First run post-broken ankle (in Cockermouth)

A 3.4km run round Cockermouth: T’s first run since his ankle break on 2nd April. 

Route: leaving the car at the Kirkgate Centre and exiting to the rear to run along Melbreak and Thirlmere Avenues and Windmill Lane and Bellbrigg Lonning to cross the Greenway and enter the cemetery via its central gate. 

Running through it to exit onto the Greenway and run along to the bridge over the Cocker. Just before that turning left to Double Mills and then back, hugging the river, then over the footbridge to Market Place and a beer at the Crooked River tap.  

Conditions: after a week of almost intolerable heatwave, a mere 24.5C. 

Pub: the Crooked River Beer Shop for Crooked River West Coast IPA, chatting to a friendly couple from Workington.

Easdale Tarn

A hot near 8km walk as belated birthday walk for Froggie. T only meeting L fresh from a weekend retreat at Rydal Hall.

Route: leaving the 555 bus at the Grasmere Blacksmiths stop and crossing the road-bridge over the river Rothay to take a woodland footpath to the right to join Easdale Road. Following this to a left turn onto the stony cobbled track (tricky on a recovering ankle) to turn right over New Bridge and then left near Lancrigg onto the track up Far Easdale. 

Following this until shortly after a substantial footbridge and then turning left up a recently repaired, now stepped, path over the ridge which descends ultimately from Tarn Crag. The path becoming a series of stepping stones across marsh before a final ascent to Easdale Tarn. 

A slightly tricky crossing of the stream on stepping stones yielding access to the much busier main path to the tarn from Grasmere. Following this all the way back down Easdale Road before detouring slight right to finish on the track/drive to Allan Bank, meeting Lois there.

Conditions: 23C, bright sun and still.

Pub: Tweedies, Grasmere for Left Handed Giant, Folded Page Pale (5%) and Lakes Brewery PAL and lunch.

Late afternoon jaunt up Nab Scar from Rydal Hall

A spontaneous 4-mile detour from a trip to the ice cream van at the end of the afternoon break at the annual Readers’ Retreat at Rydal Hall (L only)

Route: Leaving the main entrance of Rydal Hall intending to walk down to the ice cream van and being lured right by the view of Nab Scar to the right. Walking up the lane to the ascent path, bending left round Hard Head Farm, and walking up the steep, stoney zigzags to the summit. Then taking the ridge route (start of the Fairfield Horseshoe) towards Lord Crag but forking left at a cairn to head down to Alcock Tarn on a clear, grassy path.

Crossing the outflow of the tarn to the south on stepping stones and turning left to join the main bridlepath momentarily before forking left off that onto a much smaller but still distinct path heading SSW. After crossing a wall at a gate, detouring off the path briefly to the left to investigate a very unusual-looking double-chambered sheepfold and returning to the path which rejoined the wall a little further on. From there following the wall, moreorless, all the way steeply down to the Coffin Route, at one stretch between two walls, with distinctive Manchester Water Company gates.

At the Coffin Route turning left and following it all the way back to Hart Head Farm and from there right and then left to turn into the grounds of Rydal Hall again.

Conditions: Blazing sunshine and hot but surprisingly few people about on this route (on a late Saturday afternoon), just c15 parapenters above Lord Crag. Largely dry underfoot with only occasional muddy patches.

Pub?: A day later, meeting Tim at Tweedie’s (see later post!)

Low level circuit of Sale Fell

A delightful impromptu Wednesday afternoon 6km walk (still on T’s recovering broken ankle).

Route: Leaving the car opposite the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, and walking slowly up the road to Routenbeck and then a diagonal left path shortly before the church, and following this to reach the western limit of Sale Fell (a low shoulder) before continuing, descending, on a narrow path to Kelswick. Continuing across a field and into Church Wood, past the remains of the old church, rising slightly, passing a line of stooped trees, and, at a narrow Y-junction, taking the rightmost fork to avoid climbing and then to enter the forestry land at a gate. 

Descending first along a track and then a gravel forest road, taking one zigzag (there being no sign of the shortcut marked (in black) on the map) but then continuing on a mapped but overgrown shortcut, steeply and muddily downhill, crossing another forest road to take another direct narrow root-crossed path, eventually reaching the garden of the pub.

Conditions: 18C and sun and thus too warm for foolishly worn black jeans.

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, Bassenthwaite, for Lakes and Dales 3.8% Bitter, a first pint (for us) from a new Tebay brewery.

Buttermere 7km circuit

A 7km later afternoon / early evening walk (to help with T's broken ankle recuperation).

Route: leaving the car at the NT car park (plenty of spaces at 5pm) and setting off via Wilkinsyke Farm to circuit the lake clockwise, using the tunnel. Returning on the most direct route via the first footbridge.

Conditions: initially bright sun if still cool for June. Later clouding over.

Pub: the Buttermere Court Hotel for Tirril Buttermere Bitter.

Swinside Inn and Newlands small circuit

A near 6km walk as part of T’s broken ankle recuperation.

Route: leaving the car in the car park of the Swinside Inn around (emptying at 5pm) and walking along the road towards the foot of Catbells before turning right to Skelgill. Taking the third, lowest, footpath on a grassy track south west and then descending to cross Newlands Beck on a footbridge at Ghyll Bank and then climbing up to Rowling End Farm. 

Having exited by the farm track rather than the path, backtracking to find a narrow balcony path round into the valley of Stoneycroft Gill. Here contemplating crossing the gill in a narrow but deep ravine on a handy tree but rejecting it as foolhardy, descending instead to the road and along to Uzzicar and on paths back to the pub.

Conditions: A cloudy 16C evening but surprisingly dry.

Pub: the Swinside Inn for Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and a half of Theakstons Old Peculier.

Cockermouth stroll

A 5.5km late afternoon stroll to get T’s ankle working again.

Route: Leaving the car at the Kirkgate Centre and exiting the car park over a bridge to St Helen’s St and along this to the bridleway skirting the bottom of Slate Fell. Along this and then right to enter the new housing, crossing the bridge over Tom Rudd Beck and then along the Sustrans route to enter the graveyard and then out at the north end onto the Greenway. Along this to the bridge over the Cocker but turning left before it to walk to Double Mills, over the footbridge, and back along the banks of the Cocker, crossing the lower footbridge to the Jennings Brewery.

Conditions: dry, 15C but feeling warmer in moments of sun.

Pub: the Jennings Brewery for Cocker Hoop.

Circit from Mawbray Sands via Beckfoot and Newtown

An accidentally extended 7.5km walk as therapy for T's broken ankle.

Route: leaving the car at the Mawbray Sands parking area (full!) and heading west to the shore and, after a bit of walking on the edge of the beach, heading a little inland and then north along a grassy path later joining the King Charles III Coastal Path and following this (a bit narrow and overgrown in places) along the edge of the shore/just inside the road to opposite Beckfoot Farm. 

Crossing the road intending to take a foot path (over a stile a few feet up an awkward grassy bank) but finding impassable nettles. So trespassing through the farmyard to pick up the path at a gate intending to take the path to Nook but finding the footbridge led into yet more impassable nettles so taking another path towards Mawbray Hayrigg. Just managing to cross a broken bridge and broken stile and squeeze through a hedge but then being blocked at the next hedge and stile. Instead, heading north along the field edge to meet a bridleway from Beckfoot and following this to the c-road. With a half memory of the other footpaths being blocked on a previous attempt, sticking tediously to roads through Newtown, past Nook and back to Mawbray Sands and following a path further east than normal back to the start.

Conditions: a cool breeze at the coast. Later some spots of heavy rain but not developing.

Pub: the Lowther Arms, Mawbray, for Rooster Easygoing Assassin IPA and a light lunch.

Ravenstone Manor Hotel to St Bega's church

A 4.5km recuperative early evening walk for T’s broken ankle.

Route: cheekily leaving the car in a rather full car park of the Ravenstone Manor Hotel and exiting on the southern drive to turn immediately onto a path running south, parallel with the (A591) road, to the Old Sawmill. Across the A591 to take a path round Mire House and across fields on a track to St Bega's church. Then continuing north east across a c-road and rising slowly back to the road and the hotel.

Conditions: after a week of hot weather, merely a warm cloudy evening with hints of sun.

Pub: Ravenstone Manor Hotel for expensive pints of Corby Blonde.

Embleton and Seacross Lonning

A short 4.5km walk: the first for T since his broken ankle.

Route: leaving the car parked at the Embleton Spa Hotel and crossing the A66 to turn right on a farm track (and briefly talk to the owner of the farm shop) near High Netherscale. Then taking an unmarked left turn across a footbridge and clearly unused route to the corner of a field but then spotting a clear sign 100m further west (suggesting the correct route continued along the drive of the house at High Netherscale). 

Turning left on a gently overgrown path to bend round a smaller house to another field (marked as a track on the map, but not). Rising gently to the far corner to enter an enclosed green lane itself joining Seacross Lonning. Turning right and following this, past Belted Galloways to the road and west almost as far as the church before turning right to cross two fields and then back along the road from Lambfoot to Embleton.

Conditions: day four of a hot period (elsewhere breaking temperature records for May Bank Holiday).

Pub: the Embleton Spa Hotel for Cumbrian Ales, Loweswater Gold.

Rogerscale with Mirk Lane epicycle

A 15.5km cycle trip to revive the Bad Boy (L only) on a perfect late spring morning.

Route: Cycling from the cottages north and out of the valley to Hundith Hill (four lane ends crossroads) and turning left down to Southwaite. Bending round back up past the farm to the Rogerscale corner and then turning left down to Sandybeck Nature Reserve. Pausing there for photos and then deciding to turn right and check out the condition of Mirk Lane (grass in the middle as ever) and turn right at the end up to rejoin the Paddle Road.

There pausing for more photos and turning right, back to the Rogerscale turning and this time following down, over the bridge over the beck and up to High Barn (to deliver the cat sitting key) and cycle on down to the Cocker at Low Lorton and back up through the village, past the school and Boon Beck (families paddling) back home.

Conditions: Hot sun with only the gentlest of breezes, loud sheep and birdsong everywhere

Pub? Elderflower cordial back at the cottage and, much later, beer at the Mason’s Arms, Gilcrux with Tim, Steve, Kathryn and Alex (it being Bank Holiday Monday)

High Swinside road from Boon Beck stile

A sunny Bank Holiday Saturday afternoon 6.5km run (L only, T still broken) - the first in exactly a month!

Route: Leaving Midtown Cottages to run along the road and over the bridge to Boon Beck and taking the stile on the right past Boon Beck fold to run across fields, first over Whit Beck and then across the little bridge over the next beck. There encountering a wire across the onward footpath route and turning right down the track down from Scales to join the lane up to Low Swinside.

Running along and through the farmyard and on to the lane and then footpath leading across three fields to the Hopebeck Road.

Turning left onto the road and running along to cross Hope Beck and turn up left at the junction and run up the gated road to above Low Swinside and on to the copse above Blaze Beck.

There forking back to run back down to Boon Beck, stopping above Scales and diverting 50 yards to the left to inspect the ‘watering place erected by WL and Frances Alexander in the year of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, 1887’, across the bridge and back to the cottages.

Conditions: Beautifully warm and sunny (but not quite the ‘heatwave’ hitting the south of England) and largely dry under foot

Pub? As soon as humanly possible, Jennings Cocker Hoop, with Tim, at the Brewery.

High Swinside (by road) and Low Swinside loop

A very slow 7km shuffle in hot sunshine to redeem a bleak day (L only)

Route: Leaving the cottage and running down to Boon Beck and up the road, past Scales, first for a break on the bench on the left at the brow and then on to the top above Blaze Beck where the High Swinside road comes in. Turning sharply back round the copse to run up along and down the gated road under Swinside, above High Swinside Farm, down past the Hope to Hopegill Farm and turning right at that junction.

Running down this road until a bend with a farm gate on the right and a series of footpaths leading directly northwest across fields to Low Swinside. At the wide muddy area before the farm buildings going through the gate to the left to cut across two more fields and reach the gate onto the lane after the buildings.

There turning left and running down to High Mill barn and High Mill and shortly afterwards stopping to sit on the bench on the right in blazing sun and recover a bit. Carrying on down the lane to High Lorton, turning right past Yew Tree Hall and back round to Midtown.

Conditions: Almost completely dry and hot sun even at 7pm after an exceptionally sunny spring day

Pub? A couple of shots of red wine at supper with T, celebrating 3 weeks since breaking his fibula