Scout Scar 5km run

A very familiar 5km run but an Outdoor Day because the first run of any kind - and hence arduous for T - since T’s nervous breakdown.

Route: from the layby (at GR 494899), a short ascent then bearing left to reach and then descend the escarpment and south across the fields before bending right onto the green track with views of the estuary. At the three-way junction, taking the left track round Pook’s Peak to the gate and then along the cliff edge of the Scar to the trig point and then back though the gate in the wall corner to descend along the edge of the escarpment to the start.

Conditions: surprisingly warm in the sun.

Pub: the Masons Yard 24 for Lancaster Brewery Citra and IPA.

Short walk in Levens Park

A 5km walk and post-pandemic reunion with Robin and Virginia.

Route: leaving the car in the Levens Hall car park and crossing the A6 to enter Levens Park south of the river and follow the obvious path with views of deer and Bagot goats to Archer’s Hill. Turning left on the minor road to cross the river and pick up the dead-end road to the concrete path under the A591. Emerging to pass Random Cottage and cross a stile to pick up another path across the other section of Levens Park north of the river and head back to the start.

Conditions: surprisingly warm, especially when the sun came out

Pub? The Goat Shed outdoor café at Levens Hall for lunch and bottles of Daleside Levens Hall Clipped Bush from the gift shop

Orrest Head

A tiny walk with Bill Penson.

Route: leaving the car in the Booths car park (having shopped) and taking the marked path to Orrest Head, cutting corners on available footpaths to reach the summit. Then heading east off the summit to reach a clearly marked path in a wall corner through Common Wood to reach the A591 a little to the east of the station and back to the start.

Conditions: sunny and cloudy before heavy rain once in the pub.

Pub: The Hawkshead Brewery, Stavely, for Hawkshead Bitter and Mosaic Pale Ale.

Whitbarrow Scar 9km walk

A 9km walk with Andrew and Helen.

Route: leaving the car at a car park on the track beyond the farm at Raven’s Lodge itself off the quiet road which probably formed the original route of the A590. Heading northeast to Rawsons, through the pretty yard and onto a path through the woods carpeted with wild garlic gaining altitude. At a 4-way crossroads with a bigger track keeping straight on to follow a path to a stable building in the middle of nowhere. Here, keeping straight on for 100m before turning right on a narrow track, fairly flat, through trees near Pether Pots. Keeping on this as it became a wider track for 2km before turning left at a clear T-junction. Crossing a stone stile out of the wooded area and onto the almost-bare limestone plateau, and climbing to the summit pillar. Continuing south on an obvious path to the southwest end of the Scar and down the path through the woods, then down the great rock slab under White Scar to the start.

Conditions: contra the forecast, no sun but warm and humid.

Pub: the Derby Arms, Witherslack, for Bowness Bay Swan Gold and a reasonably-priced lunch.

Cycle pootle to Stavely

A 25km ride for an evening beer at the Beer Hall.

Route: leaving the house and heading down Oxenholme Road,  Lound Road and along Kirkland and briefly up Beast Banks to the back of Booths and then Low Fellside to Queens Road to deliver a book to a friend. Then down Horncop Lane, up over Kentrigg and on Burneside Road to Bowston, turning right over the river to join the back road to Staveley for a pint, sadly inside, at the Beer Hall. Back along the cycle path parallal to the A591 and then the minor road to Bowston, crossing the river again to take the back lanes to the Mintsfeet Industrial estate and home on the new tarmac in the Castle estate.

Conditions: consistently sunny but not too hot.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery Beer hall for Hawskhead Lakeland Gold and WPA.

Fellbarrow to Low Fell and Brackenthwaite Hows

A 21km circuit from the cottage.

Route: from the cottage to Low Lorton via the footpath across fields past the church, then across the river and rising past Low Bank Farm and High Bank following a green lane (Mosser Fell Road) rising onto the shoulder of the hill. Taking the clear non-right of way but much used track south at first muddy and then grassy to reach open access land. Then steeply uphill to reach Hatteringill Head though first exploring a circuiting path to the east which failed to contour back up to the summit as we hoped. Then descending and ascending again to reach Fellbarrow. Keeping to the (undulating) summit ridge to Low Fell (via Smithy Fell and detouring to touch the top of Sourfoot Fell en route). 

From the summit leaving fellow walkers to explore the very end beyond Bield (idly looking for a direct descent route) but this time descending back north and down into the comb to the west. Following the familiar route south taking the left and lower route at a fork but, just before the trees, turning off it on a faint path to cross Crabtree Beck on stepping stones and follow a clear enough path gently uphill to a shoulder underneath Bield. Along an impressive balcony path round the hillside and back up north,  descending to join the unpleasantly steep ascent track in its final stages. Thence to the phone box and to the Kirkstile where we were luckily able to get a seat (inside, beer garden full at much-reduced capacity) for a beer and garlic bread. 

Along the road to Lanthwaite Wood car park, to take the path to Robin Steps and Brackenthwaite Hows, then descending to Pickett How. Thence crossing the Buttermere road to reach the path under Whiteside and Dodd and return home via High Swinside and Swinside End.

Conditions: Warm/hot sun, with merely occasional clouds, mitigated by a gentle breeze most of the way.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn for Cumbrian Legenday Ales American Invasion and garlic bread.