The magnificent expanse of Morkan Bay, the towering peaks of the Lake District and the
history, beauty and tranquility of Bitten Country, our heritage.
This is my country. It's where I walked as a teenager. It's where I went down the caves.
It's where I climbed the quarries and the crags. It's where I had a wonderful time.
But I was playing. I was a teenager. I didn't really appreciate what I was looking at.
Now I'm much older, so I'm saying not much wiser. But what I'm going to do is I'm going
to give you a very personal, conducted tour to my countryside.
Bitten Country nestles on the north-eastern edge of Morkan Bay, stretching from Carnford
in the south to Milmthorpe in the north, roughly along the line of the A6 travelling between
Lancaster and Kendall, and from the coastline around Ironside and Silverdale. Once part
of the ancient counties of Lancashire and Westmoreland, today politics decreed that
Westmoreland is no more. Now Cumbria rains.
It's a country with a rich mosaic of limestone habitats. They laid down 350 million years
ago. The underlying carboniferous limestone beds give this peaceful place its distinctive
character.
Man has merely altered the surface a little, and it's the natural beauty that draws visitors
to this quiet English backwater. It has exceptionally rich flora and fauna, with many rare and
uncommon species. Plus, over half of all natural British plants can be found in this 75-acre
square kilometres of living dynamic landscape. People have settled in this area for over
10,000 years, and still they come, to enjoy the historic landscapes and unique limestone
pavements. The rich, wildlife wetlands, such as the reed beds of Layton Moss with their
internationally famous bird reserve and salt marsh wintering grounds, for the sea birds
and the geese, to enjoy the coastal scenery and the magnificent expanse of Morken Bay.
The distinctive woodland walking country and the limestone hills of Arnside Knot and Wharton
Crag, they come to enjoy medieval villages with their historic streets and traditional
English churches, to visit stately homes or ancient fortified towers and manor houses,
even to walk through the evocative fairy steps without touching the sides. That's just so
that they can have their dearest wish fulfilled. I didn't succeed, I have to be honest. Bitten
country is unusual for two reasons. Unlike other limestone scenery, the Arnside Silverdale
area of outstanding natural beauty has been formed at such a low altitude, and we can
still see the influence of the glacial and post-glacial activities. The combination that
makes the area absolutely unique.
