Powter How

A short, 3km, stroll up a tiny hillock and to the lake shore.

Route: leaving the car in the free car park for Powter How Wood in Thornthwaite and starting an anti-clockwise loop but almost immediately spotting a steep path to the left (north) uphill. Taking this, negotiating a few fallen trees, to an obvious summit ridge with a tiny cairn to mark the actual summit. Continuing on the path in the same northerly direction, slowly descending to meet the circular path at a modest shoulder and turning right to go round the woods. Then descending left to find an underpass under the A66 to the shore of Bassenthwaite. 

Heading round the little headland and then north on a marshy and obviously recently flooded shoreline as far as the first stile left to join the path immediately alongside the A66 back to the underpass.

Experimenting by continuing along the lakeshore through two gates on what seemed a path but retreating in the face of increased marshiness and fallen trees (where to all practical purposes the route terminated). Returning to the underpass and turning right for a longer route back round the hillock to the carp ark.

Afterwards, walking a little along the road to view Swan House (the original Swan Hotel) and then down a track to a group of cottages, including Powter How B&B, turn left (north) along the path and then switch back left on the path going round Powter How to complete the circuit.

Conditions: cool and cloudy with a cold wind beside the lake.

Pub: the Coledale Inn, Braithwaite, for Corby Blonde and Keswick Thirst Run.

Keswick End-to-End via the Railway Path/Cumbria Way

Inaugural 7.5km New Year’s Eve stroll with pubs

Route: Parking halfway up Church Lane (unrestricted except during Keswick School bus times) and walking up to Crosthwaite Church (dedicated to St Kentigern) but, finding the main entrance closed, retracing our steps to Church Lane and continuing north, with the churchyard to our left, on an unmade track, as far as the railway path. 

Here crossing under the path and turning left to ascend steps to the churchyard and the path and turning left to cross the track again and follow on an increasing path, through trees, on an embankment, for about a kilometre, to Crosthwaite Road.

At the road, turning right to walk down to the Pheasant for a quick half by the roaring fire at opening time. Then continuing down the road and turning left on Brundholme Road, talking the footpath to the right of the road, bearing right and climbing up to follow a section of railway path for less than half a kilometre and then descending to the north edge of Fitz Park. 

There bending left round the leisure centre to the old station to join the crowds promenading along the railway path, heading east over Calvert’s Bridgeand over the A591. 

Descending from the path on the far side and onto a snickleway behind the roadside houses and turning up to slip into the beer garden of the Twa Dogs pubs - but returning on finding no hand-pulled beer on to tempt us in. 

Back at the railway path, crossing underneath it towards St Herbert’s Primary School. Walking round the school and doglegging across Trinity Way and Windebrowe Avenue to reach a deserted circular parking and play area and a gate onto field - unfortunately padlocked!

Thrice thwarted, turning back across the open area and taking another snickleway bearing left to make our way slowly uphill through the estate onto Brandlehow Crescent and Manesty View to Manesty House, turning downhill on a path cutting round left to join Manor Brow.

Once on Manor Brow turning right to walk down to, and cross through, the vicarage/bishop’s house driveway and St John’s Churchyard to the lane leading left and down to Borrowdale Road and, finally, right to walk down to the Wainwright.

After a second drink, walking along Lake Road and Market Place to Booths and the Coop, and then taking the Cumbria Way for less than half a kilometre, through ‘the Hadrows’ to Stormwater Bridge and the road leading back up to the B5289. At the road, doglegging across to follow a footpath round to the left of the ‘new’ detached house (Quinta) and along beside fields to the church music centre and the church itself to return to the car.

Conditions: Rising from 2C with very occasional patches of frozen ground and ice, with a slight breeze towards the end and a light smattering of rain, otherwise grey and settled but with high cloud and all the tops visible.

Pub?: Theakstons Old Peculier at the Pheasant (first stop) and Fell Tinderbox and Strands Brewery IPA at the Wainwright (by happy coincidence joining Maddie and Rob beside the fire).

Sale Fell (Christmas 2025)

A 5km walk with Anne and Frank.

Route: leaving the car at St Margaret’s Church, Wythop, walking in through the left-hand lych gate and across the churchyard to the gate to the left and crossing laterally to a path junction. Turning right there to follow a gentle stream of people heading uphill to the right and then round the hill gaining ground slowly towards the west. At the end of the ridge (level with a wall) turning left uphill on gradually emptying paths to the top. 

Ambling down from the summit towards Bassenthwaite with views of the Dodd and Ullock Pike, to a subsidiary summit and then bearing left to Lothwaite to descend on a large clear grassy path between bracken to cross the stream (Routenbeck?), turn right through the gate and follow the narrow path down the initial path junction and bench, and across to the churchyard.

Conditions: Cool with cloud over Skiddaw and the Solway but otherwise pretty clear views and a little breeze at the very top.

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, for Bowness Brewery Swan Blonde, Jennings Castle Bitter and lunch.

Circuit of Grasmere (lake)

A meditative (but also deeply discursive) stroll with Gabi in the Christmas break

Route: Leaving Freda + Ray on Red Lion Square and following the road winding down past the Gingerbread Shop to Red Bank Road. Following that road for about a mile (admiring the shimmering icy moss on the wall-tops), rising slowly uphill, to the footpath down to the lake shore. 

Then walking along the lakeshore path, slowly, stopping to let people and dogs pass and enjoy the sunshine and shadows on the lake, black branches etched against them. Arriving at the footbridge at the far end, crossing that (still slippy with frost at almost-midday), following a path around the little headland and back up to the road. 

Walking along the roadside back to the village, turning in along Stock Lane and back to Freda + Ray.

Conditions: Bright, still and frosty (but no snow visible on the tops) - and warm in the sunshine.

Pub? Back to Freda + Ray for coffee (and flapjack for L)

Aysgarth to West Witton along the River Ure

An 8km damp stroll with Angie and Alistair, the day before T’s 60th birthday, staying at the Aysgarth Falls Hotel.

Route: leaving the hotel and walking down Church Bank to admire the waterfalls, in spate, and then back up some steps to the church, joined by A&A. After looking at the church, continuing east on a footpath across fields, rising and falling with the landscape but generally staying some height above the River Ure before briefly joining the A684 to use a road bridge to cross a stream and then return to the riverside. Pausing to examine the submerged stepping stones before crossing back across sodden fields to join a track heading back to the road but diverting left on a footpath to arrive in West Witton along a narrow snicket.

Conditions: a constant threat of rain but only really a short shower near the end.

Pub: the Fox, West Witton, for Yorkshire Dales Brewery Askrigg Ale and Bainbridge Blonde and lunch.

Binsey

A 5km stroll on a glorious sunny day with views of snow on the hills.

Route: leaving the car at the obvious Binsey car parking area to its south east and walking carefully along the ungritted road to Fell End Farm. Taking a snowy footpath to the right, diagonally uphill across a field and then guessing when to zigzag back left (north) joining a clearer track (disturbing a hare) through what had been a gate in a fence or hedge and then diverting from it directly uphill to a hand gate. 

Turning left on a series of faint snowy footpaths contouring round the hill until, eventually, we passed a more established path rising uphill. Following this onto the shoulder of the hill to meet the familiar path from the north and along this to the summit. Descending at some speed on the direct route back to the car.

Conditions: just above freezing point, bright sun and cold with snow (and ice on the road) under foot.

Pub: the Sun Inn, Bassenthwaite (village), for Wychwood Hobgoblin Gold.

The Dodd (ie Skiddaw’s)

A 9.5km walk on a gorgeous sunny but suddenly cold November day.

Route: leaving the car at the Ravenstone Manor Hotel and walking along the permissive path parallel to the A591 south to the Dodd Wood car park. After a bit of confusion, crossing the beck on a bridge and following a clear marked (in green as the Dodd Summit trail) path, climbing first above the stream (to our left) and then right on a track and left uphill onto a balcony path through trees to the west of the Dodd (above the osprey viewpoint path). At a junction to the south of the Dodd, turning left on a winding path to the summit. 

Returning to that junction and turning left (east) to descend into the saddle between the Dodd and Carlside and descending the valley, northwards, on the left of the stream (Skill Beck) until signed (green still) to turn sharply back right to another footbridge and across a metalled track onto another balcony path through trees, gaining a surprising amount of height but staying on a marked route (now yellow for the Sandbed Gill trail) through dark forest and eventually 50m beyond where the Sandbed Gill trail turned south, turning sharp left down a steep and leafy path to the back gate of the hotel.

Conditions: bright sun but a chilly 4C especially when out of the sun and in a breeze.

Pub: the Ravenstone Manor Hotel for Corby Blonde.