A tiny 2km stroll while waiting for the Punch Bowl to open at noon on Christmas Day (topped up with a stroll round Buttermere by Lois later in the day)Route: leaving the car outside the pub, walking west along the road to the start of a green muddy track towards the river and bending left along it past the backs of houses on Main Street. At a junction turning right - away from the pub! - down on a single track muddy path to the river and then left as far as the main road bridge. Turning left slightly uphill and then up Little Brow and Meeting House Lane before turning left on Grange Avenue and then left again downhill to the pub.
Top-up by L, alone: leaving the car at the NT car park outside the village, walking up to St James’ (to discover no service happening) and then down and out through Syke Farm to walk round the lake clockwise, taking the upper route on the west side of the lake and returning over the first footbridge to the Buttermere Court and on to the NT car park.
Conditions: too warm for Christmas Day with very light drizzle; still very mild, with drizzle intensifying as the light dropped
Pub: the Punch Bowl, Great Broughton, for Ennerdale Pale, Keswick Thirst Christmas and Barngates Goodhews Dry Stout (and complementary Buck’s Fizz ‘for the ladies’); mulled wine back at No 2.
