Brackenthwaite Hows early morning 5km run

An 8am run before expected heat and crowds.

Route: leaving the car in the Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park (one-third full at 8:15am) and taking the steep shortcut to reach the start of the small path up Roger’s Steps to the summit plateau of Brackenthwaite Hows. Descending south and picking up the path within the wood by its eastern wall to join the small path descending to the boat house. Thence round the lake as far as the pumping station where turning right to run along the banks of Park Beck to Park Bridge. Thence, turning right along the road to the start.

Conditions: already warm in the sun.

Pub? Later for lunch with Rosemary and Si, the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold and Pinnacle Pale.

Circuit from Mawbray Sands via Beckfoot and Newtown

A 9km flat run on a warm day, accidentally forced more onto roads (by path conditions) than intended.

Route: leaving the car at the Mawbray Sands parking area (almost full!) and heading north, a bit inland to pass the tadpole-rich toad-spawning ponds (Galloway cows in evidence) but joining the King Charles III Coastal Path a little further north and following this (bit narrow and overgrown in places) along the edge of the shore/just inside the road to Beckfoot. Crossing the road to join a bridleway, initially a track but later simply a theoretical route across a field of (allergy-inducing) long grass. Finding the planned exit due west to Beckfoot Farm impassable (nettles, broken bridge, fences to be climbed) walking through the grass to exit onto a c-road. Spurning the continuing path (again because of little sign of an actual path) and taking the road through Newtown to the start of another potential path to find, again, no sign of a path and thus staying on the road round to Mawbray, past the pub and back to the start.

Conditions: quite hot and without much breeze (too hot for T at this point in the year).

Pub: the Lowther Arms, Mawbray, for Corby Ale.

11km run from Burneside to Staveley

A solitary 11km run from Burneside to Staveley but starting by heading east on the Dales Way.

Route: talking the 10:21am train to Burneside and heading south on the main road and then left on New Road and Hall Road to a road junction. Dog-legging right-left still on roads, and on the route of the Dales Way (east), turning right off the c-road through Tenement Farm and Sprint Mill, crossing a small footbridge and then a larger bridge over the River Sprint. Continuing on the Dales Way until, shortly before reaching Burton House, turning left to cross a field and join a track near Coppice Howe Farm and then across another field, down into a small valley and along to join the c-road at Gurnal Bridge. 

Leaving the road onto a track near Beecham Bank and along across fields to Braban House and then on familiar muddy paths to the c-road that rises to become the Potter Fell road. Taking the path past Mirefoot uphill and then down an overgrown path to Hundhowe and then dog-legging right-left across the c-road onto a track to reach and cross Hagg Bridge and then follow the Dales Way, again, along the river to Staveley and the Eagle and Child.

Conditions: cloudy and humid but none of the forecast rain.

Pub: the Eagle and Child, Staveley, for Barngates Brathay Gold.

11km east of Oxenholme

An 11km solitary (L at a training day in Preston) expedition which began as a slow run but quickly became a walk in the unexpected heat and airlessness.

Route: from the house running uphill to the Station Inn and then left on Paddy Lane to the second footpath on the right, heading almost parallel with the road through an inquisitive herd of cows. Across fields and through some gates to Hayfellside and beyond this to Windy Hill Farm to join a track to the right downhill and then across fields to the lane. Turning right on the c-road downhill to Beehive Bridge and then doglegging left-right onto a track and an immediate left on an uphill overgrown path near Strickley, descending to a shoe-filling watery marsh. From Blease Hall across across fields, now running rather slowly, to Bleasehall Wood and then abandoning all attempts at running to cross fields and a bridge to Stang. Here, for the first time, taking the second path to the right  to Helm End and ascending the Helm at a walk. Descending, ignoring the northerly second summit, and returning through the station home.

Conditions: hot (20C), sunny and without a breeze.

Pub? too early even for the Station Inn.

Rannerdale Knotts and bluebells (10km run)

A 10km run to see the bluebells on the Tuesday after the first May bank holiday.

Route: leaving the car at the car park for Grasmoor at Lanthwaite Green Farm and taking the better path slightly north and east, to avoid directly crossing marshier ground, to gain the higher lateral path below Grasmoor. Running along this descending at the end to near the first car park, crossing the stream and continuing to the bluebell area. Stopping here to take photographs of bluebells at their peak. Then continuing part way up Rannerdale to reach the footbridge to cross the stream and walk round the end of the Knotts to take the pitched path (gaining 255m altitude) from the road to the summit of Rannerdale Knotts. Running along the summit ridge to the end and then turning left to the gradual descent into Rannerdale again reaching the bluebells and continuing to the car park and across the road. Turning right to take the upper path just inside the wall dividing it from the road to its end at some trees and then running slowly for 300m along the road to the car park.

Conditions: initial sun though none for bluebell photography. Then cloudy and humid but the threatened rain not arriving.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater, for a quiet noon pint of Esthwaite Bitter.

Braithwaite to Portinscale via Bog House

An 11km run on marshy ground made more difficult by an outage of the OS mapping app.

Route: leaving the car near the Coledale Inn and crossing the Buddhist bridge to Hope Camp and continuing along the level track to Thornthwaite, turning right to descend by a stream to cross both valley roads. Turning right on the A66 to find a stile with a sign implying the removal of the Bog House bridge but continuing all the same and taking a farm bridge closer to Bassenthwaite and then heading south on the east side of Newlands Beck to Bog House (where it turned out that the bridge was in tact). 

Turning fully left to cross a bog - more sticky than soggy with deep mud, much churned up by horses - to reach a signpost indicating a crossing of the Allerdale Way. There continuing to the side of the River Derwent and heading south. Soon giving up on this plan, on being foiled by a branching and unbridged beck, and rejoining the Allerdale Way to How Farm. There taking a path back to the river signposted to Portinscale. Following this, under the A66 and up over High Hill (the road into Portinscale) and on by the river past the Velocity Area Station (little stone building on the far side by a weir) all the way to the footbridge on the Portinscale-Keswick path. Heading back on a road to cross the A66 and circuit Hodgson How on a grassy path to Newlands Beck Bridge and then through Braithwaite back to the start.

Conditions: cloudy and very humid with a touch of drizzle at the very end.

Pub: the Coledale Inn, Braithwaite, for Corby Blonde.

Slate Fell 6km run

A last minute 6km run on a day on which fog first thing and then drizzle and low cloud dampened ambitions

Route: Leaving the car at the Kirkgate Arts Centre, Cockermouth (free for 2 hours with a disc), and exiting at the rear across grass to join St Helen’s Street and head east, gradually gaining a bit of altitude. Roughly opposite the path to Watch Fell, taking the second path on the right to across a field, climb a stile and cross a stream on rough stepping stones (Lois slipping off and running from thereon with wet feet). Climbing very gradually on a muddy path in the narrow Brick Kiln Wood to exit onto fields and continue with Slate Fell above and on the right. After a gate taking an obvious diagonal path uphill to cross a more main track and walk uphill to the round summit of Slate Fell. Descending by a fence to the west to the main track and following this across fields to a new housing estate at the edge of Cockermouth. Taking a gravel path down to the left round the houses to a road and thus to the start of the railway footpath as far as Lorton Road and Kirkgate, finally taking a snickleway to the right to re-enter the car park from the rear.

Conditions: a tiny amount of gentle drizzle at the start. Clouds slowly rising.

Pub: the Bitter End, Cockermouth, for Tudor Brewery Sugarloaf Dark Ale and (keg) Crooked River Brewing DDH.