Route: from home, into town, up to Greenside and steeply over Scout Scar on the Underbarrow road descending at speed for early doors at the Punch Bowl, Underbarrow beer festival. An hour later, along the road to Crosshwaite but turning right up very steep tiny roads (signed initially to Starnthwaite) to cut the corner (right, then left, then right from Crosthwaite) to join the A5074 as far as Winster. Then taking a right up Lindeth Road as far as the Crook Road and down that to the ferry. On the far side, turning right at the Claife Viewing Station along first a tarmac road and then the stony track along the lake shore (fine on a hybrid/Moulton) to join a minor road near Wray Castle and then via Clappersgate to Waterhead. The Wateredge Inn being too busy, pressing on down the lake to turn left up another steep road to Troutbeck, then descending to cross the valley and ascending again cutting the corner to Ings and then Staveley and the Beer Hall. After a couple of pints (with Mike and Chris Dunn), home via Burneside.
Conditions: sun, cloudy sun and wind but very warm in the sun.
Pubs: the Punch Bowl, Underbarrow for Stringers Plan B, Heskett Newmarket Red Pike, Lancaster Duchy, Tirril Grasmere Gold, Springhead Maid Marian. The Hawkshead Brewery Beer Hall, Staveley for Windermere Pale Ale and Cumbrian Five Hops.
