A pilgrimage to the Isel Road play area

A 5.5km run to justify pre-lunch pint after a longer run on the previous day.

Route: leaving the car in the Kirkgate car and crossing Kirkgate, the next car park and the footbridge to run along the bank of the Cocker to the dilapidated wooden steps up to the Greenway. Running along this past the cemetery to take a left, just before the new road bridge, across Bitter Beck to Casshow Way. At the end of the road, turning left along an informal path slightly uphill behind the houses to a sign pointing right to Slate Fell. Then across fields to a broken stile to join a level lateral path across a field and then down a track beside the Wyndham Hall caravan park track to the Cockermouth–Embleton road.

There turning left to run down past Cockermouth School on Castlegate Drive, looking for a path inbetween the school and Beech Lane but, finding none, taking Beech Lane and turning right at the end to find the Isel Road play area (swings and short loop of woodland path). 

Returning along Isel Road, doglegging left-right through the sports centre (stopping to climb Tute Hill for a view of All Saints) and across St Mary’s Road to cross a footbridge into the grassy area behind the Kirkgate car park and thus back to the car.

Conditions: cool, perhaps 16C and cloudy.

Pub: the Cock and Bull, Cockermouth, for Cumbria Ales Loweswater Gold and Coniston Bluebird.

Circuit of Swinside

A 9km late Saturday morning run, the longest since both of us broke bones. 

Route: leaving the car in the Coledale Inn car park (with permission) and descending to the centre of the village by a footpath and then along the B5292 to cross the A66 onto the older road to Newlands Beck Bridge. 

Turning left on an indistinct grassy path round the remains of a wall and then through a gate onto a track back down to the A66. Dog-legging left-right to take the road into Portinscale but almost immediately turning right onto a private road past substantial houses to turn right to rejoin the c-road. Then, just past Nichol End, forking up left onto the Cumbria Way, walking the uphill, to cross Fawe Park and follow on through the wide path, through the woods, past Lingholm and eventually turn right on the drive of Hawse End Outdoor Centre. 

At its end, turning north (right) along c-road uphill from the closed Swinside Lodge Hotel, turning left at the road junction to contour round west-southwest to the Swinside Inn. Running down the road to the left of the pub leading to Stair, and then forking right onto a path descending to Newlands Beck. 

As the charming beckside path remains closed (since 2021: the bank being in a dangerous state), then crossing the beck and rising past Uzzicar to the road under Barrow. After about 300m, taking the narrow, rising diagonal footpath through the bracken up to the summit, and then running along and down to Braithwaite Lodge, on to the village shop and then back (unusually following the road that bends steeply up direct to the Coledale Inn at this point).

Conditions: 17C, cloudy but weak sun in the pub. 

Pub: the Coledale Inn for Corby Blonde and Bowness Bay Fell Walker. 

Circuit from Cockermouth along the Cocker from Simonscales

A 5km run before a 6pm Friday beer in Cockermouth.

Route: leaving the car in the Kirkgate carpark and crossing Kirkgate, the next car park and the footbridge to run along the bank of the Cocker to the dilapidated wooden steps up to the Green Way.

Running along this to enter the cemetery and exit opposite the rectory and then doglegging left right across Lorton Road to head up Vicarage Lane (the most gradual ascent). Then left on Simonscales Lane, over the brow of the hill and down, over the A66, onto a gravel track towards Simonscales Mill. 

Following the bank of the Cocker, briefly befriended by an apparently ownerless dog, to cross the footbridge at Double Mills and run down the river to meet the outward route.

Conditions: cloudy with hints of sun.

Pub: the Crooked River Beer Shop Cockermough for ** and (5.2%) DDH Pale outside in the evening sun.

Grune Point

A surprisingly arduous 7km run along the flat, perhaps hard because the 6th run in 6 days.

Route: leaving the car in a two car lay-by (GR119 554) identified via a satellite view on the road between Silloth  and Skinburness and heading north east, almost immediately diverging from the road on a path marked England Coast Path between coastal defences by the sea and the gardens of houses. Heading inland from a few houses built right on the sea and then back on sandy/grassy path beside fields, later of corn. Where the coastal path bends right, keeping on, ignoring a sign, to Grune Point, trending left on paths through the grass to reach the very end. 

Then returning to a cairn built on a defensive pillbox and on a broad stony track heading south west to the outskirts of Skinburness. Turning left off the coast path to follow an overgrown track, bearing left into a field of curious cows, across a rickety overgrown footbridge and then across a field, disturbing two hares to the caravan site at East Cote Farm, to the road and right/north back to the car.

Conditions: 21C and surprisingly hot in direct, unshaded sun.

Pub: the Balmoral Hotel Silloth for Inch’s Medium Apple Cider. 

Criss-crossing Wythop Valley 6km run

A third (5.7km) run in a row on a damp lunchtime.

Route: leaving the car at the informal parking area near Brumston Bridge and running up the track towards Kelswick and then right (for the first time) on a grassy (invisible) path downhill, over a footbridge and then trending left to reach a gate onto the road at Old Scales. Turning left for 400m and then left on another new path across two gates and then a slightly overgrown 50m to reach the familiar path in Chapel Wood. 

Heading slowly up hill for 1km to turn right parallel to windblown small trees, past a pond and then right at a junction along a straight straight gently downhill. Then joining the road, which proved unexpectedly uphill, back past Old Scales and then eventually downhill to Eskin, right downhill and then a final 100m section up hill to the car.

Conditions: a day of light rain but mainly running in the dry with just a bit of drizzle on the return.

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, for Lakes and Dales Bitter.

Braithwaite to Thornthwaite and Knott Head

A 6km run on a fine August late-Saturday morning.

Route: leaving the car just opposite the Coledale Inn and descending the snicket opposite the Orthodox Church and then across the bridge to turn left up Whinlatter Pass and immediately right on a path past the Hope Memorial Camp and then along the path to the left running laterally north. Running through a number of gates on a narrow path with views of Skiddaw to the right. Then a small ascent to the left and then descent to cross a track and proceed in the same direction on another track to Seldom Seen above Thornthwaite. 

Here turning left, often at a walk for the next 1km, on first the road past the last house and then a path through the forestry plantation with Comb Beck to the left. On reaching a gravel forest road, turning left to cross the stream and swing back north, east and then south again with wide views of Skiddaw, rising gradually to meet the Whinlatter Pass. 

Running down the pass to Knott Head and taking a gravel track left, back down towards Hallgarth and turning right on the outward path, staying right through the Hope Camp and joining the road again briefly a little higher up. Back to the pub. 

Conditions: 18C, sunny and warm.

Pub: Coledale Inn for Great Corby Corby Blonde and Lakes and Dales Bitter.

Slate Fell 6km run

A 6km late afternoon/early evening run back in town.

Route: leaving the car at the Kirkgate Centre and exiting to the rear to run along Melbreak and Thirlmere Avenues and Windmill Lane and Bellbrigg Lonning to join and head east on the Greenway, left across Bitter Beck to Casshow Way. 

At the end of the road, turning left along an informal path slightly uphill behind the houses to a sign pointing right to Slate Fell. Then across fields, slowly uphill, walking about 100m then running again eventually going left through a gate into the adjacent field and then, just over a stile, as the path starts to descend, right off the path to get to the summit. 

Descending across fields to enter Brick Kiln Wood and here missing the main path, veering right, to go anti-clockwise round the gorge edge and end up on the ver very edge of the wood to the right/north, crossing the stream on an unfamiliar set of stepping stones and arriving earlier onto the main road before the road to the golf course joins. 

Then left on St Helen’s Street and turning left to cross the footbridge into the small park behind the Kirkgate Centre, forking left to go round the Bitter End to add some length and then back to the car.

Conditions: a warm sunny evening.

Pub: Jennings Brewery for Captain Jack’s Marra and then the Castle Bar for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold and Ennerdale Summer Lovin’.