Route: leaving the car by the telephone-box-now-defibrillator between the Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park and the Kirkstile Inn and running to the former to take the steep shortcut to reach the start of the 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 and, as a new variant to avoid marshy ground, keeping by the shore to a wall that marks the right to roam land and there turning uphill to reach a track to Highpark Farm and round the end of Mellbreak before descending to the Kirkstile Inn for a pint and then back along the road to the car.
Conditions: a dismal day of low cloud and intermittent rain.
Pub: the Kirkstile Inn for Cumbrian legendary Ales Loweswater Gold and No.1 IPA.
