Castlehead from Great Wood (south of Keswick)

A 6km walk to walk up to the Castlehead viewpoint for the first time.

Route: leaving the car at the Great Wood car park (perhaps a third full at 11am on a Thursday although almost full two hours later) and walking north on forest paths towards the transmitter, stopping to admire a herd of Highland cattle chewing the cud. At the T-junction, turning left to descend the path beside Brockle Beck to the edge of Keswick, past Annie’s Pantry and Gift Shop, part of Springs Farm (Lois stopping to visit the pigs and pygmy goats). Joining Springs Road into town briefly before turning left off it onto a footpath to Castlehead. 

Ascending, past a forestry worker cutting down trees, to the little rocky summit with views south over the Derwent Water. Backtracking down to rejoin the path on through the woods and down to and across the B5289, and then on another narrow path to, and across, Cockshot Wood. 

At the lakeshore, busy with tourists and Canada geese, turning left to follow a substantial track/path to and round Friar’s Crag, past Stable Hills to Calfclose Bay. Along the shore a short distance and then turning up to the road at the bus stop and left along the road to the car park.

Conditions: a bright day, warm in the sunshine, the water levels higher than usual (according to a passing local at the split stone sculpture).

Pub: the Coledale Inn, Braithwaite, for Corby Blonde.

Slate Fell

A spontaneous 7km late-afternoon stroll on a sunny late-September day. 

Route: from the Rectory, heading into the cemetery and round it to reach the gate onto the Sustrans route and then left along the Greenway and right across Bitter Beck to Casshow Way. At the end of the road, left along an informal path slightly uphill to a sign pointing right to Slate Fell. Then across fields, slowly uphill, eventually going left through a gate into the adjacent field and taking in the second, subsidiary summit to the north before crossing a stile and heading up the real summit.

Then back along the outward path to turn right at a stile across a muddy field to reach a farm track to turn left onto St Helen’s Street and then right on the path to the sports centre, with a brief visit (the first for T) to the mound where Tute Hill Castle once stood. Then down Brewery Lane to the Jennings Brewery for a pint and back home afterwards.

Conditions: after a cool start to the day, a sunny day and warm enough to drink outside at the brewery.

Pub: the Jennings Brewery Tap for Jennings Sneck Lifter (tasting delicious).