6km evening run in Kendal

A 6km run from Alexander’s at the Castle Green Hotel.

Route: leaving the car in the lower carpark at the Castle Green and running up Singleton Park Road to cross the railway and turn right to run across muddy fields parallel with the WCML and then crossing underneath it. Finding the previous rough foot bridge had been washed away (not a surprise to Lois), crossing via the stonework - hand over hand - and then running through woodland parallel to the Lakes Line. Crossing through houses on snickelways then taking a footpath to climb the hill at Aikrigg and descend directly to turn left down Park Side Road, right through the graveyard and then uphill at awalk to the castle. Descending due north but turning right to keep off road and head via Kendal Stores to the underpass under the Lakes Line, left on Rusland Park and then uphill to the start on Castle Green Lane.

Conditions: dry though cloudy.

Pub: Alexander’s for Tirril Windermere Blonde.

5km evening run in Kendal from home

A 5km last minute run on Lois’s birthday. An Outdoor Day both because of the birthday and the first run on this route for ages.

Route from the house, heading along Hayclose Road and then right past the new houses to join the track under both railway lines. Running north parallel to the WCML to Singleton Park Road and then left to Birk Hagg and across the Lakes Line before climbing the hill at Aikrigg then left along Hayfell Avenue  and then home on Oxenholme Road.

Conditions: dry, high cloud.

Pub? No

6km run round Lorton

A 6km post Cto5Km run.

Route: from the cottage running on roads to Highmill Bridge but, for once, ignoring the paths to the right and staying with the farm road rising gradually but noticeably all the way to Low Swinside, through the farmyard onto a grassy track and then across fields to reach the road. Back along this into Lorton, across the md-Lorton crossroads, past the church to take the second path to the right across a field and then back along the road to the cottage.

Conditions: a subtle hint of hazy sun and dry.

Pub? No having had lunch with Catherine Easthaffe earlier at the Ravonstone Manor (with Corby Blonde) but bottled Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference English Pale Ale (Shepherd Neame).

Lord’s Seat to Kirk Fell linear walk

A solitary linear 10km walk enabled by the 77A Honister Rambler bus (Lois working back in Kendal).

Route: taking the (approx) 10:45am bus (2 other passengers on a Wednesday morning) from the informal stop in High Lorton to the Whinlatter Visitor Centre and walking through the centre to find the signed route to Seat How. Following this up a path, then along forest roads before turning off (still on the trail) to the right on a narrow gravel path. After a little way, leaving this for a soft peat path uphill to Ullister Hill then down on damper marshier ground to pick up a gravel path towards and then up Lord’s Seat. Then along grassy paths to Broom Fell and down to walk along Widow Hause (with a new stile to the left at the start though no obvious path to join the lower forest tracks). For the first time, taking a diagonal path left at the next stile so as to approach Graystones from the east and then to Kirk Fell and down towards Lorton. Picking up the hideous new-ish track across the lower face of Kirk Fell to clamber precariously over into High How and down, sadly, another newly hideous track to the road and back into Lorton.

Conditions: sunny, warm.

Pub? Bottled Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference IPA (Marstons).

Brackenthwaite Hows run

A first run - 5km - after completing the Couch to 5km for the second time.

Route: leaving the car at the Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park and taking a steep shortcut, at a walk, to reach the start of the small path up Robin’s Steps then running to the summit plateau of Brackenthwaite Hows. Descending south and picking up the path within the wood by its eastern wall to join the small path descending to the boat house. Thence, round the head of the lake finding access to both footbridges a tricky matter through floods. At the pump house, heading away from the lake due west parallel with Park Beck to Park Bridge and then back to the car park along a minor road.

Conditions: after a morning of rain a dry spell with some sun.

Pub? No because of Lois’ prompt departure back to Kendal leaving a lonely T standing in the lane waving forlornly.

Whitbarrow Scar

A 10km walk with, it turned out, a very poorly Neil, leaving Lois, working, at home.

Route: leaving the car in the informal parking area on a track beyond Raven’s Lodge and ascending a track under White Scar gaining height across the flat bed of ancient rock. Shortly after entering a wood and passing a bench, angling right uphill to climb onto the top of the plateau and then through and back through a wall to gain more height to enjoy fine views south over the Kent Estuary. Then taking paths rising gently, with views over the Winster valley and to the Lakeland Fells, to reach the summit. 

Heading further north and east to cross a wall stile and, where the marked path turned left, continuing forward to a T-junction. This time turning right on a track, initially ascending and then following it now as a narrow path through dense trees and bracken and past slabby blocks of mossy limestone eventually descending to some stabling and then down a track, then a narrow path down to Rawsons farm and then on a track back to Raven’s Lodge and thus the car. (The walk was somewhat affected by Neil being repeatedly sick and having to lie down, finally stopping, after a brave final push, a little short of the car, never to bother the score-keeper again.)

Conditions: cloudy, windy and with a few downpours, the first with hail.

Pub? Because of Neil’s sickness, a bottle of Thornbridge Lord Marples Bitter for Tim at home.

Staveley final Cto5km session

The final session of our second run-through of the Couch to 5km (the first being in 2021).

Route: leaving the Millyard and taking the snicket to the main street and walking south to join the Dales Way route. Starting running after 0.3km and continuing to Hagg Bridge and then back through the woods on the north side of the Kent staying close to the river for as long as possible to minimise road use and then back to Staveley Mill Yard across fields from near the sewage works. 

Conditions: 23C but very muggy and sweaty

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, for Hawkshead WPA.

Orrest Head pootle

A last minute 5km random wander around Orrest Head while Lois was in a meeting.

Route: leaving the Tourist Information booth and taking the standard track to Orrest Head but not turning right and instead continuing on a narrow path past Old Elleray and Elleray Bank. Taking the second path through High Hay Wood and briefly establishing that one of two apparently parallel paths on the OS map in St Catherine’s (wood) does not exist. Retracing the route to head uphill and then diverting left in the rough direction of the Causeway Farm. After a short while, heading right again towards the summit though then diverting yet again (why?) to explore pasture to the west. Again backtracking to join the proper path to the summit and then descending east and south through Common Wood to the Windermere Hotel.

Conditions: cloudy and sunny.

Pub: the Orrest Head Bar for a half pint of bland Somersby cider (spared, at the last minute, a probably iffy pint of Lancaster Blonde).

Scout Scar Cto5km

The penultimate session of the Cto5km.

Route: leaving the car at the normal place along the Brigsteer Road (GR 349 490) and walking northeast starting running before the Gate in the Corner. Continuing along the summit plateau past the trig point to the Mushroom. Then back along the cliff, bending left 200m after Dave’s Cairn to reach a hand gate and ascend to the top of the escarpment and back to the start.

Conditions: warm while running, dry with sunny periods.

Pub: the Rifleman’s, Greenside for Taylor’s Landlord. 

Cockermouth Cto5km

Week 9 run 1 of the Cto5km.

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 tunring left onto Main St and then right to cross the footbridge 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 rain. 

Pub: the Swan Inn, Cockermouth, for Bowness Bay Swan Blonde.