A short stroll to La Mass and Le Junies

A 6km stroll to look at two churches while staying with Andrea Higginson just north of Castelfranc.

Route: leaving Andrea’s house and walking up the very quiet road (even more so than normal as blocked to the south by roadworks) to the north surrounded by trees and with a flat valley bottom to the left/west to La Masse. There, finding the key to the church (St-Perduelphe) hidden beneath a bell on a neighbouring house (guided by a sign on the church door) for a thorough viewing of the church interior.

Continuing on the road to the west of the valley, pausing briefly to look at the footbridge to the convent, as far as Les Junies, crossing the river, and then returning to the church (St-Pierre-es-liens) at the convent, locating the key on the terrace of a neighbouring house, and then filling the road on the east side back to the house.

Conditions: initially cool air (probably 16C) but warm in the sun before the main heat of the day (forecast to reach 29C).

Pub? cans of  Kings Beau chez Andrea.

Feix to La Tour Blanche and back

A swift early evening 7km stride to walk off a delicious substantial lunch.

Route: from Mike and Dianne’s house in Feix, heading west along the road to a field of solar panels and turning right onto a grassy track through the woods, more or less straight except for a slight wiggle, crossing La Rue du Cheval Blanc and continuing slightly downhill initially past a path crossroads and evidence of a small quarry eventually with views of the town ahead and to the left to emerge on a road. Doglegging right and left to rise into a very quiet town centre and walking to the church and back checking that no bar was, by chance, open. 

Returning on the main road south towards Feraillou but taking the strange exit for the Route du Cheval Blanc, ignoring a left turn, and continuing to a path heading at an oblique angle north eventually meeting the path crossroads and returning on the outward route.

Conditions: warm, 24C after a hotter day, but with less heat in the evening sun.

Pub? 

A pre-breakfast stroll to Les Farges and Feraillou

A quick 5km stroll on empty roads while starting with Mike and Dianne Armer at Feix.

Route: from Mike and Dianne’s house at Feix, heading west, gently uphill on the road past wide fields, widely spread houses, woods (spotting a single shy deer) and some barking dogs. Then downwards among trees before rising to a five-way junction at the tiny hamlet of Les Farges. 

Turning sharp left and gently descending before entering trees with, in principle a quarry invisibly to the left through trees, passing under a quarry road bridge (the tress coated in dust) before turning left uphill at the edge of Feraillou, past a newly erected cross and back along the narrow road to the start (seeing another deer gallop away across a field).

Conditions: sunny and still but before the heat of the day (13C air temperature at the start rising to low 20s by 10am and later 27C).

Pub? Breakfast then a delicious formal lunch at Moulin du Pont, Lisle, with aperitifs and wines of the country.

A stroll from Feix to Feraillou and back

A 4km stroll with Dianne from Feix staying in their cottage for three nights (before it is sold).

Route: leaving the cottage and walking 1km east south east down an empty road with a quarry notionally to the right to the village of Feraillou. Stopping to pay a social call and return a bottle stopper to Jan, the owner of the Manor dit Chartreuse (C17, connected to Louis XIV). After a tour of the house, leaving Jan and dogs Poppy and ?Cookie continuing along the road, taking a small lane on the left after a children’s play park, past yapping dogs with gîtes/farmhouses on the left and land opening on the right. At the end of the commune turning left on a narrow path through the Bois de Halas, crossing the ‘Great White Way’ (Rue du Cheval Blanc) for a further loop to the north. Then back across the road to follow a track back through forest to a road from Verteillac back to Feix (Rue de Chantepoule) and following this back to the house.

Conditions: after a surprising cool 13C morning, sunny, hot and still.

Pub? G&T and Ricard as aperitifs and then a rough red of the country chez les Armers.

5km run under Latrigg

An early evening damp 5.5km run following a GP appointment in Keswick.

Route: leaving the car parked on the side of Brundholme Road and running over the bridge over the A66 on Spoonygreen Lane. After a steep uphill, taking the first right turn on a wide forestry track, still steeply uphill, then along and then descending (noting that a marked left turn on the OS map did not exist) on a narrower path approaching and running alongside the A66 to a minor road just after it had crossed the A66. 

Turning left uphill to a forestry track with locked gates but signs of pedestrian use. Following the track, up and down, to a right turn and then steeply descending, now in rain, to join the Keswick Railway Path. Back along this to near the end but descending off the path to cross the A5271 near the Twa Dogs to Calvert Bridge and uphill to turn left on the c-road and back to the start.

Conditions: some initial shafts of sun through heavy clouds. Later a short sharp rain storm.

Pub: the Coledale Inn, Braithwaite for Corby Blonde.

7km circuit under Walla Crag

A fine run with some novelty on a Sunday evening after the crowds had gone.

Route: leaving the car at the NT Great Wood car park (almost empty at 5pm on a Sunday) and running south and uphill on a stony footpath for 200m to a path crossroads. Turning left steeply uphill and walking until the path began to level, then running along this, new to us, path in woods with just a few views left because of the trees. Eventually joining the end of the more familiar path (from the car park to Castlerigg) with views across a field (no pretty cows this time) to the north western fells over Derwent Water. 

Turning left at a path T-junction to run down a stony track through Spring Woods, pausing at a footbridge and then continuing onto Springs Road to turn left on a gravel path across a field to Castlehead Wood. Running left, clockwise round the hillock (the less trodden route) to cross Borrowdale Road on another gravel path across a field. Then heading straight ahead over a slight hill to arrive at the jetties on the lakeshore. Turning left to Friar’s Crag and then along the footpath round the lake, sometimes inshore on board walks, past Stable Hills to Calfclose Bay. Here turning left on a path to the road at a bus-stop and then a little further to the entrance to the car park.

Conditions: mild, with some brightness from the late afternoon sun shrouded in thin clouds.

Pub: the Coledale Inn for Corby Blonde and Hawkshead Windermere Pale Ale.

Kirkstile Inn 5km run

A 5km run at 5:30pm in autumnal evening sun to start the weekend.

Route: leaving the car sneakily in the car park of the Kirkstile Inn (for the brief period of the run before having a pint; the car park getting full for evening meals) and, for the first time, running south on the road then track uphill past Kirkhead, then taking the longer diagonal right, before the pine trees, then left laterally contouring round under the face of Melbreak before a steep descent. 

Turning right, staying above High Park, and ascending to slight saddle beneath Dropping Crag to gain views of Crummock Water and Rannerdale Knotts. Continuing a little further south before taking a path diagonally sharply left, dropping down the slope towards the lake through bracken and some marsh to the stony swimming beach. 

Then round the ‘Horn’ anti-clockwise, ignoring the shoreside path to the foot of the lake and instead taking a hand-gate a little further on to boardwalks within a copse across marsh and thus to the familiar bridge over Park Beck. For once, crossing the bridge and continuing on a multi-gated track to Muncaster House, then left across fields to Gillerthwaite and back along the road to the pub.

Conditions: 14C but warm sun.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater, for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold and Life of a Mountain. 

Circuit of Ling Fell (4.5km run)

A short run at the end of a Sunday afternoon (on a day L had spent at Loweswater Show).

Route: leaving the car at the old school building at Wythop Mill and running slowly uphill to the entry point to Ling Fell, then taking an initial zig zag to reduce steepness, continuing gradually uphill clockwise on a track, becoming grassy and then a path. 

Then descending parallel with, and above, Tom Rudd Beck, bending off the right of way to maintain altitude and to join Green Lonning at a gate a little later. Descending to the road and walking back to the car. 

Conditions: a warm strong breeze and a low sun with blue sky and clouds.

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, for Lakes and Dales Gold and Bitter, taken in the garden to avoid a Trump supporter in the small bar.  

Embleton Spa from home by road

Less than 8km road run from home to Embleton Spa on a grey September weekday evening (L only, T injured)

Route: Leaving home and following the road north to the end of the village and on to the right-hand turn up to Armaside Farm. Taking this to run up to and past the farm and on north and then north west to the road between Hundith Hill and St Cuthbert’s Embleton.

Turning right there to run along the road past the Strawberry How turnoff to the next left turn down past the vicarage to the A66.

Then crossing the A66 to the back road through Embleton and turning right to run along the road to the Embleton Spa Hotel.

Conditions: Barely spitting with rain until the A66 and then beginning to rain lightly - torrential once safely in the bar.

Pub: Embleton Spa Hotel for Cumbrian Ales Esthwaite Bitter with Tim.

6km run round Cockermouth including across the Derwent

A 6km evening run, marking L’s return from Greenbelt, at the end of summer.

Route: leaving the car in the Kirkgate car and crossing Kirkgate, the next car park and the footbridge to run along the bank of the Cocker to the dilapidated wooden steps up to the Greenway. Running along this past the cemetery to turn right on the Sustrans route to enter the cemetery at a hand gate. 

Exiting at the main gate and doglegging across Lorton Road to Vicarage Lane onto Culgarth Avenue to the two short snickets to reach Dale View. Down steps onto the path above the Cocker along to the footbridge at Double Mill. Heading down river but bending slightly left up hill and round Harris Park to Fern Bank and Gallowbarrow and across Main Street to take the foot bridge across the river. 

Then right round the park with views across the Derwent to the brewery and Castle, bending left round a field and then back along a path into the industrial quarter and back across the foot bridge. Here, T suffering a muscular twinge and falling to a walk along Main St and left on High Sand Lane to take the footbridge onto Brewery Lane and the Jennings Brewery.

Conditions: cloudy but dry, but not an evening (at 6:30pm) for sitting outside.

Pub: the Jennings Brewery for Back Yam and Sneck Lifter.

A stroll on the shore of Derwentwater with Andrea

A 5km stroll (T only; L at Greenbelt) with Andrea Higginson along the start of the shore of Derwent Water with an attempt on the Castlehead Wood viewpoint.

Route: walking from near the Crosthwaite Church (and bus stop for the 77) along the B5289, past the Shell garage, into Keswick turning right at the roundabout, past Booths and along Crow Park Road to the end. Taking a slight left turn through a hand gate onto a gravel foot path across the grassy park and following this round the park to the Theatre by the Lake. 

Turning right to the boat jetties (very busy on a bank holiday) and then along the lakeshore to Friar’s Crag (also busy) and then onward and left round the shore. At an obvious junction, turning left on a gravel path to Cockshott Wood, staying to the east and then right on a newly-surfaced path to cross the B5289 into Castlehead Wood. 

Following the hill round clockwise and ascending a slippery path up to its very shoulder. But, deeming the final rock steps impractical, retreating to the north to turn left on Springs Road, Ambleside Road and St John’s Street to the Wainwright Pub. Afterwards, a quick walk back to catch the 3:30pm 77 home.

Conditions: the forecast rain not arriving until safely in the pub.

Pub: the Wainwright Pub for Fell Tinderbox and Inches cider.

Cockermouth and Embleton 26km cycle circuit

A 26km cycle ride to try out cycling to Cockermouth for the first time (for T) since living at 1-2 MTC. (T only; L at Greenbelt.)

Route: from the cottage, cycling down to Low Lorton, over the bridge and then right steeply but briefly uphill past High Rogerscale and then along and mainly slightly down to the junction with the Paddle School road. Turning right and descending to Southwaite and then rising up a noticeable incline to the Hundith Hill crossroads. Across this, descending and re-ascending gentle inclines to turn left, over the A66, onto Strawberry How to Lorton Road and down Kirkgate to the Jennings Brewery.

After a pint sitting outside, ascending Brewery Lane, then left on Castlegate Drive and continuing on a gradual but cumulative uphill for 1km. Then descending at speed past Lambfoot to Embleton for a brief pause at the pub for fortifying beer and crisps. Crossing the A66 and heading uphill to Wythop Mill and then more steeply up the road between houses to the right before descending to the St Margaret's Church, Wythop, rising again to the junction with the road from Lambfoot, past the Cockermouth turn-off to the right to take the short cut on the left on terrible tarmac past Armaside Farm back to Lorton Road. Left along this home.

Conditions: thin sun giving way to cloud but not the forecast rain.

Pub: the Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth, for Jennings Cocker Hoop; the Embleton Spa Hotel for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold.

Watch Hill

A damp 6km evening run before L departed for a long weekend away at Greenbelt the next day.

Route: leaving the car at GR 137312 at a lay-by at the intersection of the Cockermouth to Embleton road with the road to Setmurthy Common and taking the hand gate to a clear path running slowly uphill for about 1km towards Watch Hill though slowing to a walk for part of the later stages. 

Bending left again at a run on the marked path to enter the woods and taking the rightmost of two forks to follow a path in a clear part of the woods until it descends to a rough forest road. Following this east to a small path on the right through older deciduous trees, gaining ground to the summit tree-free. From here on a lower clearer path to the left to the end of the ridge and the spot named ‘Watch Hill’ overlooking Cockermouth. Then running downhill back to the road and thus the car. 

Conditions: high cloud and drizzle but surprisingly warm.

Pub: the Bitter End, Cockermouth, for Alnwick American IPA.

Cycle pootle to the Kirkstile Inn

A solitary (T) cycle ride to test riding post ankle break.

Route: from 1-2 Midtown cycling past the shop to turn left at the mid-Lorton crossroads to take the Hopebeck Road, climbing slowly and then descending to rejoin the recently resurfaced main road to climb to Scale Hill and descend past the Lanthwaite Wood car park. 

At the next crossroads, turning left to take the minor road (a rather less good road surface) bending right to reach the pub. After a pint, along the Thackthwaite road home. 

Conditions: sunny and warm though not hot. Easily warm enough to sit outside the pub in the shade.  

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn for Cumbrian Ales Session IPA.

5km run to High Rogerscale

A practical run to feed Charlie, Rosemary’s cat.

Route: from the cottage, along the road past the village hall, shop, mid-Lorton crossroads, Low Lorton crossroads, over the Cocker and uphill to High Rogerscale. 

Returning, after cat feeding, the same way, until the Low Lorton crossroads where turning left along the road and then right, before the pub, on the path to the church and then doglegging across Church Lane to the next path, to Lorton Park and home.

Conditions: a warm sunny late afternoon/early evening.

Pub: later, for supper with Kate Clark and her friend Michael Semple, the Queen's Head Troutbeck for Robinsons Patterd’Ale.

6km 'balcony path' to High Swinside

A 6km run ending up, briefly, at Lorton Fest. An Outdoor Day because the first use of the balcony path in about a year.

Route: Leaving the cottage and running south to Boonbeck, and slowly up the road to the footpath to cross a field with views down the valley to Mellbreak. Descending to a hand gate and turning left up hill out of a farm yard, left and again on a road and then right at the start of the enclosed track up hill from Scales to the southerly ‘balcony’ path to High Swinside Farm, finding it very overgrown. 

Descending south and turning right at a T junction on the road from Hope Beck, to a path across fields to Low Swinside and then along the track to High Mill, Church Lane and left through the church yard to the pub.

Conditions: a warm but not too hot sunny late afternoon.

Pub: the Wheatsheaf, Lorton for Crooked River Pale (from the outside bar) and a a bit of Lorton Fest.

8km circuit from Dean along a stretch of the Marron Valley

An 8kn jog in rolling country with views of Scotland and the north western fells.

Route: leaving the car in the plentiful space near the chucrh at Dean and heading slowly and surprisingly uphill on the c-road north east to Fifkettle Brow. Taking the left turn on a tarmacked drive past the farm at Woodside down over a river, ignoring a narrow signed path to the left and then uphill, becoming a stony track with grass in the middle  to a plateau and then down through where trees had been felled and across another field to dogleg left-right across a c-road. 

Descending on another road, steeply in part to meet the River Marron at a bridge but continuing, without crossing, to a stony track past Oldfield Mill, Oldfield to the farm at Calva Hall. Then continuing as the track gained altitude with clear views towards Blake Fell and Grassmoor, and somehow missing the intended path onwards (which would have been across a hay field starting at a bend in the track), and instead bending left up hill, passing under electricity pylons to a junction with the c-road at a summit. Descending to cross Cornyflat Beck and rising steeply, walking for 200m, before continuing slowly to run uphill and back to Dean.

Conditions: after a day with occasional showers a lovely sunny, warm without being hot, evening.

Pub: The Royal Yew, Dean for Cumbria Ales, Loweswater Gold and Langdale.