High Stanger Farm from Lorton

A short run for Lois, inspired by Steve G (last attempted in some form in September 2016 in 'drenching' conditions)

Route: leaving the cottage to run round the village, posting a card to Ted at LVS and carrying on down to Low Lorton and out to the footpath turning on the left just past the newest houses, signposted to Stanger. Starting out west and turning north west to run roughly parallel to the River Cocker, over dry, flat, furrowed terrain, as far as the hillock beside Stanger Spa. Here climbing a gate to turn left and run round the mound and back through another gate to pass the ruined 'Spa' building on the right. Then running on north to another gate/fence and up and over a little hill and down to the track leading to Stanger. Running between the houses there to emerge and take a footpath leading right off the road leading up to the main road. Going through a gate and then climbing the next one to run along a wide stony track east and north east (somehow missing the main bridleway but dropping down a slope to climb a gate to rejoin it) and out to the main Lorton-Cockermouth road. Running down this a few hundred yards to the footpath opposite the entrance to Shatton Lodge and running back down south across field (and, sadly, through a rather damp marshy area) to rejoin the outward route briefly and then turning immediately left after a gap in a substantial but precarious-looking wall fragment, to run due east out to the road again. Then following the road back to the cottage.

Conditions: warm and cloudy and sooo much drier under foot than the last time we tried it!

Pub: home for a cup of tea and a 0.5% Hawkshead Lighter Times in the garden with new owners of No 4, Ian and Jo (and Tim!).

Mini-pub crawl from Braithwaite to Swinside

A short stroll to support the local pubs without pushing Tim's post-breakdown limits.

Route: parking at the bottom of Whinlatter, across from Hope Memorial Camp, and walking down to cross the prayer-flagged bridge and cross Braithwaite village to walk out on the footpath skirting the perimeter of the camp site. Following the beck down to cross a little bridge and walk along through Little Braithwaite and down to the road bridge over Newlands Beck. Here hoping to turn right along the beckside path south down the valley but finding it closed 'due to serious erosion' carrying on along the road to the Swinside Inn. There enjoying fine pints of Theakston's Bitter and Deuchars IPA in tandem with a fine view of Barrow before heading down the road towards Stair, forking right on a track leading down to a short stretch of beckside path to a stone bridge. Crossing the bridge to walk up to Uzzicar and turn up right to the road to Newlands Pass, shortly afterwards forking left to track up through the gorse and bracken to the final shoulder of Barrow and on down to  Braithwaite Lodge. There turning left to head across fields to the river, dipping down into the dell and up to reach the minor road up to the reservoir. Here turning right to walk down to the pub.

Conditions: some warm (nay, hot!) sun on the first leg of the walk, thereafter cloudy but still and not cold

Pub: at last, the Coledale Inn (garden only because of C19), for a pint of Tractor Shed Mowdy Pale and a soda water and lime.

Cycle pootle to the Kirkstile Inn

A short trip during T’s CFS-like illness.

Route: leaving the cottage and cycling to the mid-Lorton crossroads, turning left for Hopebeck rising gently and then descending to the main road. Turning left towards Buttermere to turn right and look at the recently-for-sale Turner Howe Farm. Turning left past Scale Hill to follow the more minor roads to the south of the direct route to reach the Kirkstile Inn over the bridge. Returning via the Thackthwaite road.

Conditions: mild and cloudy with occasional light breeze.

Pub: the busy (before noon) garden of the Kirkstile Inn (because of C19) for Cumbrian Legendary Ales’ Loweswater Gold and a shared, rather modest portion of fish and chips (£12 as usual) from a box.

Brackenthwaite Hows saunter

A very gentle aimless 6km saunter pausing to look at, and listen to, Nature. 

Route: leaving the car at the Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park and walking up Robin’s Steps towards the summit of Brackenthwaite Hows but taking, for the first time, a path to the right underneath it. then turning left up to the summit and wandering pathless east but doubling back on a faint path through gorse, disturbing a pair of deer as we did so. Descending to Lanthwaite Wood and continuing round to near the Boat House and thence to the weir. To the pump house and along Park Bridge, detouring up a little mound south of the Beck to sit on an impressive rock. Then by quiet road to Muncaster House and back to the pump house and back to the car along the river.

Conditions: Again cold air but warm in the bright sun and still conditions. 

Pub: Bottles of Cumbrian Legendary Ales Loweswater Gold and Thornebridge Big Easy at the cottage.

Rannerdale Knotts

A very slow 7km ascent with much resting and groaning from T, part way through his recuperation.

Route: from the National Trust car park (free for members) heading on the lower of two obvious paths uphill and then bending left to pass Grassgarth Coppice on a scratchy-dead-bracken-riddled path, slowly descending to meet the path climbing to the low shoulder under Rannerdale Knotts. Taking a steeper shortcut diagonal path to reach the main, sometimes stepped, path to the summit. Then descending the ridge to the saddle. Here heading off paths to find a shortcut to the outward path above Grassgarth Coppice and finding merely very sketchy sheep tracks. Eventually descending to the lake shore to follow the normal path back to Syke Farm Campsite but keeping to the lakeshore to circumnavigate Nether How, enter the village and source pies at the Syke Farm Tea Room and then back to the car.

Conditions: Although a cool air temperature (~5C) warm in the bright sun and absence of breeze.

Pub? Bottled Coniston Infinity IPA and Sainsbury's low alcohol Apple Cider at the cottage.

Whiteside Pike

A tiny 5km stroll on Easter Day as part of T’s recuperation.

Route: leaving the car on the dead-end tarmaced road to Plough Farm off the A6 and parking where work on bridge repairs had made space for 2-3 cars (at least while building work was not taking place). Heading along the road to Mosergh Farm, turning right onto the footpath on a track heading north. Keeping straight where the map shows the path turning left to a complicated sheep fold/set of gates to enter Right to Roam land. Following a fairly obvious path tending towards the visible summit but then bending round it to the west/left to reach the summit. Then along the higher ground to the east, over various intriguing outcrops and hillocks towards, but not reaching, a cairn over the wall. Then picking a route back to the sheepfold and hence the outward route.

Conditions: 10C, warm in the sun but cool when it clouded over or the wind got up.

Pub? C19 so bottled Greene King Abbot Ale and Appleby Brewery Senior Moment at home.

Scout Scar potter

A tiny 4km stroll, the first time Tim had been outside (without the Asda shopping list) since New Year’s Day and the start of his nervous breakdown.

Route: leaving the car at the usual Scout Scar parking space and proceeding on the lowest path right and north bending up by the wall to the Gate in the Corner and then to the first cairn. Back south on the right hand side of the wall to the gate beyond Pook’s Peak, through that then diverting up from the Green Track to cross over the higher spur. Continuing north (bushwhacking) past the end of the path in the overgrown valley and climbing onto the escarpment to take the normal route between ant hills back to the start.

Conditions: Some sun and cloud at 11C but still amazing views (‘one of the finest viewpoints in Britain’, Harry Griffin, The Guardian).

Pub? C19 so Thornbridge Jaipur and Small Beer Lager at Thornton Towers