ALL who love walking have a list of favourite routes, which they keep repeating. My favourite is this stroll through history. I have kept a walking diary since November 1949 so 60 years later I’m repeating this gem, something I have done almost every year since.

How to get there: Once sited directly on the road from the town of Dalton to what was then the village of Barrow, Furness Abbey is located just off the A590. Descend the steep road to the Abbey Ruins where there is a car park and visitor centre.

1 Begin from the Abbey Ruins, which are well looked after by English Heritage. A recent restoration programme has meant that Furness looks at its best. It is hard to describe ruins looking at their best but you know what I mean! You can really appreciate how splendid this must have been in its heyday.

The Cistercians moved to this site from Tulketh near Preston in 1127. They built well and managed their lands to such perfection that Furness became one of the richest abbeys in the whole of England. It was dissolved in 1537 but the ruins are extensive and haunting. From the Tavern the footpath skirts the ruins to the left but it is well worth paying the entry fee to explore the red sandstone edifice at leisure.

2 At the rear of the toilet block in the car park, look for a footpath close to the railway line. Pass through a stile and descend to Park House Farm, once part of the Abbey’s estate. Turn left at the yard and pass beneath a tunnel over the railway line.

3 Look for a sign indicating Newton and about a quarter of a mile farther on look for a path leading to Bon Bridge. This dates at least to the 15th Century at a time when the monks kept the highways in good repair to ensure that their trade flowed freely.

4 Ascend an obviously curving track through stiles and gates to Newton, which has its own popular Inn, the Farmers Arms. Cross the road and follow Long Lane with hedges prominent on either side. There are ponds in the area but these are not natural having been formed by subsidence as a result of iron ore mining. The obvious and pleasant track with left turns leads to Dalton Primary School. Descend down Cemetery Hill and at the centre of the settlement, turn left. Pass the Wellington Hotel on the right. Ascend to an escarpment on which stands Dalton Castle and the parish church of St Mary.

5 Both these buildings cast a mellowing shadow on the car park, which now occupies the town square.

The church was established in Norman times but the present structure is mainly Victorian. Its claim to fame lies in the cemetery where the famous portrait painter, George Romney, was born and is buried at Dalton.

The so-called castle dates to 14th Century and built by monks as a defence against the invading Scots. They needed to ensure that some of their valuable chattels were kept safe.

6 In Church Street, turn left through Georgian buildings and descend to the Brown Cow and an old school now a restaurant called Chequers. Follow a sign indicating Mill Wood, which also dates to monastic times. The mill was powered by Poaka Beck. Up to the right is the Abbot’s Wood and to the left is Mill Brow. Look out for a sign for Furness Abbey. Follow this and return to the abbey.