Stile End, Barrow Door and Barrow

A late Friday afternoon 5km stroll as a pretext to go to the pub.

Route: leaving the car outside the Coledale Inn and walking round the inn and along the road gaining altitude towards the hills. Joining a stony track to a grassy path and then following the ridge to the right up to Stile End. Descending to the pass at Barrow Door and ascending the gentle incline to Barrow. Descending the ridge to a slight divergence to the left and following a grassy path initially merely slightly left but then bending fully back round to head for Barrow Gill below the outward path with the intention of crossing it. With a change of mind in the face of marshy conditions, turning right to head downhill parallel to the stream as though heading back to Braithwaite Lodge. But, on finding a faint path left, descending to the stream again at the edge of the Right to Roam land, crossing it and climbing steeply through brackeny marshy ground to reach the outward route just before the road. Following this down to the start.

Conditions: mainly cloudy but with hints of sun.

Pub: the Coledale Inn, Braithwaite, for Corby Blonde and Tractor Shed Mowdy Pale.

Buttermere to Lorton via Hen Comb

A bus-enabled linear 21km walk over Hen Comb and Fellbarrow.

Route: taking the 10:45am 77 Honister Rambler (having, we assumed, missed an earlier already full Cockermouth-Buttermere free shuttle) to Buttermere and starting walking at 11:20am to the west side of Crummock Water, initially along the shore level stony path. At a stream (GR: NY136170), turning left on a less obvious path ascending to half way up the lower slope (of Lingcombe Edge) and then later turning left again, with the path, perhaps in the vain hope of avoiding marshy ground and following this round to a footbridge by Scale Force. Crossing Scale Beck and continuing on the upper of two paths, keeping left under the slope of Starling Dodd on marshy ground past a ruin. A little later, the path trending right across the floor of the valley but surprisingly less marshy than might have been expected. Once on the far side of the valley, at a fork, staying left to head directly for a hill mistaken for Floutern Cop, the ascent of which required a course correction to the right. Retracing the initial route from the Cop across the saddle for a fairly steep ascent of Hen Comb and down the ridge, bending right over a stile to reach the end wall and down to cross the stream, gingerly, helped by stepping stones, and on to the Kirkstile for a pint. 

Afterwards, taking the road to Foulsyke and then a path left into a wood and along under the hill before doubling back, initially planning to continue on the lateral path to the solitary tree. Lured by a zig-zag right, hoping the awful direct route had been changed, taking this though then disappointed that the path quickly reverted to the original relentless direct ascent route. Along the ridge, skipping Sourfoot Fell to the left and Hatteringill Head beyond, to descend the long straight farmer’s track and then Mosser Fell Road to Lorton Low Bridge and back home.

Conditions: still, dry and positively warm in the sun.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater, for Cumbrian Ales Pacific Voyage (and, later, the Swan, Cockermouth, for Fyne Ales Jarl and the Liverpool FA Cup victory).

Burneside to Staveley 8km run

An 8km run, with walking intervals, while Lois preached at Burneside.

Route: saying goodbye to Lois at St Oswald’s, Burneside, and crossing the river via Bridge Street (a road never previously noticed!) and heading east to find the Dales Way path and then north west for two fields before diverting north to cross the road and continue across fields to Braben House and thence by track to cross the Fell Road to Mirefoot. Deciding on impulse to walk uphill to Potter Tarn and then run down to Birk Field, up to the road and then left to the track towards Spring Hag but turning off right on the path through Mike’s Wood to join the road to the sewage works and thus by fields to the Millyard.

Conditions: warm sun.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, for Mystic Jester, Session IPA and WPA, joined by Lois for the second pint.

Cockermouth 6km run

A 6km run round Cockermouth with some novelty.

Route: leaving the car parked outside the Swan Inn (riskily pushing the 1 hour disk parking with the time needed for a post run beer) and heading south down Lorton road to the link joining the railway footpath. Heading east for 200m and then turning left into a housing estate and onto Bellbrigg Lonning and then through a snickle-way to dog-leg left-right onto Kirkfell Avenue and then left onto Waste Lane: a pleasant enough green track between housing estates. Emerging and turning right onto St Helen’s Street and then left onto a path through to the leisure centre and then left and right onto Wyndham Row, crossing the Cocker on a footbridge and running along Waterloo Street to turn right onto a riverside path. Taking this under and beyond the footbridge and then bending back round to cross the bridge to turn right on a path along the river opposite the Jennings Brewery and then castle. Finding a hand-gate onto a field and a stile on the far side, taking this to turn left onto a footpath back towards the earlier footbridge across the Derwent but heading right to take the road bridge, instead. Following Horsman Street to a footpath slightly uphill to join the railway footpath and along this - across a car park and a road - to go under, and then back onto, Lorton Road and back to the start.

Conditions: cloudy with hints of sun and surprisingly warm.

Pub: the Swan Inn, Cockermouth, for Fyne Ales Jarl.

Lorton to Buttermere via Hopegill Head linear walk

A 13km linear walk with cloud on the tops.

Route: from the cottage, taking the Boonbeck road to Scales and then heading west before turning south on a green lane. At High Swinside Farm crossing the road to find a parallel path to discover a brand new footbridge over Hope Beck. Continuing a little southwards and then arbitrarily and a little too soon turning left uphill under the Dodd across marshy terrain, eventually finding a path more easily because of no new bracken growth yet. Then heading upwards and leftwards on a clear path to gain altitude. At the saddle between Dodd and the slope towards Whiteside, turning left to head steeply up Whiteside (in cloud from 600m) and turning left along the summit ridge to Hopegill Head, down to Sand Hill, and further down to Coledale Hause. Rejecting the possible scramble onto Eel Crag and Crag Hill and instead following the gradually ascending well-made path beside Liza Beck to a crossroads. There continuing straight to ascend a little more (north of Wandope) and then descend via Whiteless Edge onto Whiteless Pike, reaching Grasmere Village via Mill Beck and thence to the pub. Later taking a half full 4:24pm 77A Honister Rambler bus home (being two days too early for the free Cockermouth Bluebell Shuttle which would have left an hour earlier!).

Conditions: damp with cloud above the Dodd though later, after the walk, some sun and cloud lifting over lunch.

Pub: the Buttermere Court Hotel (née Fish) for Corby Brewing Company Blonde and Signal Peak APA and a light £7 lunch - followed by cortados at Sykes Farm

Contrasting sections of the Keswick-Threlkeld Railway path and Dam Mire Wood

A 10km walk exploring a section of railway path and the new Dam Mire Wood, on an uninspiring day.

Route: leaving the car parked at on the B-road at Threlkeld Bridge and walking north on a path through woodland to join the Keswick-Threlkeld railway path, turning left, west towards Keswick. After crossing three substantial bridges over the River Greta (and through one short tunnel), turning right to join a minor road uphill and then right off it to a footbridge and then up a track to a junction. Continuing roughly straight on a path fairly steeply uphill across fields and a stepped section in woods to reach the Blencathra Centre. Here choosing one of the many paths to contour round the lower slopes of the fell, briefly joining a C-road and continuing past Blease Farm turning right to descend Kilnhow Beck. Just by the car park in Threlkeld, diverting to look at the newly planted Dam Mire Wood. Continuing downhill with the beck to the village centre and along the road, east, to cross the A66 and pick up a path to Threlkeld Hall. Doubling back here to the river and following this west to a road bridge. Crossing and heading uphill to join an unrefurbished part of the railway path, crossing the B5322 to rejoin the path to reach the car.

Conditions: low cloud and cool but dry.

Pub: the Fox Tap at the Keswick Brewery, Keswick, for Resist and Thirst-quencher. 

Circuit of Mellbreak

A 10km last-minute walk while on leave.

Route: leaving the car at the Lanthwaite Green NT car park (one quarter full at 4pm, Tuesday) and walking directly to and along the shore of Crummock Water only detouring to the top of Peel to get phone signal and download a map! Then along the shore southwards. Just before Low Ling Crag, heading uphill to the right with no path but a steep, clear line to the top of High Ling Crag. Descending slightly along the ridge towards Mellbreak and then contouring left/south through some inquisitive cows, past a solitary tree and then steeply up beside a ruin to gain the ridge of Scale Knott just above its lower crags (all this eased by the absence of bracken at this point in the year). Following this ridge still steeply uphill to its summit at 338m with views into the wild, empty head of Mosedale. Following a clear path across and down to rejoin the main circumnavigational route, sometimes marshy, and thus down the valley to the Kirkstile Inn for a pint. Back along the road to the car park.

Conditions: grey skies but, after earlier rain, dry - sun not quite breaking through.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater, for Cumbrian Ales Langdale and Esthwaite Bitter.