A 6km walk from Staveley before meeting the de Souza-Brazils for a beer.Route: leaving the car at the Mill Yard and heading on the path south-east of Staveley Park towards the sewage works but diverting for a tour of the walled-off innominate woods accessible through a gate from the track. Then continuing to the back road and turning immediately off into Beckmickle Ing (Woodland Trust) and following small trippy paths parallel to the river as far as the Hagg Foot bridge, crossing the bridge and then turning left to Cowan Head. For the first time taking the first path on the edge of Cowan Head up steps, through a gate and turning right to go gently uphill, initially with the boundary wall and then bearing left up the slope. Eventually leaving the right of way to stand on top of what may have been the highest rocky outcrop. (Time being short, no further investigation of the rocks to the south was possible.) From here descending to rejoin the right of way and then a paved road south of Cragg Farm, bending round and then turning off right onto a familiar path and down through fields to a half kilometre of overgrown path between walls/hedges leading back to the Dales Way and into Staveley.
Conditions: cloudy, warm and very humid.
Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, for ITI and Five Hop.
