This relaxed walking route takes in the highlights of Lancaster's historic city centre before heading out along the canal to the River Lune estuary and meandering back into town across the freshwater and salt marshes.

Dog-friendly? Keep dogs under close control and ideally on a lead.
Toilets: St Nicholas’ Arcade, Marketgate or the Bus Station – plus various city centre pubs and cafés.
Refreshments: A wide choice of cafés and pubs in the city centre – we’d recommend Atkinson’s in China Street or the Sun Hotel on Church Street.

1. START  
From main station entrance head left then left again across the railway bridge, then right onto the city loop, heading past the football ground to the millennium bridge. After 250m, head right under the bridge, then immediately left and continue along the multi-user path below the church and through woodland.

2. 1.0km 
Turn right and climb steeply up steps to Priory Church, then descend past the Judge's Lodgings to Bridge St and left down Church St. At the junction, turn right into the pedestrianised zone, then left through Ffrances Passage and diagonally right across Dalton Sq to the town hall and through the adjacent gardens, then left over the canal bridge and sharp right down cobbles onto the towpath.

3. 1.9km  
Continue along the towpath for 400m, then head left across the stone bridge and continue Southwest along the far towpath for another 700m, taking the driveway on the right at the gatehouse.

4. 3.7km  
Continue past the house, then descend into the village of Aldcliffe and right down the lane at the junction and follow the lane between the pastures to the coast path. Turn right, then through the gate up onto the embankment (not along the lane), and continue North, admiring the views of the Lakeland fells across Morecambe Bay.

5. 4.3km  
Continue North along Lancashire Coastal Way beside the salt marsh for a mile, then after the stile, head right through the kissing gate and onto the track heading through Freeman’s Wood. Continue past the lagoons and straight over the intersection to the suburban edge of the city.

6. 7.2km  
At the playing field, head right onto Willow Lane, then left up Westbourne Road, passing Westbourne House and continuing downhill into the city centre. Then left after the railway bridge to arrive back at the station.