Route: talking the 4:32pm train to Burneside and heading south on the main road and then left through the Croppers factory complex then left on Hall Road to a road junction. Turning right on a narrow but potentially busy road (it wasn’t, fortunately) to take the next left on a footpath parallel to the river to Sprint Mill. Nipping through the private yard, keeping north, to cross a small footbridge and continuing with the river to the right until the path ran out. Backtracking to exit onto fields and continuing north and gently uphill to a c-road (the Garnett Bridge Road) 400m west of Gurnal Bridge.
Leaving the road onto a track near Beecham Bank and along across fields to Braban House. Here, for the first time continuing onwards south of the house to the start of a c-road but turning right on a path across muddy fields to Laithwaite Farm and then on c-roads to Bowston and along the Dales Way to Cowan Head. Taking the second path on the left climbing the hillside at a walk (for Lois’ benefit), staying to the south of Cragg Farm to join a metalled road downhill to join another footpath heading north west and pick up a narrow walled path rejoining the Dales Way. At the end, turning right along the road into Staveley to shortly reach the Eagle and Child.
Conditions: a glorious sunny later afternoon/early evening but not too hot.
Pub: the Eagle and Child, Staveley, for Cumbrian Ales, Loweswater Gold and Hawkshead WPA, meeting - for a bit less than hour - Anne and Frank.
