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 **church, 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 in 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 righter 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.

Embleton Spa and Seacross Lonning #2

A 5.5km run on iffy terrain on a damp evening.

Route: leaving the car parked at the Embleton Spa Hotel and crossing the A66 to turn right on a farm track to High Netherscale. This time, spurning the an unmarked left turn across a footbridge continuing along the drive of the house at High Netherscale, exiting via a gate to the left of the house to pass a footpath sign on the other side. Turning left across the filed and then over a stile to a gently overgrown path to bend round a smaller house to another field (marked as a track on the map, but not). Rising gently to the far corner to enter an enclosed green lane itself joining Seacross Lonning, this time rather overgrown with brambles and some nettles. 

Turning right and following this, not as far as the road this time but turning left at a sign up the edge of a field and then right on a drive (for Low and High Abbey) to a c-road. Turning left up the road and then right onto a notional path across fields, through thistles and marsh grass and a field of nervous cows. Entering the farm yard of Beck House Farm on an overgrown path to turn left up hill and the right down a familiar track to the church. Taking a path from the other side of the church yard to cross two fields and then back along the road from Lambfoot to Embleton. 

Conditions: at 6pm, a damp, drizzly evening, heaily overcast.

Pub: the Embleton Spa Hotel for Cumbrian Ales, Loweswater Gold