Lingmoor Fell

An 10km walk at the end of staying (just after Lois’ birthday) for two nights at ‘Reflections’ at Roger Ground outside Hawkshead.

Route: leaving the car at the NT car park in Elterwater (spaces at 11am but probably full 15 minutes later) and crossing the beck to walk along tracks to the quarry, pausing to look at it from the viewing point. Then continuing uphill to cross a track and then aim gradually uphill, heading west. At a sign turning sharp left off the track on a grassy path to a gate onto the summit ridge. 

Heading north-west for a little more than 1km to reach the summit. Then retracing the route to take a path right down into Little Langdale and heading right then left to descend to the Three Shires for a pint. Afterwards passing Wilson Place Cottage and ascending on the track but, astonishingly possibly for the first time, taking an unmarked path through a gate and then a marked path to Low Hackett, through Fletcher’s Wood down to a permissive path parallel to the c-road into Elterwater for a half pint/mug of tea and flapjack.

Conditions: cloudy with a threat of drizzle.

Pubs: the Three Shires, Little Langdale, for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold and Langdale Bowfell Bitter. Later, the Britannia, Elterwater, for a half pint of Langdale Elterwater Gold.

Holme Fell from Hawskhead

A 17km walk while staying (just after Lois’ birthday) for two nights at ‘Reflections’ at Roger Ground outside Hawkshead.

Route: Taking the footpath just up the hill from the ‘cottage’ to the church and then Hawkshead village for a tactical half pint at KITTchEN (the rescue-cat bar). Then retracing the initial route to Walker Ground and then, past Thompson Ground, to Hawkshead Hill and Tenter Hill. Taking a path off the c-road to the south of Tarn Hows and then descending a path past waterfalls in Lane Head Coppice. Just before the A593, taking a path in the trees north but crossing the road to take a permissive path round Yew Tree Tarn to a junction of paths allowing a left turn uphill to reach the main path up Holme Fell and following this to a saddle, turning left to reach both the apparent summits.

Then heading north off the fell on fainter paths to reach a picturesque tarn surrounded by trees and then along a track to High Oxen Fell to cross the a-road at Oxen Fell High Cross. Following the Cumbria Way uphill to the north of Tarn Hows down to Knipe Fold to Hall Bridge via a quiet c-road and then along a path by Black Beck to Hawkshead for a pint and then home on the (now-familiar) country path.

Conditions: cloudy but warm and dry.

Pub: At the start, KITTchEN for halves of Lakes Brewery DDH and Fell Brewery Catpissed IPA. At the end, the Red Lion for Bowland Brewery Bowland Gold and Black Sheep Bitter.

Latterbarrow and Claife Heights

A 13km impromptu walk having arrived to stay (just after Lois’ birthday) for two nights at ‘Reflections’ at Roger Ground outside Hawkshead.

Route: Taking the footpath just up the hill from the ‘cottage’ to the church and then Hawkshead village and crossing it to take footpaths to Loanthwaite Lane. Taking the footpath steeply uphill, bending left at a fork, to the impressive summit cairn of Latterbarrow. Descending due south and turning left past Old Intake, Guide Posts and Hollins Band Plantation to pass High Moss, Wise Een Tarn and notice the dam opposite and then the fact that Moss Eccles Tarn is also dammed, pausing to clamber over rocks to look at the dam. 

Then a direct descent to the Tower Bank Arms for a pint. Afterwards, and a chance encounter with Joy Duxbury, by road round Esthwaite Water to a path from Howe Farm back to Roger Ground.

Conditions: some sun and some heavy cloud threatening rain that never arrived.

Pub: The Tower Bank Arms, Near Sawrey, for - with reluctance - Hawkshead Pale.

Sale Fell

A 5km walk with Angie and Alistair (Lois in a work meeting back at the Rectory).

Route: leaving the car at St Margaret’s Church (above the Pheasant Inn) and walking through the churchyard to the gate to the left, crossing laterally to a footpath and then heading uphill to the right and then round the hill gaining ground slowly towards the west. At the end of the ridge (level with a wall) turning left uphill on clear paths to the top. Thence down to a subsidiary summit and round to Lothwaite and then descending on a large clear grassy path between bracken to the church. 

Conditions: cloud somehow obscuring all views but the forecast rain not arriving.

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, for Bowness Brewery Swan Blonde and lunch, joined by Lois.

Lakes Distillery to Cockermouth via Isel

A solitary (T, L working) 12km walk in running gear on a hot sunny day.

Route: taking the X4 bus from Cockermouth to the Lakes Distillery and running down to the bridge over the River Derwent at the foot of Bassenthwaite and, after a quick glance at the closed Herdwick Willies for future reference, taking a path along the north side of the river, initially confused by a new fence not on the map (best to stay further from the river leaving a fence to one’s left) and then entering a wood and along narrow muddy paths by the river before joining a more major path (coming from Armathwaite Hall). Along this through a farmyard and then along a tarmac track and then c-roads in blazing sun to cross the bridge at Isel. 

Heading west along the road and diverging slightly left on a stony track into the forestry plantation. Part way along, utterly foolishly, taking a clear line through the trees - probably an overgrown fire break - until diverted by very many fallen trees, marshy ground etc to make very slow progress for a final climb up a bank onto a forestry track. (This could have been reached, with a little extra distance but much more quickly, by simply continuing on the original forest track.) Heading east and uphill to a junction of tracks. Turning left for less than 100m to find, on te right, a steep muddy path to the summit of Watch Hill and then along the summit ridge back down to St Helen’s Road and to the Bitter End, meeting Lois.

Conditions: hot and still.

Pub: the Bitter End, Cockermouth, meeting Lois, for Strangers Brewing Co. Suntrap.

Jennings from the Rectory via Slate Fell

A 6km run (L only) after work to visit Melbreak Avenue and the new brewery

Route: Leaving the Rectory and turning north down Lorton Road to Kirkgate, where turning right along Windmill Lane and first left to run down to Melbreak Avenue (location of Delphine and Peter’s first house in Cockermouth). Running along that east to its end to join Windmill Lane again, continuing east to bend right at the end onto Bellbrigg Lonning and then cut left on the path through to the new estate. Continuing east along Horseshoe Drive and Casshow Way to the footpath running north to the gate and sign to Slate Fell.

Running up the path due east, crossing brooks and going through gates, and missing the left turn onto the track past Annfield Farm to St Helen’s Street. So continuing east all the way to the gate and path that cuts between the two summit outcrops of Slate Fell. There, just before the next gate, turning left to climb onto and explore the northerly outcrop east to west and then return to the east end to take the slanting footpath down the north flank towards the bridleway to Brick Kiln Wood. After dodging some cows and sheep, running round the edge of the field, down the side of a beck to join that bridleway and run along to the Wood and through it on the obvious path to join the road almost opposite the gate onto Watch Hill.

Turning left and running down Castlegate Drive for a kilometre or so to reach Wyndham Row and run down that to the Jennings Brewery entrance and find Tim on the far side, beside the Cocker.

Conditions: Hotter than expected at 6pm but clouding over.

Pub: Jennings Brewery Tap for Jennings Castle Bitter.