A last minute 6km run on a day on which fog first thing and then drizzle and low cloud dampened ambitionsRoute: Leaving the car at the Kirkgate Arts Centre, Cockermouth (free for 2 hours with a disc), and exiting at the rear across grass to join St Helen’s Street and head east, gradually gaining a bit of altitude. Roughly opposite the path to Watch Fell, taking the second path on the right to across a field, climb a stile and cross a stream on rough stepping stones (Lois slipping off and running from thereon with wet feet). Climbing very gradually on a muddy path in the narrow Brick Kiln Wood to exit onto fields and continue with Slate Fell above and on the right. After a gate taking an obvious diagonal path uphill to cross a more main track and walk uphill to the round summit of Slate Fell. Descending by a fence to the west to the main track and following this across fields to a new housing estate at the edge of Cockermouth. Taking a gravel path down to the left round the houses to a road and thus to the start of the railway footpath as far as Lorton Road and Kirkgate, finally taking a snickleway to the right to re-enter the car park from the rear.
Conditions: a tiny amount of gentle drizzle at the start. Clouds slowly rising.
Pub: the Bitter End, Cockermouth, for Tudor Brewery Sugarloaf Dark Ale and (keg) Crooked River Brewing DDH.
