Embleton Spa from home by road

Less than 8km road run from home to Embleton Spa on a grey September weekday evening (L only, T injured)

Route: Leaving home and following the road north to the end of the village and on to the right-hand turn up to Armaside Farm. Taking this to run up to and past the farm and on north and then north west to the road between Hundith Hill and St Cuthbert’s Embleton.

Turning right there to run along the road past the Strawberry How turnoff to the next left turn down past the vicarage to the A66.

Then crossing the A66 to the back road through Embleton and turning right to run along the road to the Embleton Spa Hotel.

Conditions: Barely spitting with rain until the A66 and then beginning to rain lightly - torrential once safely in the bar.

Pub: Embleton Spa Hotel for Cumbrian Ales Esthwaite Bitter with Tim.

6km run round Cockermouth including across the Derwent

A 6km evening run, marking L’s return from Greenbelt, at the end of summer.

Route: leaving the car in the Kirkgate car and crossing Kirkgate, the next car park and the footbridge to run along the bank of the Cocker to the dilapidated wooden steps up to the Greenway. Running along this past the cemetery to turn right on the Sustrans route to enter the cemetery at a hand gate. 

Exiting at the main gate and doglegging across Lorton Road to Vicarage Lane onto Culgarth Avenue to the two short snickets to reach Dale View. Down steps onto the path above the Cocker along to the footbridge at Double Mill. Heading down river but bending slightly left up hill and round Harris Park to Fern Bank and Gallowbarrow and across Main Street to take the foot bridge across the river. 

Then right round the park with views across the Derwent to the brewery and Castle, bending left round a field and then back along a path into the industrial quarter and back across the foot bridge. Here, T suffering a muscular twinge and falling to a walk along Main St and left on High Sand Lane to take the footbridge onto Brewery Lane and the Jennings Brewery.

Conditions: cloudy but dry, but not an evening (at 6:30pm) for sitting outside.

Pub: the Jennings Brewery for Back Yam and Sneck Lifter.

A stroll on the shore of Derwentwater with Andrea

A 5km stroll (T only; L at Greenbelt) with Andrea Higginson along the start of the shore of Derwent Water with an attempt on the Castlehead Wood viewpoint.

Route: walking from near the Crosthwaite Church (and bus stop for the 77) along the B5289, past the Shell garage, into Keswick turning right at the roundabout, past Booths and along Crow Park Road to the end. Taking a slight left turn through a hand gate onto a gravel foot path across the grassy park and following this round the park to the Theatre by the Lake. 

Turning right to the boat jetties (very busy on a bank holiday) and then along the lakeshore to Friar’s Crag (also busy) and then onward and left round the shore. At an obvious junction, turning left on a gravel path to Cockshott Wood, staying to the east and then right on a newly-surfaced path to cross the B5289 into Castlehead Wood. 

Following the hill round clockwise and ascending a slippery path up to its very shoulder. But, deeming the final rock steps impractical, retreating to the north to turn left on Springs Road, Ambleside Road and St John’s Street to the Wainwright Pub. Afterwards, a quick walk back to catch the 3:30pm 77 home.

Conditions: the forecast rain not arriving until safely in the pub.

Pub: the Wainwright Pub for Fell Tinderbox and Inches cider.

Cockermouth and Embleton 26km cycle circuit

A 26km cycle ride to try out cycling to Cockermouth for the first time (for T) since living at 1-2 MTC. (T only; L at Greenbelt.)

Route: from the cottage, cycling down to Low Lorton, over the bridge and then right steeply but briefly uphill past High Rogerscale and then along and mainly slightly down to the junction with the Paddle School road. Turning right and descending to Southwaite and then rising up a noticeable incline to the Hundith Hill crossroads. Across this, descending and re-ascending gentle inclines to turn left, over the A66, onto Strawberry How to Lorton Road and down Kirkgate to the Jennings Brewery.

After a pint sitting outside, ascending Brewery Lane, then left on Castlegate Drive and continuing on a gradual but cumulative uphill for 1km. Then descending at speed past Lambfoot to Embleton for a brief pause at the pub for fortifying beer and crisps. Crossing the A66 and heading uphill to Wythop Mill and then more steeply up the road between houses to the right before descending to the St Margaret's Church, Wythop, rising again to the junction with the road from Lambfoot, past the Cockermouth turn-off to the right to take the short cut on the left on terrible tarmac past Armaside Farm back to Lorton Road. Left along this home.

Conditions: thin sun giving way to cloud but not the forecast rain.

Pub: the Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth, for Jennings Cocker Hoop; the Embleton Spa Hotel for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold.

Watch Hill

A damp 6km evening run before L departed for a long weekend away at Greenbelt the next day.

Route: leaving the car at GR 137312 at a lay-by at the intersection of the Cockermouth to Embleton road with the road to Setmurthy Common and taking the hand gate to a clear path running slowly uphill for about 1km towards Watch Hill though slowing to a walk for part of the later stages. 

Bending left again at a run on the marked path to enter the woods and taking the rightmost of two forks to follow a path in a clear part of the woods until it descends to a rough forest road. Following this east to a small path on the right through older deciduous trees, gaining ground to the summit tree-free. From here on a lower clearer path to the left to the end of the ridge and the spot named ‘Watch Hill’ overlooking Cockermouth. Then running downhill back to the road and thus the car. 

Conditions: high cloud and drizzle but surprisingly warm.

Pub: the Bitter End, Cockermouth, for Alnwick American IPA.

Cycle pootle to the Kirkstile Inn

A solitary (T) cycle ride to test riding post ankle break.

Route: from 1-2 Midtown cycling past the shop to turn left at the mid-Lorton crossroads to take the Hopebeck Road, climbing slowly and then descending to rejoin the recently resurfaced main road to climb to Scale Hill and descend past the Lanthwaite Wood car park. 

At the next crossroads, turning left to take the minor road (a rather less good road surface) bending right to reach the pub. After a pint, along the Thackthwaite road home. 

Conditions: sunny and warm though not hot. Easily warm enough to sit outside the pub in the shade.  

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn for Cumbrian Ales Session IPA.

5km run to High Rogerscale

A practical run to feed Charlie, Rosemary’s cat.

Route: from the cottage, along the road past the village hall, shop, mid-Lorton crossroads, Low Lorton crossroads, over the Cocker and uphill to High Rogerscale. 

Returning, after cat feeding, the same way, until the Low Lorton crossroads where turning left along the road and then right, before the pub, on the path to the church and then doglegging across Church Lane to the next path, to Lorton Park and home.

Conditions: a warm sunny late afternoon/early evening.

Pub: later, for supper with Kate Clark and her friend Michael Semple, the Queen's Head Troutbeck for Robinsons Patterd’Ale.

6km 'balcony path' to High Swinside

A 6km run ending up, briefly, at Lorton Fest. An Outdoor Day because the first use of the balcony path in about a year.

Route: Leaving the cottage and running south to Boonbeck, and slowly up the road to the footpath to cross a field with views down the valley to Mellbreak. Descending to a hand gate and turning left up hill out of a farm yard, left and again on a road and then right at the start of the enclosed track up hill from Scales to the southerly ‘balcony’ path to High Swinside Farm, finding it very overgrown. 

Descending south and turning right at a T junction on the road from Hope Beck, to a path across fields to Low Swinside and then along the track to High Mill, Church Lane and left through the church yard to the pub.

Conditions: a warm but not too hot sunny late afternoon.

Pub: the Wheatsheaf, Lorton for Crooked River Pale (from the outside bar) and a a bit of Lorton Fest.

8km circuit from Dean along a stretch of the Marron Valley

An 8kn jog in rolling country with views of Scotland and the north western fells.

Route: leaving the car in the plentiful space near the chucrh at Dean and heading slowly and surprisingly uphill on the c-road north east to Fifkettle Brow. Taking the left turn on a tarmacked drive past the farm at Woodside down over a river, ignoring a narrow signed path to the left and then uphill, becoming a stony track with grass in the middle  to a plateau and then down through where trees had been felled and across another field to dogleg left-right across a c-road. 

Descending on another road, steeply in part to meet the River Marron at a bridge but continuing, without crossing, to a stony track past Oldfield Mill, Oldfield to the farm at Calva Hall. Then continuing as the track gained altitude with clear views towards Blake Fell and Grassmoor, and somehow missing the intended path onwards (which would have been across a hay field starting at a bend in the track), and instead bending left up hill, passing under electricity pylons to a junction with the c-road at a summit. Descending to cross Cornyflat Beck and rising steeply, walking for 200m, before continuing slowly to run uphill and back to Dean.

Conditions: after a day with occasional showers a lovely sunny, warm without being hot, evening.

Pub: The Royal Yew, Dean for Cumbria Ales, Loweswater Gold and Langdale.

Embleton Spa and Seacross Lonning #2

A 5.5km run on iffy terrain on a damp evening.

Route: leaving the car parked at the Embleton Spa Hotel and crossing the A66 to turn right on a farm track to High Netherscale. This time, spurning the an unmarked left turn across a footbridge continuing along the drive of the house at High Netherscale, exiting via a gate to the left of the house to pass a footpath sign on the other side. Turning left across the filed and then over a stile to 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, this time rather overgrown with brambles and some nettles. 

Turning right and following this, not as far as the road this time but turning left at a sign up the edge of a field and then right on a drive (for Low and High Abbey) to a c-road. Turning left up the road and then right onto a notional path across fields, through thistles and marsh grass and a field of nervous cows. Entering the farm yard of Beck House Farm on an overgrown path to turn left up hill and the right down a familiar track to the church. Taking a path from the other side of the church yard to cross two fields and then back along the road from Lambfoot to Embleton. 

Conditions: at 6pm, a damp, drizzly evening, heaily overcast.

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

A pilgrimage to the Isel Road play area

A 5.5km run to justify pre-lunch pint after a longer run on the previous day.

Route: leaving the car in the Kirkgate car and crossing Kirkgate, the next car park and the footbridge to run along the bank of the Cocker to the dilapidated wooden steps up to the Greenway. Running along this past the cemetery to take a left, just before the new road bridge, across Bitter Beck to Casshow Way. At the end of the road, turning left along an informal path slightly uphill behind the houses to a sign pointing right to Slate Fell. Then across fields to a broken stile to join a level lateral path across a field and then down a track beside the Wyndham Hall caravan park track to the Cockermouth–Embleton road.

There turning left to run down past Cockermouth School on Castlegate Drive, looking for a path inbetween the school and Beech Lane but, finding none, taking Beech Lane and turning right at the end to find the Isel Road play area (swings and short loop of woodland path). 

Returning along Isel Road, doglegging left-right through the sports centre (stopping to climb Tute Hill for a view of All Saints) and across St Mary’s Road to cross a footbridge into the grassy area behind the Kirkgate car park and thus back to the car.

Conditions: cool, perhaps 16C and cloudy.

Pub: the Cock and Bull, Cockermouth, for Cumbria Ales Loweswater Gold and Coniston Bluebird.

Circuit of Swinside

A 9km late Saturday morning run, the longest since both of us broke bones. 

Route: leaving the car in the Coledale Inn car park (with permission) and descending to the centre of the village by a footpath and then along the B5292 to cross the A66 onto the older road to Newlands Beck Bridge. 

Turning left on an indistinct grassy path round the remains of a wall and then through a gate onto a track back down to the A66. Dog-legging left-right to take the road into Portinscale but almost immediately turning right onto a private road past substantial houses to turn right to rejoin the c-road. Then, just past Nichol End, forking up left onto the Cumbria Way, walking the uphill, to cross Fawe Park and follow on through the wide path, through the woods, past Lingholm and eventually turn right on the drive of Hawse End Outdoor Centre. 

At its end, turning north (right) along c-road uphill from the closed Swinside Lodge Hotel, turning left at the road junction to contour round west-southwest to the Swinside Inn. Running down the road to the left of the pub leading to Stair, and then forking right onto a path descending to Newlands Beck. 

As the charming beckside path remains closed (since 2021: the bank being in a dangerous state), then crossing the beck and rising past Uzzicar to the road under Barrow. After about 300m, taking the narrow, rising diagonal footpath through the bracken up to the summit, and then running along and down to Braithwaite Lodge, on to the village shop and then back (unusually following the road that bends steeply up direct to the Coledale Inn at this point).

Conditions: 17C, cloudy but weak sun in the pub. 

Pub: the Coledale Inn for Corby Blonde and Bowness Bay Fell Walker. 

Circuit from Cockermouth along the Cocker from Simonscales

A 5km run before a 6pm Friday beer in Cockermouth.

Route: leaving the car in the Kirkgate carpark and crossing Kirkgate, the next car park and the footbridge to run along the bank of the Cocker to the dilapidated wooden steps up to the Green Way.

Running along this to enter the cemetery and exit opposite the rectory and then doglegging left right across Lorton Road to head up Vicarage Lane (the most gradual ascent). Then left on Simonscales Lane, over the brow of the hill and down, over the A66, onto a gravel track towards Simonscales Mill. 

Following the bank of the Cocker, briefly befriended by an apparently ownerless dog, to cross the footbridge at Double Mills and run down the river to meet the outward route.

Conditions: cloudy with hints of sun.

Pub: the Crooked River Beer Shop Cockermough for ** and (5.2%) DDH Pale outside in the evening sun.