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.
