New footpath opens near Kendal with improved access to popular farm stop
A new footpath has opened near Kendal, creating a safer and clearer route between the Lancaster Canal Towpath Trail and a popular farm refreshment stop.
The path at Natland connects the trail with The Dairy Shed at Cracalt Farm, where visitors can buy fresh milk, milkshakes and sweet treats.
It takes walkers around the working farm rather than directly through it, helping to reduce confusion for visitors and disruption for the people running the site.
The route can be reached by following signs from Hawes Lane Bridge on the Towpath Trail or by approaching from Natland village.
Work has also improved access around the farm, although walkers are being warned that parts of the route remain unsurfaced.
Safer route around working farm
Before the new path opened, the public right of way passed directly through Cracalt Farm.
This sometimes made the route unclear for walkers and created practical difficulties for the busy working farm.
The new path now takes people safely around the farm and through nearby fields before arriving at The Dairy Shed.
The Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership said the project formed part of its wider work to improve access and encourage more people to explore the historic canal corridor.
New signs have been installed to help walkers follow the route.
Access improved for pushchairs
Several physical improvements have been completed as part of the project.
A wall stile and a rotten bridge have been removed and replaced, while new gates have been installed that are wide enough for pushchairs.
The work has created level access around the farm and should make this section of the route easier for more visitors to use.
However, the two fields between the Towpath Trail and The Dairy Shed have not been surfaced.
People using the route are therefore advised to wear sturdy footwear. Those travelling with children may also need a pushchair or pram with wheels suitable for uneven ground.
Conditions may be more difficult after heavy rain because the fields could become wet or muddy.
Part of wider Towpath Trail project
The new path forms part of a broader project seeking to reconnect Kendal and Lancaster along the route of the former Lancaster Canal.
The Towpath Trail passes through both watered and unwatered sections of the canal landscape.
Although parts of the original canal no longer contain water, its route, bridges and other features remain an important part of the area’s industrial and transport history.
The wider initiative aims to improve access while celebrating this heritage and encouraging walking and outdoor activity.
Historic bridge restored
Funding for the footpath project also supported restoration work at Natland Hall Old Canal Bridge.
The structure is an original Lancaster Canal bridge and was built around 208 years ago.
Although the bridge remained structurally sound, vegetation had grown across parts of it and sections required repointing.
Specialist heritage contractors removed the vegetation and repaired the stonework using traditional lime mortar.
This is the same general type of material used by the workers who constructed the canal and its bridges more than two centuries ago.
The restoration was completed carefully because several canal bridges provide roosting places for bats.
An ecologist supervised the work to ensure protected wildlife was not disturbed.
Council heritage funding supports work
The project was funded through Westmorland and Furness Council’s Thrive Heritage programme.
The programme supports work that improves and protects historic places while helping communities make greater use of them.
David Faulkner, chairman of the Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership, welcomed the completion of both projects.
He said the funding had successfully transformed access to The Dairy Shed and helped restore Natland Hall Bridge as an example of the engineering skills of the workers who built the canal.
The new path is now open for walkers, with visitors asked to follow the signs and arrive prepared for the unsurfaced field sections.
