A 9km walk on a surprisingly sunny day (having woke to cloud in Lorton) before a pub lunch with Kate. (Taking in a Wainwright Outlying Fell, unsuspectingly: Dunmallet (Dunmallard Hill).)Route: leaving the car outside the Horse and Farrier, Dacre, and walking downhill to turn left towards the castle, thus taking the lowest of three paths exiting the village. Joining a wide level track for about 2km along the edge of fields to Dalemain. Exiting through the car park (having admired a herd of deer sunning themselves just over the fence) onto the A592 and heading south for 100m to a stile to the right and then continuing across fields rising slowly to the flat summit of Flusco Hill. Descending to cross the A592 to take a muddy path past a private fishing pond and then along the River Eamont to the car park by the new bridge at Pooley Bridge.
Failing to find a direct path up the hill marked on the map (which might have been unpleasant, anyway) taking a path backtracking anti-clockwise round Dunmallard Hill, past a junction and winding its way to the summit (no real views through the trees). Descending the same way to the junction and then crossing a field, bending left to cross the A592 again and across another muddy field rising to a c-road. Turning right then left at a T junction, along periodically icy roads, to reach Dacre.
Conditions: 2C but warm in the sun. A mixture of muddy and frozen ground under foot.
Pub: the Horse and Farrier, Dacre, for Eden River Fuggles Blonde, Kirkby Lonsdale Jingling Lane and lunch.
