car park too is you can get some refreshments, and cake at the end. It is a popular cafe and well known for good reason. happy walking!