Circit from Mawbray Sands via Beckfoot and Newtown

An accidentally extended 7.5km walk as therapy for T's broken ankle.

Route: leaving the car at the Mawbray Sands parking area (full!) and heading weast to the shore and after a bit of walking on the edge of the beath, heading a little inland and then north along a grassy path later joining the King Charles III Coastal Path and following this (bit narrow and overgrown in places) along the edge of the shore/just inside the road to opposite Beckfoot Farm. 

Crossing the road intending to take a foot path (over a stile a few feet up an awkward grassy bank) but finding impassable nettles. So trespassing through the farm yard to pick up the path at a gate intending to take the path to Nook but finding a footbridge led into impassable nettles so taking another path towards Mawbray Hayrigg. Just managing to cross a broken bridge, broken stile and squeeze through a hedge but blocked at the next hedge and stile. So heading north along the field edge to meet a bridle way from Beckfoot and following this to the c-road. With a half memory of the other footpaths being blocked on a previous attempt sticking tediously to roads through Newtown, past Nook and back to Mawbraw Sands and following a path further east than normal back to the start.

Conditions: a cool breeze at the coast. Later some spots of heavy rain.

Pub: the Lowther Arms, Mawbray, for Rooster IPA.

Ravenstone Manor Hotel to St Bega's church

A 4.5km recuperative evening walk for T's broken ankle.

Route: cheekily leaving the car in a rather full car park of the Ravenstone Manor Hotel and existing on the southern drive to turn immediately onto a path running south, parallel with the (A591) road, to the Old Sawmill. Across the A591 to take a path round Mire House and across fields on a track to St Bega's church. Then continuing north east across a c-road and rising slowly back to the road and the hotel.

Conditions: after a week of hot weather, merely a warm cloudy evening with hints of sun.

Pub: Ravenstone Manor Hotel for expensive pints of Corby Blonde.

Embleton and Seacross Lonning

A short 4.5km walk: the first for T since his broken ankle.

Route: leaving the car parked at the Embleton Spa Hotel and crossing the A66 to turn right on a farm track (and briefly talk to the owner of the farm shop) near High Netherscale. Then taking an unmarked left turn across a footbridge and clearly unused route to the corner of a field but then spotting a clear sign 100m further west (suggesting the correct route continued along the drive of the house at High Netherscale). 

Turning left on 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. Turning right and following this, past Belted Galloways to the road and west almost as far as the church before turning right to cross two fields and then back along the road from Lambfoot to Embleton.

Conditions: day four of a hot period (elsewhere breaking temperature records for May Bank Holiday).

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

Rogerscale with Mirk Lane epicycle

A 15.5km cycle trip to revive the Bad Boy (L only) on a perfect late spring morning.

Route: Cycling from the cottages north and out of the valley to Hundith Hill (four lane ends crossroads) and turning left down to Southwaite. Bending round back up past the farm to the Rogerscale corner and then turning left down to Sandybeck Nature Reserve. Pausing there for photos and then deciding to turn right and check out the condition of Mirk Lane (grass in the middle as ever) and turn right at the end up to rejoin the Paddle Road.

There pausing for more photos and turning right, back to the Rogerscale turning and this time following down, over the bridge over the beck and up to High Barn (to deliver the cat sitting key) and cycle on down to the Cocker at Low Lorton and back up through the village, past the school and Boon Beck (families paddling) back home.

Conditions: Hot sun with only the gentlest of breezes, loud sheep and birdsong everywhere

Pub? Elderflower cordial back at the cottage and, much later, beer at the Mason’s Arms, Gilcrux with Tim, Steve, Kathryn and Alex (it being Bank Holiday Monday)

High Swinside road from Boon Beck stile

A sunny Bank Holiday Saturday afternoon 6.5km run (L only, T still broken) - the first in exactly a month!

Route: Leaving Midtown Cottages to run along the road and over the bridge to Boon Beck and taking the stile on the right past Boon Beck fold to run across fields, first over Whit Beck and then across the little bridge over the next beck. There encountering a wire across the onward footpath route and turning right down the track down from Scales to join the lane up to Low Swinside.

Running along and through the farmyard and on to the lane and then footpath leading across three fields to the Hopebeck Road.

Turning left onto the road and running along to cross Hope Beck and turn up left at the junction and run up the gated road to above Low Swinside and on to the copse above Blaze Beck.

There forking back to run back down to Boon Beck, stopping above Scales and diverting 50 yards to the left to inspect the ‘watering place erected by WL and Frances Alexander in the year of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, 1887’, across the bridge and back to the cottages.

Conditions: Beautifully warm and sunny (but not quite the ‘heatwave’ hitting the south of England) and largely dry under foot

Pub? As soon as humanly possible, Jennings Cocker Hoop, with Tim, at the Brewery.

High Swinside (by road) and Low Swinside loop

A very slow 7km shuffle in hot sunshine to redeem a bleak day (L only)

Route: Leaving the cottage and running down to Boon Beck and up the road, past Scales, first for a break on the bench on the left at the brow and then on to the top above Blaze Beck where the High Swinside road comes in. Turning sharply back round the copse to run up along and down the gated road under Swinside, above High Swinside Farm, down past the Hope to Hopegill Farm and turning right at that junction.

Running down this road until a bend with a farm gate on the right and a series of footpaths leading directly northwest across fields to Low Swinside. At the wide muddy area before the farm buildings going through the gate to the left to cut across two more fields and reach the gate onto the lane after the buildings.

There turning left and running down to High Mill barn and High Mill and shortly afterwards stopping to sit on the bench on the right in blazing sun and recover a bit. Carrying on down the lane to High Lorton, turning right past Yew Tree Hall and back round to Midtown.

Conditions: Almost completely dry and hot sun even at 7pm after an exceptionally sunny spring day

Pub? A couple of shots of red wine at supper with T, celebrating 3 weeks since breaking his fibula

Great Clifton and back by bike

Inaugural 19-mile cycle commute from Lorton to Great Clifton (L) on a sunny Monday. 

Route: from Midtown out north to 4-lanes end (Hundith Hill) and there left and down to Southwaite bridge and on up to Paddle School. Across the A5086 and up Hotchberry Brow and straight on through Eaglesfield, turning right at the end of the village towards Brigham and taking the first left forking to Greysouthen.  

Reaching Greysouthen and turning right on Main Street to cycle through the village and turn left at the end, down past the village hall and out of the village, bending right at the junction, northwest and up to the Brigham-Bridgefoot road. There turning left to dip down and up through Bridgefoot and, on Chapel Brow, take the cycle path to the A66 roundabout and follow round to exit towards Great Clifton.

In Great Clifton, having meetings at the Old Ginn House, Low Middlegate Farm and Witsend before cycling back.

On the way back, taking a left turn just before Hotchberry Brow to detour past John Dalton House and then bend back to HB. Also turning right off the Paddle-Southwaite Road to return through Rogerscale, down to Lorton Bridge and home via Lorton School, Village School and Yew Tree Hall.

Conditions: bright warm sunshine all day, but with a chill in the wind on the bike

Pub: An hour or two later, the Wheatsheaf, Lorton, with T, for Black Sheep Bitter