The fell road north of Fellbarrow and Mirk Lane

A 7km run interrupted by 1km of impassable overgrown green lane.

Route: leaving the car (with Rosemary’s permission) in High Rogerscale and heading uphill and south to the start of a green lane to the right heading south gaining ground to High Bank, the way being partly blocked in four places by fallen trees and wet and marshy under foot. Turning right on the fell road (at 0.8km) and maintaining a running pace to the highest point (at the 2km mark). 

Descending passing a sign to the left onto the fell to reach a sign right, down hill on an enclosed green lane. This being very overgrown with brambles and nettles and then later wet and marshy, making very slow progress. Eventually breaking out to the left over a gate into a field and descending to a gate back onto the road down through Toddell Bridge and up again to turn right onto Mirk Lane. Running along this at some speed (in sheer relief) to Sandybeck Bridge and then right back to the start.

Conditions: a grey and gloomy late autumn afternoon.

Pub? having cashed the Punch Bowl at Great Broughton earlier, merely Sunday evening drinks at home starting with a can of Bootneck Brewery Corps Cider Tango-4.

7km circuit above and beside the north of Thirlmere

A 6.5km attempted run, though much of the first half had to be walked because of the unforgiving terrain.

Route: leaving the car on a short stretch of disused road where the B5322 joins the A591 and running a little back along the former, turning right along a track and then right again through a gate, now walking steeply uphill on a grassy and marshy path. At a junction, turning right to start to contour (roughly, though still gaining height, above a wall). The path being the unofficial course of many streams and also very muddy in part, progressing slowly, often at a walk, eventually crossing Fisherplace Gill on a footbridge. Thereafter, the path becoming a narrow line of rocks partly hidden by bracken crossing a slope, thus making running impossible. Progressing instead at a slow careful walk before descending to the Swirls carpark.

Crossing under the A591 and descending to a path close to but mainly shrouded by trees from Thirlmere and making good speed on an easy gravel surface. After Dalehead Hall (invisible, too), the path moving away from the lake and with some steeper (thus walked) sections. Bearing right, uphill and round Great How and then downhill to cross and run south along the A591 back to the start.

Conditions: 13C but warm in bright sun (sometimes hidden by clouds). Very wet and marshy under foot.

Pub: the King's Head, Thirlspot, for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold.

Brackenthwaite Hows 4km stroll

A 4km walk with Pete Taylor on a wet October day.

Route: leaving the car in the Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park (almost empty on a wet October Friday at 11am) and taking the longer zigzag to the start of the small path up Robin’s Steps towards the summit plateau of Brackenthwaite Hows. But giving up on a summit ascent to take the narrow muddy path to the right, just before the deer gate, to meet the path exiting the summit plateau to the south and down to the shoulder. 

Here turning sharp right on the wider path, gradually descending back towards the car park but taking a shortcut left to turn left again on the main path from the car park to the lake. Then round the shore as far as the pumping station where turning right along the banks of Park Beck to Park Bridge. Thence, left along the road to an empty Kirkstile Inn for lunch.

Conditions: on a day forecast for constant rain, a largely dry interlude with a brief shower towards the end.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold, Esthwaite Bitter and Buttermere Beauty and lunch.

A short stroll to La Mass and Le Junies

A 6km stroll to look at two churches while staying with Andrea Higginson just north of Castelfranc.

Route: leaving Andrea’s house and walking up the very quiet road (even more so than normal as blocked to the south by roadworks) to the north surrounded by trees and with a flat valley bottom to the left/west to La Masse. There, finding the key to the church (St-Perduelphe) hidden beneath a bell on a neighbouring house (guided by a sign on the church door) for a thorough viewing of the church interior.

Continuing on the road to the west of the valley, pausing briefly to look at the footbridge to the convent, as far as Les Junies, crossing the river, and then returning to the church (St-Pierre-es-liens) at the convent, locating the key on the terrace of a neighbouring house, and then filling the road on the east side back to the house.

Conditions: initially cool air (probably 16C) but warm in the sun before the main heat of the day (forecast to reach 29C).

Pub? cans of  Kings Beau chez Andrea.

Feix to La Tour Blanche and back

A swift early evening 7km stride to walk off a delicious substantial lunch.

Route: from Mike and Dianne’s house in Feix, heading west along the road to a field of solar panels and turning right onto a grassy track through the woods, more or less straight except for a slight wiggle, crossing La Rue du Cheval Blanc and continuing slightly downhill initially past a path crossroads and evidence of a small quarry eventually with views of the town ahead and to the left to emerge on a road. Doglegging right and left to rise into a very quiet town centre and walking to the church and back checking that no bar was, by chance, open. 

Returning on the main road south towards Feraillou but taking the strange exit for the Route du Cheval Blanc, ignoring a left turn, and continuing to a path heading at an oblique angle north eventually meeting the path crossroads and returning on the outward route.

Conditions: warm, 24C after a hotter day, but with less heat in the evening sun.

Pub? 

A pre-breakfast stroll to Les Farges and Feraillou

A quick 5km stroll on empty roads while starting with Mike and Dianne Armer at Feix.

Route: from Mike and Dianne’s house at Feix, heading west, gently uphill on the road past wide fields, widely spread houses, woods (spotting a single shy deer) and some barking dogs. Then downwards among trees before rising to a five-way junction at the tiny hamlet of Les Farges. 

Turning sharp left and gently descending before entering trees with, in principle a quarry invisibly to the left through trees, passing under a quarry road bridge (the tress coated in dust) before turning left uphill at the edge of Feraillou, past a newly erected cross and back along the narrow road to the start (seeing another deer gallop away across a field).

Conditions: sunny and still but before the heat of the day (13C air temperature at the start rising to low 20s by 10am and later 27C).

Pub? Breakfast then a delicious formal lunch at Moulin du Pont, Lisle, with aperitifs and wines of the country.

A stroll from Feix to Feraillou and back

A 4km stroll with Dianne from Feix staying in their cottage for three nights (before it is sold).

Route: leaving the cottage and walking 1km east south east down an empty road with a quarry notionally to the right to the village of Feraillou. Stopping to pay a social call and return a bottle stopper to Jan, the owner of the Manor dit Chartreuse (C17, connected to Louis XIV). After a tour of the house, leaving Jan and dogs Poppy and ?Cookie continuing along the road, taking a small lane on the left after a children’s play park, past yapping dogs with gîtes/farmhouses on the left and land opening on the right. At the end of the commune turning left on a narrow path through the Bois de Halas, crossing the ‘Great White Way’ (Rue du Cheval Blanc) for a further loop to the north. Then back across the road to follow a track back through forest to a road from Verteillac back to Feix (Rue de Chantepoule) and following this back to the house.

Conditions: after a surprising cool 13C morning, sunny, hot and still.

Pub? G&T and Ricard as aperitifs and then a rough red of the country chez les Armers.