The hidden Lancashire beauty spot with falcons and coastal views

The stunning cliffs that provide an impressive welcome to the crag are a result of the more recent history of the area, from quarrying in the 50s and 60s.

You’ll have most likely driven over the very same limestone, as it was used to make the M6 Preston bypass.

Peregrine falcons nest high on the limestone walls, starting their courtship in spring (Image: Surrey Hills Photography)

Peregrine falcons nest high on the limestone walls, starting their courtship in spring.

Before you’ve even left the car park for the footpaths, you might catch a glimpse of the peregrine falcons that nest high on the limestone walls, starting their courtship in spring and spending the summer feeding their chicks.

These birds are the fastest animals on earth, reaching more than 186 miles per hour when diving for prey, nearly the speed that F1 cars drive.

Steep, rocky paths will get your heart pumping as you head up through the tree line, and the woods contain a wonderfully rich and diverse collection of species, including the rare Lancaster whitebeam which is only found around Morecambe Bay.

Early purple orchids, violets, bluebells, wood-anemone and kidney-vetch all bring colour to the forest floor alongside a range of rich green ferns.

Once you’re out of the tree line, you can see the glorious coastline of Morecambe Bay.

On a super clear day, you’ve even got a chance of seeing all the way to the Isle of Man, though you probably won’t be able to spot any TT racers.

Out of the trees and onto the craggy limestone grassland, you’ll often come across some big shaggy cattle.

They graze the scrub and trample some of the plant life down, making sure that the grass doesn’t get too prolific and the limestone-loving plants such as juniper and St John’s wort get their spot in the sun.

Butterflies are the stars of the show at Warton Crag, which is home to rare species of small pearl-bordered fritillary (Image: Tom Marshall)

Ecologically, butterflies are the stars of the show at Warton Crag.

It’s home to nationally important populations of rare species like the pearl-bordered and small pearl-bordered fritillary, whose caterpillars feed on the violets in the woodlands.

The butterflies can be seen on warm days soaking up the heat from the limestone and flitting around the grasses and wildflowers.

If you are really lucky, you may see two of our native lizards, the snake-like slow worm and common lizard, darting through the grass as they finish basking.

Warton Crag is a beautiful spot, and it’s an excellent place to venture after the cold, wet winter.

Follow the example of the butterflies and reptiles and sit on the limestone, watching the world go by, enjoy a sea of colour in the woods and on the grassland as the earth starts to wake up again, and take a moment to really take in and notice what’s going on.

There’s more than you think, and it’s sure to bring you a sense of wellbeing.

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