Easdale Tarn

A hot near 8km walk as belated birthday walk for Froggie. T only meeting L fresh from a weekend retreat at Rydal Hall.

Route: leaving the 555 bus at the Grasmere Blacksmiths stop and crossing the road-bridge over the river Rothay to take a woodland footpath to the right to join Easdale Road. Following this to a left turn onto the stony cobbled track (tricky on a recovering ankle) to turn right over New Bridge and then left near Lancrigg onto the track up Far Easdale. 

Following this until shortly after a substantial footbridge and then turning left up a recently repaired, now stepped, path over the ridge which descends ultimately from Tarn Crag. The path becoming a series of stepping stones across marsh before a final ascent to Easdale Tarn. 

A slightly tricky crossing of the stream on stepping stones yielding access to the much busier main path to the tarn from Grasmere. Following this all the way back down Easdale Road before detouring slight right to finish on the track/drive to Allan Bank, meeting Lois there.

Conditions: 23C, bright sun and still.

Pub: Tweedies, Grasmere for Left Handed Giant, Folded Page Pale (5%) and Lakes Brewery PAL and lunch.

Late afternoon jaunt up Nab Scar from Rydal Hall

A spontaneous 4-mile detour from a trip to the ice cream van at the end of the afternoon break at the annual Readers’ Retreat at Rydal Hall (L only)

Route: Leaving the main entrance of Rydal Hall intending to walk down to the ice cream van and being lured right by the view of Nab Scar to the right. Walking up the lane to the ascent path, bending left round Hard Head Farm, and walking up the steep, stoney zigzags to the summit. Then taking the ridge route (start of the Fairfield Horseshoe) towards Lord Crag but forking left at a cairn to head down to Alcock Tarn on a clear, grassy path.

Crossing the outflow of the tarn to the south on stepping stones and turning left to join the main bridlepath momentarily before forking left off that onto a much smaller but still distinct path heading SSW. After crossing a wall at a gate, detouring off the path briefly to the left to investigate a very unusual-looking double-chambered sheepfold and returning to the path which rejoined the wall a little further on. From there following the wall, moreorless, all the way steeply down to the Coffin Route, at one stretch between two walls, with distinctive Manchester Water Company gates.

At the Coffin Route turning left and following it all the way back to Hart Head Farm and from there right and then left to turn into the grounds of Rydal Hall again.

Conditions: Blazing sunshine and hot but surprisingly few people about on this route (on a late Saturday afternoon), just c15 parapenters above Lord Crag. Largely dry underfoot with only occasional muddy patches.

Pub?: A day later, meeting Tim at Tweedie’s (see later post!)

Low level circuit of Sale Fell

A delightful impromptu Wednesday afternoon 6km walk (still on T’s recovering broken ankle).

Route: Leaving the car opposite the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, and walking slowly up the road to Routenbeck and then a diagonal left path shortly before the church, and following this to reach the western limit of Sale Fell (a low shoulder) before continuing, descending, on a narrow path to Kelswick. Continuing across a field and into Church Wood, past the remains of the old church, rising slightly, passing a line of stooped trees, and, at a narrow Y-junction, taking the rightmost fork to avoid climbing and then to enter the forestry land at a gate. 

Descending first along a track and then a gravel forest road, taking one zigzag (there being no sign of the shortcut marked (in black) on the map) but then continuing on a mapped but overgrown shortcut, steeply and muddily downhill, crossing another forest road to take another direct narrow root-crossed path, eventually reaching the garden of the pub.

Conditions: 18C and sun and thus too warm for foolishly worn black jeans.

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, for Lakes and Dales 3.8% Bitter, a first pint (for us) from a new Tebay brewery.

Buttermere 7km circuit

A 7km later afternoon / early evening walk (to help with T's broken ankle recuperation).

Route: leaving the car at the NT car park (plenty of spaces at 5pm) and setting off via Wilkinsyke Farm to circuit the lake clockwise, using the tunnel. Returning on the most direct route via the first footbridge.

Conditions: initially bright sun if still cool for June. Later clouding over.

Pub: the Buttermere Court Hotel for Tirril Buttermere Bitter.

Swinside Inn and Newlands small circuit

A near 6km walk as part of T’s broken ankle recuperation.

Route: leaving the car in the car park of the Swinside Inn around (emptying at 5pm) and walking along the road towards the foot of Catbells before turning right to Skelgill. Taking the third, lowest, footpath on a grassy track south west and then descending to cross Newlands Beck on a footbridge at Ghyll Bank and then climbing up to Rowling End Farm. 

Having exited by the farm track rather than the path, backtracking to find a narrow balcony path round into the valley of Stoneycroft Gill. Here contemplating crossing the gill in a narrow but deep ravine on a handy tree but rejecting it as foolhardy, descending instead to the road and along to Uzzicar and on paths back to the pub.

Conditions: A cloudy 16C evening but surprisingly dry.

Pub: the Swinside Inn for Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and a half of Theakstons Old Peculier.

Cockermouth stroll

A 5.5km late afternoon stroll to get T’s ankle working again.

Route: Leaving the car at the Kirkgate Centre and exiting the car park over a bridge to St Helen’s St and along this to the bridleway skirting the bottom of Slate Fell. Along this and then right to enter the new housing, crossing the bridge over Tom Rudd Beck and then along the Sustrans route to enter the graveyard and then out at the north end onto the Greenway. Along this to the bridge over the Cocker but turning left before it to walk to Double Mills, over the footbridge, and back along the banks of the Cocker, crossing the lower footbridge to the Jennings Brewery.

Conditions: dry, 15C but feeling warmer in moments of sun.

Pub: the Jennings Brewery for Cocker Hoop.

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 west to the shore and, after a bit of walking on the edge of the beach, heading a little inland and then north along a grassy path later joining the King Charles III Coastal Path and following this (a 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 farmyard to pick up the path at a gate intending to take the path to Nook but finding the footbridge led into yet more impassable nettles so taking another path towards Mawbray Hayrigg. Just managing to cross a broken bridge and broken stile and squeeze through a hedge but then being blocked at the next hedge and stile. Instead, heading north along the field edge to meet a bridleway 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 Mawbray 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 but not developing.

Pub: the Lowther Arms, Mawbray, for Rooster Easygoing Assassin IPA and a light lunch.