A train ride and tiny stroll made shorter by closed paths.Route: Leaving the car at the station car park for La’al Ratty (£4 all day) and at 10:25am taking a semi-open carriage (£36 return for two) to Dalegarth (50 minutes at a stately pace). Leaving the station and quickly finding that the footpaths for the planned walk to Stanley Force had been closed since December 2020 so heading first to St Catherine’s Church and precariously crossing the stepping stones. After further fruitless reconnoitring, heading east on the south side of the river, stopping to look at a pond fringed with conifers and surrounded by Herdwick ewes and lambs, underneath Gate Crag, and then descending to Doctor’s Bridge. Here heading to the Woolpack Inn in faith (it had seemed closed form the web) for halves of Fyne beers. Then back to the bridge and along the north side of the river to the church and then to Brook House Inn for a pint as we waited for the 2:10pm train back.
Conditions: surprisingly warm in the sun but cold without it and a threat (and occasional spit) of rain.Pubs: the Woolpack Inn for Fyne Ales Jarl and Avalanche. Brook House Inn for Cumbrian Legenadary Ales Loweswater Gold.
