Route: leaving the car on the side of the dead end road at Toadpool and running north along the verge before eventually crossing the busy A591 to a footpath signed High Brundrigg. Bearing right across a field and then on boggy pathless ground to the south of a tarn to bend left, keeping a copse to the left, then right and left again round a knoll and thus onto the Crook Road. Taking the first path to the west and bending fairly sharply right to descend to a tiny bridge in the corner of a field. Then along a track towards Fell Gate Farm but turning right just before it to join a muddy track, which sadly involved wading a flooded section, to Capplerigg Lane. Then left, on familiar muddy tracks to cross a stream on a small bridge, climb to a signpost in a field and then following a narrow very muddy path to the road near Cold Harbour. Up Gamblesmire Lane to the ridge and then left to Cunswick Scar. Descending through woods, across a field to the Crook Road and then back past Bannel Head to the start.
Conditions: unexpectedly sunny but wet and boggy ground.
Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley for Hawkshead Cumbrian Five Hop and WPA.
