Cycle circuit of Bassenthwaite

A 40km cycle ride on Bank Holiday Monday, before returning home to Kendal.

Route: from the cottage taking the easier ascent onto the Whinlatter pass and thus to Braithwaite, stopping, for the first time, at Hobcarton's cafe for coffee. Then on by a cycle way on the far side of the A66, the road into Portinscale and then out past the Pheasant to reach the A591 and on this to Mirehouse. Here taking a footpath, pushing the bikes, to St Begas Church. On, also by footpaths, though cycle-able in part, to join a c-road to reach and cross the A591 into Bassenthwaite village and then out to cross the A591 at Kilnhill. Along the B5291 to cross the outflow of the lake and hence to the Pheasant Inn for lunch. Then by the Embleton road to the Hundith Hill road and back.

Conditions: sunny and very warm (24C forecast).

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite for Hawkshead Bitter and Coniston Bluebird (and lunch).

Circuit of Melbreak

A 12km afternoon run: a second attempt having found the car park full two hours earlier.

Route: leaving the car at the Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park (free to members, initially full even on this second visit) and running down to the lake and then right along the shore past the pumping station and along under Melbreak. At the end of the fell trending right to meet and stay on the right hand side of a stream, slowing to walk to climb onto the saddle further up the valley from Scale Force. Then turning right to climb another 100m parallel to a fence to reach a low shoulder underneath the end of Melbreak. From here running again, first along a level sometimes marshy track (though far less marshy than normal) then descending to reach a firmer stony track along eventually descending to the Kirkstile for a pint. Then to the old phone box and turning right and then left on footpaths to Muncaster House and thence to the shore, again, and back to the car park.

Conditions: what had been a very windy day almost immediately calming down. Warm or hot sun.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn for Cumbrian Legendary Ales Esthwaite Bitter and a girly shandy.

Mouth of Ennerdale

A 13km circuit of quiet fells to the south of the mouth of Ennerdale in running shoes, running the alongs and downs.

Route: Leaving the car on the road over Scarny Brow near Scaly Moss (ignoring road closed signs) and heading north east on a track entering a plantation. At a complicated junction keeping left close to a fence until a stile on the left gave acccess to the side of Grike. Following a narrow and fairly steep path to the summit, then running down to a saddle with a transmitter and walking up a grassy path to Crag Fell. Descending this, again at a run, to cross the original track where trees had been cut down but the threatened boggy conditions were not apparent (after a very dry and sunny May). Then following a wall on the left up hill until a path branched to the right to reach the top of a wide flat ridge and then descending and reascending to reach the broad summit of Whoap with a white sheep-like stone at an obvious (though not the highest) protruberance. Returning in almost the same sense and then heading down to the right to pass a saddle and climb slowly to Lank Rigg and then to a cairn a little beyond for a better view of Sellafield. Back the same way to the saddle and then following a clear but narrow path, marshy in places, along Whoap Beck and then leaving it where it became the River Calder to climb up to the road and run back to the car.

Conditions: hazy sun though quite breezy.

Pub: the Ennerdale Brewery, Rowrah for Ennerdale Blonde, Pale and Wild (thirds of).

Cycle trip to Buttermere

A middle of the day 25km cycle trip to Buttermere.

Route: leaving the cottage and cycling to the mid-Lorton crossroads, turning left for Hopebeck rising gently and then descending to the main road. Turning left onto the road to Buttermere, rising slowly to Lanthwaite Green and then descending along Crummock Water to reach Buttermere for a pint, there ending up sharing a table with Nico the dog and friends. Returning past Lanthwaite Green and turning left on the narrow road shortcut towards Scale Hill and taking the first right to join the Thackthwaite road and hence home.


Conditions: high cloud, warm and bright but no sun.

Pub: the Fish Inn, Buttermere for Keswick Bitter and Jennings Cocker Hoop.

Cycle pootle to the Kirkstile Inn

A short trip with Caroline and Paul for lunch.

Route: leaving the cottage and cycling to the mid-Lorton crossroads, turning left for Hopebeck rising gently and then descending to the main road. Passing Scale Hill to reach the Kirksile Inn. Returning via the Thackthwaite road.

Conditions: warm and sunny.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn for Cumbrian Legendary Ales Pacific Voyage and Loweswater Gold.

Stratford pootle

A 7km run at 9am having moved the car outside restricted parking area in central Stratford.

Route: leaving the car on Bordon Place and heading east on Evesham Road and Sanctus Road and then along Sandfield Road to pick up, having crossed over another road, the paved start of the Greenway. Past the cycle hire and cafe railway coaches and then along a hard mud surface 1km to cross the river. After another 100m, turning left to pick up a path first across fields, then along the river, with at one point some steps uphill away from the river, eventually to reach the town centre. Crossing back over the river at the footbridge and passing under the RST to reach the church and then back via Mill Lane and snickle-ways to Sanctus Drive and the AirBnB.

Conditions: warm, though before the heat of the day.

Pub: much later after a walk with James, Jo, Emma and Nathan, the One Elm, Stratford for Purity Mad Goose.

Silverdale shoreline

A 9km run along the (modest) cliffs above the shore.

Route: leaving the car cheekily at the end of the back entrance to the Woodlands Hotel and running through the centre of Silverdale and along Cove Road to a footpath diverting through a caravan park as the road swings left. After 100m doglegging left and right to folow a path across fields and cross a road. Along a road past a farm and through a caravan park to reach a footpath through trees. On passing through a wall turning left to descend to a narrow, rocky and sometimes overgrown (and hence slow) path along the modest cliffs with frequent views over the bay. Emerging onto the rocky shoreline around Blackstone Point and following this round to New Barns. Here turning inland across a field and then gently climbing woodland tracks gaining height to cross a shoulder of Arnside Knott and descend. Crossing the road at Hare Parrock, past Arnside Tower and then along mainly woodland paths under Eaves Wood to descend to the Woodlands Hotel, just above the start.

Conditions: blue skies and hot sun.

Pub: the Woodlands Hotel, Silverdale for Farm Yard Ales Sheaf and Wheetwood Oregon Pale.

Rannerdale Knotts run

A morning (10am) run on a hot Bank Holiday Monday, pre-empting the main heat of the day and influx, to Buttermere, of visitors.

Route: leaving the car by the side of the road level with High Wood and running just inside the fields by the side of the road as far as the first Rannerdale Knotts car parks where bearing left to pick up a track towards the valley. This time, at the behest of signs, spurning the descent through bluebells (too early for full effect) and continuing on to the first footbridge. Returning downhill, to run under the end of the fell to reach the pitched path. Walking briskly up the path to the summit then running along the ridge to the far end and back down the valley. Taking a faint track (“Pooks’ Traverse”) probably designed by sheep, though with some signs of an earlier possibly industrial origin, to cross “Pooks’ Gulch”, and then come to grief at a fence. Turning left before it to ford a stream and then immediately re-crossing a small footbridge to pick up a subtle (and empty) path eventually rejoining the outward track. Taking a path to the east and 100m from the road under Grasmoor before running pathless across the field back to the car.

Conditions: the promise of a hot day but not too warm at 10am. Later clouds, though strong, hot sun returned by the post-run pint at noon.

Pub: the Castle Bar, Cockermouth for Allendale Pennine Pale and Cumbrian Legendary Ales Lakeland Gold.

Dale Head to Ard Crags from Little Town

A fine 17km walk on a glorious sunny Bank Holiday Weekend Saturday.

Route: leaving the car on the roadside just short of Chapel Bridge and walking towards Newlands Church and then to Low Snab Farm. Along the valley, crossing to the east side, past a climbing hut and then as one path turns slightly up the hillside, descending to ford the stream and take a substantial ex-mining green track up the hillside, eventually zig-zagging to reach the comb. Then along a small path under the summit of Dale Head to meet the path coming up from Dale Head Tarn. From the summit continuing along the ridge, spurning Hindscarth, to Robinson and descending to cross a boggy Buttermere Moss to descend High Snockrigg to Newlands Hause and then ascend Knott Rigg to Ard Crags (against a steady flow of Lakes in Three Days eventers) and descend back to the car.

Conditions: a warm sunny day despite an initial cool breeze.

Pub: the Little Town Farm Teahouse and Bar for Keswick Thirst Gold.