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 diagnonal 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.
