Canons Ashby pootle

A small 6km stroll with Steve, Kathryn, Tom and Alex.

Route: leaving the car in the NT car park (buying garden-only tickets) and heading north out of the property, across the road north and then north west across fields to the Oxford Lane track and thence to the road. West along the road, turning left (south) on a footpath and then right and left again to approach fish ponds and back to the start.

Conditions: sunny but a brisk, cool breeze.

Pub: the Plough, Everdon, for St Austell Proper Job IPA and a roast lunch.

Tingewick 6km run

A 6km 8am run while staying at Howard and Sarah’s cottage.

Route: leaving the cottage and heading south past the village duck pond and up the slight hill opposite. At the end of that road turning left to find the start of a footpath first west and then across a field to cross the A421 and a disused aerodrome passing a transmitter and then turning left and south on a path across a field to a track. Following this to a road, turning left round Round Wood to a pond (invisible behind a hedge) and then north along a grassy path by Tingewick Wood to cross the A421 again on a bridge and re-enter the village.

Conditions: a still sunny morning.

Pub: much later, after a visit to the MK Gallery, at Towcester Mill Brewery, their Amarillo IPA and Gun Dog Ales Jack’s Spaniels.

Darling Fell

A 10km run with walking interludes.

Route: leaving the car, with permission, at the Kirsktile Inn and running up the hill and along and down past Maggie's Bridge car park to take the path along the side of Loweswater to Hudson Place farm. Turning right off the track onto a path to cross the valley to the car park by a telephone box and then, at a a walk, up the track past Miresyke and Askhill to the green lane. Turning right along this and running down to find a style onto the fellside on the left and then walking slowly up the very steep slope to the ridge-line and then onto the top. Descending into the Crabtree Beck valley and back on the normal clear path to rejoin the green lane lower down and then back along the road to the start.

Conditions: surprisingly, some sun at the start but giving way to cloud and strong cold winds on the top.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater, for Cumbrian Legendary Ales American Pale and Esthwaite Bitter.

12km run between Bassenthwaite and Ullock Pike

A 12km mainly flat run on a dry, though cool, March day.

Route: leaving the car by the green in Bassenthwaite village and heading southwest to cross the A591 and continue on a very muddy and occasionally submerged track joining a path diverging from it south across fields by a stream. At a path crossroads running left to Scarness and then taking a path towards the lake to gain a (slippery and almost submerged) boardwalk via some very precarious stepping stones. Along this with evidence of flooding round a vague promontory to rejoin the road, diverting again on footpaths to St Beda's Church. Then along clear paths to Mirehouse, crossing the A591 at Dodd Wood car park and following the yellow-marked Sandbed Gill trail, initially at a walk and then running along under Ullock Pike, eventually rising, again at a walk, to cross the intake wall and run along it to the end of the ridge and then down towards the start, making one key navigational error and having to cross a couple of fields to regain a different path to the west of the intended line but back to the car.

Conditions: a cool breeze, cloudy but light.

Wildlife: lambs, pheasant, ducks, swan (disturbed at very close quarters and hissing), lambs, lambs, lambs...

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite (Lake), for Cumbrian Legendary Ales Loweswater Gold and homemade crisps.

7.5km run east of Staveley

A 7.5 km run to take advantage of the newly rebuilt Hagg Foot bridge.

Route: from the Mill Yard heading south-west along the road towards the level crossing but turning left on the Dales Way path and then right off it to run anti-clockwise round the small hill to reach Cowan Head and a waterlogged riverside path to cross Hagg Foot Bridge. 200m north along the road, taking a footpath uphill across a muddy field to reach the familiar track from Side House but taking an earlier left turn to cross a bridge to Frost Hole and onto the higher ground. Turning left on a very muddy path into the woods (Dorothy Farrer's Spring Wood) and then right to gain the road and regaining the Mill Yard via Staveley Park.

Conditions: surprisingly, no rain fell but very wet underfoot - much running water - though not as marshy as experience of the paths might have suggested.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery Beer Hall, Staveley, for Hawkshead WPA and lunch.

Orrest Head

A tiny walk with a car-sick Neil in a gap between heavy showers.

Route: leaving the car in the Booths car park (having shopped) and taking the marked path to Orrest Head, cutting corners on available footpaths to reach the summit. Then heading east off the summit to reach a clearly marked path in a wall corner through Common Wood to reach the A591 a little to the east of the station and back to the start.

Conditions: a gap in the rain but heavy clouds.

Pub: the Watermill, Ings, for Windermere Brewery Bad Dog IPA and, eventually over four hours, lunch.

A 7.5km run round Lorton Vale

A last minute run in a dry spell on a (mid-March!) winter's afternoon after a day of rain and hail showers.

Route: from the cottage, along the road past Boonbeck and Scales to the track to High Swinside Farm and down the gated road past Hopebeck and back north on the quiet road towards Lorton. At this point parting ways:

T, turning right just before High Whitbeck Bridge on an enclosed track to the outskirts of the village but immediately doubling back on a path by the beck back to the road, along which to the mid-Lorton crossroads, nearly to the church before turning east on a path across a field, crossing the road and then taking another path across a field to the start of Whinlatter Pass. Turning right up this as far as the green lane and descending on this back to the corner cottages and thence home.

L, carrying on along the road to the crossroads and turning left down to Low Lorton and then along past the Wheatsheaf to inspect the new houses on the edge of the village and admire the Cocker in spate. Running on to the end of the village to turn right along the Whinlatter road, diverting up to Gilbrea to peer at the lonely monolith and look for a route across the fields, failing to find one, and returning back to the road to run on up the pass to the green lane and down back past the corner cottages and back home.

Conditions: blue skies and some sun but cold.

Pub? No. A shared bottle of Saltaire Brewery Cascade back at the cottage.

The 'other' Borrowdale, Roundthwaite Common, Winterscleugh and Borrowdale Edge

A 10km run on a very blustery day.

Route: leaving the car in the lay-by just before Huck’s Bridge and running down the road to turn right on a footpath (obviously undermined by floods) and along the beck. Shortly, turning left uphill on a track and then right guessing the right line about 100m from the beck on a subtle sheep track on tussocky marshy ground and sloping steeply laterally frequently interrupted by small but steep stream-bearing defiles. Eventually joining a track from the other side of the valley and running more easily past High Borrowdale and then Low Borrowdale to take a steep track left uphill, walking some of the time, to reach the top of the ridge between Belt Howe and Roundthwaite Common. Turning left on a track across tussocky grass, often marshy but never impossibly so, with only occasional views through the cloud (at one point, of a steam train, another of wild horses galloping down into the valley), along the gentle ridge past Winterscleugh, Whinash and Dennison Hill to reach the stony track (Breasthigh Road) and descend to retrace the route back to the car.

Conditions: in cloud and very windy on the tops, and wet underfoot but (mercifully) not actually raining.

Pub: the Rifleman’s Arms, Kendal for Greene King Abbot Ale.