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).

Loop round Swinside, Keswick to Braithwaite

A walk (T only) made necessary by bank holiday traffic (including for the Keswick Show) as L returned from Greenbelt, in order to meet at the pub.

Route: leaving the bus stops by Booths and detouring to the Wetherspoons to use the loo (and have a half of Jaipur as a quid pro quo) and then across the River Greta to pick up a busy Cumbria Way to Portinscale and then the c-road past the marina and back onto the Cumbria Way rising across Fawe Park and on the familiar path to reach and turn right on the drive of Hawse End Outdoor Centre. 

Taking the c-road past Swinside Inn (open) and right onto a path descending to Newlands Beck. The beck-side path still being closed (the bank being in a dangerous state), crossing the beck and rising past Uzzicar to the road under Barrow and then taking the initially rising diagonal footpath down to Braithwaite Lodge, down its track and then back to the start. 

Conditions: 24C and sunny. 

Pub: the Coledale Inn for Corby Blonde, joined by L arriving from Kettering.

Skiddaw via Ullock Pike, linear walk

A 13km linear walk underpinned by the X4 and X5 buses. (T only; L at Greenbelt)

Route: taking the 9:09am X4 bus from Cockermouth to Ravenstone Manor Hotel and walking past the hotel (south) to a very steep path in trees uphill to reach a lateral path. Continuing uphill to Ling How and then along the ridge to Ullock Pike. Ignoring the summit of Carl Side, today, and continuing on the gruelling scree path up a final 200m to the summit plateau and along to the summit which was, for a brief moment at 11am, empty. 

Then heading south on unpleasant stony terrain down and up to Skiddaw Lower Man and then down to the steep and still unpleasant Fix the Fells path to the car park in the saddle before Latrigg. Doglegging right-left to pick up the Cumbria Way and along this down into Keswick.

Conditions: no sun but very humid and sweaty on the way up. Cooler in a slight summit breeze.

Pub: the Wainwright Pub for Fell Tinderbox IPA.

Cockermouth run including Simonscales Mill

An 8am 6.5km run before the heat of the day. An Outdoor Day because of the shockingly and challengingly early hour.

Route: From the Rectory, heading 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. 200m before the end of the track, turning left and running along a field edge for a couple of fields before turning down right and joining the familiar path along the river, back to Simonscales Mill. 

Keeping broadly to the side of the river to Double Mills. Crossing the footbridge and running slightly uphill round and slightly below the apparent edge of Harris Park but zigzagging downhill to pick up the tarmac track to the Greenway and along this half round the cemetery and thence home. 

Conditions: even at 8am 19-20C and hot.

Pub? Not at 9am.

7.5km run on the west shore of Bassenthwaite

A 7.5km run along the shore and back through trees on a humid evening.

Route: leaving the car at the car park at Woodend Brow (optional donation) and crossing the A66 to turn left/north on a gravel path immediately by the road. For the first 400m or so, struggling with the overgrown conditions but things improving thereafter (and fine after Beck Wythop). Continuing, sometimes lower than the road, sometimes beside it to some steps left up to the road at GR206307. 

Crossing the still-divided carriageway where a filtering road allows traffic to cross the A66 and then turning left on the side road towards the Pheasant Inn. After 100m turning left uphill on paths, now at a walk, across one track and then left on the next, descending slightly from the next junction. Then a lengthy gradual climb, again walking, before descending and then turning left off the track onto a path to Beck Wythop and along the now-disused road back to the start.

Conditions: cloudy but muggy hot (too hot for running up the ups) and with little breeze.

Pub: the Pheasant Inn, for Jennings Back Yam.

Helm Crag from Emma’s Deli

A brisk, unplanned 4.5-mile fell walk with Bridget (L, T in Kendal)

Route: Leaving the deli to the west and turning up the road to Allan Bank but after 200m turning right on the path bending left and then turning right to reach the Easedale Road. There taking the roadside path up northwest, over Goody Bridge, past Glenthorne and eventually bending right towards Lancrigg and then left directly up the valley towards Little Parrock and the clutch of buildings in the trees. 

There turning right into the trees and on to join the familiar, busy, rocky path up to White Crag and then taking a wide bend left round that to reach the viewpoint over the A591 to Helvellyn and down to Grasmere.

Following the summit path up to the Lion and the Lamb and on, and taking the zigzagged path through bracken east from the saddle down to Green Burn. Crossing the bridleway towards the end to cross the higher footbridge and then turning right to follow the track down to join the tarmacked road for 2km south to the Easedale Road. There turning left and following the road down to the village centre and back to Emma’s.

Conditions: Almost entirely overcast, but surprisingly muggy and dry with good visibility.

Pub: Starting with a lazy coffee at the deli before the walk and finishing with a very hurried pair of scones (Bridget: cheese; Lois: fruit) afterwards, L getting back to Broadgate Meadow with one minute to spare on the 4hr parking.