Edge Hill

A post-prandial 3 mile walk with Steve, Katherine, Tom and Alex.

Route: from the Rose and Crown, Ratley following Chapel Lane to some steps beside a house to a stile. Then across a muddy field to reach and walk along Centenary Way as far as a line of trees. Swinging left to follow a faint path descending a shallow valley across fields to a footbridge with a short detour to examine a rusting combine harvester then heading up the far slope to turn left on the road as far as the junction. Then following a path along the edge of the hill just lower than the road before heading down some steep steps to cross afield and turn left along the road in Radway. Bending further left along West End keeping the grounds of The Grange to the left. Passing a pond and some thatched cottages to a stony track through a kissing gate and continuing uphill across a field towards Radway Tower, now the Castle Inn. After a pint, crossing the road to a path running between Cavalier Cottage and Rupert House to turn left at the very quiet road back to Ratley.

Conditions: a grey day becoming sunnier later.

Pub: the Rose and Crown Ratley for lunch and Stratford-upon-Avon, Stratford Gold and Charles Wells Bombardier before the walk. During it, The Castle Inn for Hook Norton Red Rye.

Souther Fell

A surprisingly pleasant if marshy circuit, with Mike Hornby, on an unpromising day.

Route: leaving the car park opposite Mungrisdale village hall (£2 per day) and walking south west on the gated minor road under the fell for half a mile. Turning diagonally half right, opposite a sheep fold converted into a garden, to ascend a slowly rising well marked path all the way to the top of the ridge a little to the south of the summit (which we spurned). Heading further south first to a cairn overlooking the slopes of Bannerdale and the clouded summit of Blencathra and then off piste to the end of the ridge. Descending to the col above Mousthwaite Comb and then across a plank bridge over the River Glenderamackin to follow this along the valley above its western bank. Carefully jumping a tributary and then picking a route though very swampy grass until the path became more solid half a mile further along. Then back to the start.

Conditions: low cloud and drizzle. Very wet under foot.

Pub: the Mill Inn, Mungrisdale for Robinsons Sharp Edge and Voodoo Dawn and lunch, joined by Janet.

A clockwise 12km circuit of Spy Crag and Millrigg Knott

A clockwise variant of a familiar 12-13 km route with an additional uphill climb.

Route: exiting the Staveley Mill Yard by the footbridge over the river and then turning left along the road to reach Hall Lane. A little way along this, taking a farm track past Scroggs Farm followed by a bridleway before turning off left across a field to cross the River Kent where the main road switches banks. Running north on the quieter western road to join a bridleway and then cross eastwards at Ullthwaite Bridge back over the river. A little further north taking the footpath steeply uphill, where a small conifer forest had recently been cut down, to cross moorland and join the upper reaches of Hall Lane (Lois returning directly from this point with a strained muscle). At a signpost, taking an invisible footpath uphill across fields to join a farm track at Ghyll Bank and turning right to head gently downhill eventually to reach Birkfield Farm and then descending on a paths and tracks to reach the Staveley back road turning right to the sewage works and then left across fields back to the Mill Yard.

Conditions: surprisingly warm and hazy for February.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for Hawkshead WPA and Cumbrian Five Hop.

Claife Heights 12km run

A 12km run on a day of disappointing weather.

Route: from the Cuckoo Brow Inn, along Cuckoo Brow Lane past Moss Eccles Tarn over to Scab Moss where tree felling had changed the look of things. Then along a Forestry Commission road down to Wray and on a metalled road to its end at Beyond Fields and Red Nab. Then taking the undulating lakeside path before trending to the right arduously up hill to cross the shoulder of the hill and drop back into Far Sawrey behind the pub.

Conditions: Despite a fine forecast, a cloudy day with the threat of showers and exceptionally wet under foot.

Pub: Cuckoo Brow Inn for Cumbrian Legendary Ales Loweswater Gold.

Troutbeck Tootle

An 8km run into a northerly gale in wet and icy conditions.

Route: Leaving the car on the first left turn before the church in Troutbeck and running through the Limefitt caravan park, past its Haybarn Inn and thus onto the bridleway towards the head of the valley on the eastern side which is flat or even downhill for 2km before rising gently. At the Tongue, taking the first footbridge to cross the stream to pick up the track on the other side of the valley but diverging from it on a grassy footpath across a field to join the quiet and on this occasion icy road back along the valley bottom. At the point where the road turns right to Old Town, taking a narrow walled path (Truss Lane) straight on crossing one very large flooded section (unhelpful lay bounded by brambles) and eventually rising to meet the main road. Crossing over and heading another 200m up a narrow road to take a left turn on a path descending to the church and hence back to the start.

Conditions: just above freezing point and with an icy North wind. Some snow and ice but also wet.

Pub: The Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for WPA and Cumbrian Five Hop.

An attempt on Lingmoor Fell

A New Year's Eve walk with Emma and Nathan and Andrew and Helen.

Route: leaving the cars at Elterwater (both National Trust car park and the informal parking outside the village), crossing the river and taking the road towards the quarry turning right to follow a path by the river eventually climbing to the quarry view. Then taking a path rising up hill to dog leg left and the right onto the hillside rising into cloud and increasing rain. At the main switch back left, Emma and Nathan turning back leaving the others to reach the summit ridge in heavy rain and cloud and so turning left to drop down into Little Langdale for a pint in the Three Shires. Then heading south along the road to take the track past Wilson Place cottage and farm to return to Elterwater finding Emma and Nathan in Wainwright’s.

Conditions: low cloud and heavy rain.

Pub: the Three Shires, Little Langdale for Loweswater Gold during the walk. No pub after.

Circuit above Brigsteer

A 7km+ run onto the Scar from Brigsteer.

Route: leaving the car in a large layby (space for 10+ cars) north of the village and running back, south past Brigsteer on the lower road but branching left on a footpath signed St John’s Church just beyond the village. Uphill across a couple of fields to turn right on a track and then branching diagnonally left off it across the large field to Helsington Church. North to the entry to the Scar and along the eastern path to climb eventually to the gate in the corner of two
walls before dropping past a large cairn (Dave’s Cairn) down off the Scar to Barrowfield Farm. Right then left to take a footpath descending through trees and across pastures eventually to strike a very quiet minor road. Left along this to reach the main Brigsteer-Underbarrow road and back to the start.

Conditions: a day of blue sky and sun but lingering heavy frost and cold air.

Pub: The Rifleman’s, Greenside, for Greene King Abbot Ale.