Caton, near Lancaster

4th to 6th November 2022

We took Fufu to the small village of Caton for the weekend. The Central Lancashire District Association of the Camping and Caravanning Club had organised a bonfire meet there. Our thanks to Nick, the steward and everyone who helped make the weekend a success.

When we arrived on site, we filled up with water as usual, but then found ourselves stuck and in danger of sinking into the ground. A big thanks to Nick and his 4×4 for his assistance in pulling us out. Lesson learned, we parked for the weekend on our plastic grip assisters to prevent us sinking back in.

Caton is a pretty spot to the north east of the city of Lancaster, recorded in the domesday book of 1068 and winner of best kept village competitions in 1999 and 2011. In 1068 the main sources of income were fishing and farming. Fish, caught by the monks of Cockersand Abbey used to be displayed for sale on The Fish Stones, which were under an ancient oak tree (reputed to date back to the time of the Druids), the remains of which are pictured below.

Caton is situated near a 180 degree bend in the River Lune, called “The Crook of Lune”. When a railway line ran through the village, it crossed and re-crossed the River Lune at the Crook of Lune, meaning that two bridges were needed to take trains over to the far bank then immediately back again.

The route of the railway is now a cycle and walking path and a part of the 51 mile “Lancashire Witches Walk” which was opened in 2012 to commemorate 400 years since the trial of the 9 Lancashire Witches who were tried and hanged at Lancaster Castle. A 10th was tried and hanged at York.

There are 10 of these cast iron tercet waymarkers covering the route from Barrowford, through to Lancaster. One for each of the ten people hanged, each bearing a tercet stanza from the walk’s poem by the Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. According to Wikipedia, a “Tercet” is a poem of 3 lines which form the complete poem or a stanza.

On Friday evening, we enjoyed a walk eastwards along the path, eventually emerging onto the main road, before re-tracing our steps. Along the way, we encountered a rainbow (though we did not get wet) and a nice view over the River Lune near a bend.

Later we joined other people at the meet for a social evening in a large party-tent. A good time was had with plenty of good cheer and conversation. We retired at around 1am, but have no idea when the gathering eventually ended.

On Saturday morning the weather was dreadful, with wind and driving rain which ensured that we did not go for a walk as planned. Mid afternoon saw us helping to build the bonfire (still in heavy rain) and making “Guys” in the party tent, for the bonfire. Traditionally just one Guy Fawkes is ceremonially burned, but three were made by the enthusiastic women in the tent and a further one mysteriously appeared on the fire later.

After dark, we returned to partake of supper, enjoy the warmth from the bonfire, and watch the fireworks which everyone had donated.

The Sunday morning weather was a little kinder, with just heavy showers, but all the rain had made our exit from the site all the more potentially hazardous, so once going, I did not allow Fufu to stop until we were on firm ground. As we still planned to have a walk, we parked on the Crook of Lune car park and took the route west, towards Lancaster.

We left the main path to follow the river bank for a while, seeing quite a lot of wildlife, including Cormorants, Great Crested Grebes, Kingfishers and many ducks and geese. We also saw this tree with its roots washed clean of earth as the bank has been eroded.

Returning to the main path, we arrived at the former Halton Railway Station, now owned and used by Lancaster University as their rowing club-house.

We watched a team of women launch their boat before walking on towards the M6 motorway viaduct.

Apparently the underneath of the viaduct is constantly being redecorated:

At this point we turned back towards Caton, but the pathway goes all the way into the centre of Lancaster where other paths enable off-road walking and cycling to either Morecambe and Heysham along the coast, or south to Glasson Dock at the mouth of the river.