Recently I've been exploring a number of fascinating areas in the beautiful Lune Valley, taking inspiration from this great Northern river called the Lune, which flows in a Westerly direction from its source near the small village of Newbiggin-on-Lune close to the Howgill Fells, all the way to the Morecambe Bay village of Sunderland Point in Lancashire.

I'm sharing a selection of sketches and studies based on my visits here, with the aim of gathering enough information to develop more finished works. This generally begins with pencil sketches and ink drawings made on-the-spot. On this occasion I've focused on a stretch of the river between Caton near Lancaster and a small village called Claughton.

This part of the Lune Valley was once very popular with Victorian tourists, and there was even a railway that took visitors by train up to the village of Hornby to see the castle. The railway has long since been removed, but you can still see some of the old stations as this route is now a popular cycle path covering the famous Crook O' Lune area.

One of the most inspiring features of this area for me is Aughton Woods, which is clearly visible as you pass from either end of the Lune Valley between Lancaster and Hornby. Pronounced 'Af-ton', this steep sided woodland is one of the most ancient in Lancashire, and is situated on the opposite side of the valley, accessible on foot from various points.

On my visit here in late July, the river was safe to cross at numerous points, and there was even a group of wild swimmers nearby. The river makes a long sweeping turn back on itself and flows right by Aughton Woods before making its way to Crook O' Lune around one mile away. As the name implies, it makes a shape in the form of a shepherd's crook.

There's a point near Crook O' Lune, on the opposite side of the main A-road, where JMW Turner captured the Lune Valley with its rolling hills and sweeping bends in the river. These spots were known as 'stations' in his time, where people believed the best views could be seen. Turner's painting is still regarded as one of his grandest and most picturesque.

If you visit this spot today, any view of the Lune Valley is entirely obscured by trees. The main A-road would have been just a bumpy little dirt track below, with a lot less trees. From the region around Aughton Woods you can often see some of the Yorkshire Dales peaks such as Ingleborough. Most of the river Lune is accessible by right of way footpaths.

The large field barn was probably once used for sheep shearing in the Summer months. All of the land around here is still used for both cattle and sheep grazing. From Aughton side you begin to see the Forest of Bowland to the South, and the paths can lead you in either direction towards Hornby or Millennium Park where the Crook O' Lune is situated.