Skipton Castle Woods

A tiny, but worthwhile, 2km walk along the canal into the woods and back on a wet early autumn day.

Route: starting from outside the Castle Inn, in an attempt to delay a final pint, and walking west to take the steep stairs south onto the canal tow path, under the road and along the tow path overshadowed by the castle to the right, with a much lower stream to the left. The path becoming a narrow fenced raised walkway between two water courses, following this until it turned left across a footbridge and then right to enter the woods at the sawmill. Following an obvious broad track in surprising gloom for 1:30pm to reach Round Dam and looping round this, gaining height, to follow a track at the edge of the woods eventually being forced left to join a raised pavement between the castle and the road back to the church and crossing in front of it, back to the pub.

Conditions: after heavy rain, mere drizzle but dark for daytime.

Pub: the Castle Inn, Skipton, for Theakstons Old Peculier (‘always available’)

9km run from home, via Hawes Bridge, to Kendal town centre

A solitary 9km run (L with fractured shoulder) on a sunny October day.

Route: running from the house across Strawberry Fields to cross the A65 and descend Oxenholme Lane into Natland. Taking the footpath just south of Appletree, forking south east towards Cracalt Farm, eventually crossing the path of the canal on rather a grand bridge and descending to the bank of river Kent. 

Here turning right and, in trees, continuing to Hawes Bridge (and chatting to Andy and Trudi). Continuing on the east side of the river, through trees and across fields, cutting the corner of the Roman fort to enter Kendal, cross left over Romney Bridge and follow the river as far as Mason's Arms, Yard 24, joined by Lois who had walked from home.

Conditions: 8C and sunny.

Pub: the Mason's Arms, Yard 24, Kendal for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold.  

Staveley to Mintsfeet 10km run

A contrary-to-tradition, solitary, 10km run from Staveley back to an open day at the Lakes Brewery, Kendal.

Route: taking the 11:21am (Saturday) train to Staveley and running from the station along The Banks to the main road to join the Dales Way. Following this past Haggs Bridge and the Cowan Head complex to run along a bit of road in Bowston and cross the river and keep on the Dales Way to Croppers in Burneside. 

Continuing south past Junction Cottages and then crossing to the right hand side of the road to join a path segregated from the road to reach the muddy footpath round the Carus Green golf course eventually briefly joining Burneside Road to Aikrigg Avenue. Turning left onto a muddy riverside path to reach the foot bridge and enter the industrial estate and thus to the Lakes Brewery on Mintsfeet Road South, shortly joined by Lois who had run - 7.5km - there (with 4 weeks old fractured shoulder) from home.

Conditions: initially cloudy then light rain.

Pub: the Lakes Brewery, Kendal for an open day to sample Best Bitter, Leave No Trace, What's the Buzz? Rakau Revolution and West Coast IPA.

Low Rigg from Threlkeld Old Station

A 7km walk with Pete and Claire, Lois still in sling with a fractured shoulder. A hint of autumn after a period of the last of the sunny late summer days.

Route: leaving the car at the National Park car park (~£5 for 4 hours though 2 hours would have done) at Threlkeld Old Station (ie south over the A66 from Threlkeld village), descending to cross the B5322 and heading west on the railway line to cross Threlkeld Bridge and then taking the first left, southwards on the first of many boggy paths across fields past Moss Dikes. Dog-legging right-left across a c-road along another muddy path and then turning right at the next minor road climbing slowly up to the church and youth centre in the saddle between High and Low Rigg. 

Taking a stile to the right and heading along the clear path just to the right/east of the summit of Low Rigg (T detouring to take a summit picture). After another high stone stile, descending past Tewet Tarn, dog-legging across a road to take a track through Burn’s Farm, join the road back to Threlkeld Bridge and retrace the outward route.

Conditions: some dark threatening clouds to begin, though the breeze warm, later clearing to a mix of sun and cloud.

Pub: the Horse and Farrier, Threlkeld, for Tirril Castlerigg Blonde, Poretti and a sandwich lunch.

Ambleside to Windermere 11km run

A solitary 11km linear run (L with a fractured shoulder, still).

Route: taking the 10.21am train from Oxenholme to Windermere and then the 10.45am 599 bus to Waterhead pier. Running north for 100m along the A5075 and then right along a c-road to the other main road (A591) into Ambleside. Across that road, taking an unmarked set of stone steps/very much a waterfall to reach the main track to Jenkin Crag. 

Part-way along, foolishly diverting right in search of views but losing too much altitude and thus turning left up a steep linear track (thus water eroded), at a walk, to reach Jenkin Crag. Then along familiar tracks to descend into Troutbeck, cross the A592 and ascend a stony track again at a walk, turning right on a grassy path to cut a corner and eventually reach Longmire Road. At the end of the track, descending the c-road a little to turn left through a gate on a clear path on soggy ground to Far Orrest. Thence to Crosses Farm and left along the c-road to turn right into the wood and by familiar paths under Orrest Head to Windermere and the Crafty Baa.

Conditions: cool to begin with (12C) but clear skies and sunny

Pub: the Crafty Baa, Windermere, for iffy Taylors Landlord and then a half of Snaily Pale.

Canalside run from Crooklands

A 10km run while Lois - in a sling - visited the Westmorland County Show on PTC business.

Route: leaving the car at the layby on the A65 near Millness Hill and crossing the canal to descend overgrown steps to the canal towpath - which was being resurfaced - and heading north, past the busy showground and along beyond Stainton Bridge End Bridge to what used to be the end of the filled section. Crossing back and taking the path to look at the aquifer. Then backtracking to reach a route across fields to a very overgrown, un-runnable path to a tarmac track to Commonmire. 

Following the road to reach a path heading south, climbing to Stubb Farm and then a steeply up a small hill. Descending to the village of Endmoor and crossing to descend a road and then turn right along a path parallel to Peasey Beck and stopping the run at the Crooklands Hotel, joined later by Lois. (Afterwards, walking back along the canal to the car.)

Conditions: 10C but warm in bright sun.

Pub: Crooklands Hotel, Crooklands, for Kirkby Lonsdale Monumental.

A stroll into town

A short walk into town to run an errand and try a new bar. An Outdoor Day merely because of the jeopardy of Lois falling over on her broken shoulder (in high winds and on slippery terrain at times!) while wearing a sling.

Route: from Howe Bank Close, down Blea Tarn Road, Fulmar Drive, taking the snicket to Buttermere Drive, the snicket to Tarn Close and along Hayfell Avenue to Archers Meadow. Then thorough the graveyard and past the castle across Stramongate Bridge to the bus station and via another yard to Stricklandgate (to return a bowl to Molly at Charlie's) and then to Wainwright's Yard for a beer and coffee at Elsewhere (open 3 or 4 weeks by then). Afterwards a rare bus trip home on the 41. 

Conditions: icy wind to begin with but then surprisingly warm in an autumnal way.

Pub: Elsewhere, Wainwright's Yard, Kendal for a final sample of a Hawkshead beer (Taranaki), and half of their Elsewhere Cider, after the shocking closure of the Staveley brewery the day before.