SPELLS of cold bright February weather is just perfect for walking in the North West's countryside. This week I enjoyed two walks along the valley of the River Lune.

I began at Kirkby Lonsdale at Devils Bridge. This was certainly not built by Old Nick, as the name suggests, but is an ancient packhorse bridge probably built by the monks as early as the 14th century. It has been altered several times since, but is still narrow, and these days only used by pedestrians.

Every Sunday the bridge area is busy with motorbike enthusiasts. This is not, however, a Hells Angels rendezvous, but a place where you can see all the old vintage machines out for a spin. There are old Nortons, BSA's, Harley Davidson's and many other makes.

On the site is one of the best bacon butty huts I have ever seen, and used by bikers, bird watchers and divers. Divers use the Lune under the bridge, where there are lots of deep pools. I am neither a biker nor a diver, but as an area for naturalists the walk along the Lune is wonderful. On the wall of the bridge I watched a kestrel which had jesses on its legs which showed that it had once been in captivity. The bird certainly looked to be enjoying its freedom.

I saw kingfisher, dipper, heron and grey wagtail, and high above the woodlands I saw a buzzard. I began my walk early, and just after lunch I was ready for my second stroll.

This was along another well marked footpath. This started off from the car park at Hornby and follows the line of the River Wenning which is a tributary off the Lune. It is overlooked by Hornby Castle which has a history dating back to the 15th Century and perhaps even earlier. Even though the weather was freezing, spring was in evidence with lots of lambs in the fields, and lots of flowers blooming in the hedgerows alongside the river. Hazel and willow catkin were everywhere, and one stretch of blackthorn looked a delight.

The birdlife was even more impressive, and I saw another kestrel, but this one was 'normal' and not fitted with jesses. I saw red breasted merganses, dipper, raven, sparrowhawk, long tailed tits and siskin.

Both these walks are within easy reach of Bolton via the M61, M6 and A65 to Kirkby Lonsdale. If you want to see the vintage and modern motorbikes, then choose a busy Sunday, but if you want quiet strolls then make the trip on a weekday or early on a Saturday morning. Hornby Castle

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.