Christmas walk to Spout Force

A 7km walk in unpromising weather conditions in the middle of Christmas Day.

Route: from the cottage walking up Tenter Lane and along the Whinlatter Pass road to the start of the walk to Spout Force under newly felled trees up the hillside to the left. Returning to the footbridge and following the re-engineered path steeply uphill to the Spout Force car park. Before joining the road, taking an initially attractive footpath left but finding this quickly degenerating into the very muddy tracks of some Forestry Commission behemoth. Sadly, a swift exit via a gate onto the road being blocked by brambles continuing through lesser brambles sometimes uphill to the left before eventually descending to more muddy caterpillar tracks and eventually descending to a gap in the wall opposite the road turn-off to Scales. Following this, slightly uphill and then down in now driving wind and rain and thus back to the cottage.

Conditions: initially dry, contra the forecast, but later heavy rain driven by wind.

Pub? Bottled Robinsons Ginger Tom and canned Lervig No Worries at the cottage.

Mawbray Bank (Cumbria Coastal Path)

A 6km walk on an unpromising day with the pretext of collecting some sea-rounded pebbles.

Route: leaving the car at the Mawbray Bank car park and heading directly to the coastal path, turning right but soon diverting onto the beach to find some previously identified excellent pebbles (for use in a Juggins series). Continuing along the sands, eventually separated by a narrow body of water from the mainland and thus continuing until, by leaps and bounds, it was possible to regain dry land. Back along a grassy, sandy path (the Cumbria Coastal Path) then through familiar dunes to the car park.

Conditions: surprisingly, a dry if grey day though very blowy.

Pub: before The Mason’s Arms Gilcrux for a half of Born Brewery IPA and a chat with Hal. Afterwards, the Lowther Arms Mawbray for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold and a light lunch (fine soup and good chips).

Ulverston modest pub crawl: Hoad to Canal Foot

A10.5km walk on a day with some dismal, but also some surprisingly dry, weather.

Route: leaving the Town House B&B on Queen Street and walking North East past Ulverston Parish Church to join a snickleway, turning left uphill on another and then taking a tarmac path between fields round the back of, and then up to, the Hoad. Descending on smaller paths to another tarmacked path to Ford Park Crescent to reach the Swan Inn for half pints just after early doors. Then crossing the main road to take the canal-side path 1.25 miles to the Bay Horse for beer and a light lunch. In driving rain, finding the start of the Outcast Rope Walk and wading to the Devonshire Arms. Then back to the B&B having missed the now-shunted-to-Ford-Park-(for heresy) eco event.

Conditions: some dry patches before Canal Foot. Driving rain afterwards.

Pubs: the Swan Inn for Saltaire Zephyr and Fell Export Stout; the Bay Horse for Black Sheep Bitter; and the Devonshire Arms for Cross Bay Zenith and Logan Beck Brewing Navigator.

Snowy stroll in Serpentine Woods

A snowy stroll the day after it all fell causing so much traffic chaos it featured on national radio!

Route: leaving the car in the parish church car park (£2.50 for 2 hours) and walking along Kirkland, up Gillinggate and across to Captain French Lane to Garth Heads and the monument. Then up Mount Pleasant to Serpentine Road to enter Serpentine Woods at the first gate. Following paths to trend uphill and then exit the woods onto the golf course just beside the premier sledging run in Kendal it turned out. Then trudging through deep snow to the north to reach the edge of the golf course and have a chance meeting with Dave Cope. Descending the main path across the golf course to re-enter the Woods and exit at the bottom of the Tramway. Then back along Garth Heads and down to the high street, detouring back via Abbot Hall (to look at its new signage) and the Parish Church.

Conditions: several inches of snow underfoot (and lots more uplegs!) not cold.

Pub: the Ring o’ Bells for Gan Yam APA and Bowland Brewery Hoppy Christmas.