Across fields to the west of Great Broughton

A tiny pre-pint stroll.

Route: Leaving the car parked outside the Punch Bowl before it opened and heading west along the road, keeping straight when the main road turns right and then bending left at a minor fork and then spurning a path to the right. Following the road as it becomes a track to the end and then following a clear muddy track with views of the river below to the left and a curious wall to the right. Then bending right at a gate to cross two fields before heading away from the river round a square of walls and then right across two fields to find the start of a clear hedged track back towards the village. Turning right to take the bridleway underneath the village houses to the end, bending left on a narrow snicket to gain the main road and turn right to the pub.

Conditions: cold and cloudy giving way to blue skies and winter sun, with snow-sprinkled fells in the distance.

Pub: the Punch Bowl, Great Broughton, for Great North Eastern Brewing Company, Rivet Catcher.

Brackenthwaite Hows pootle

A 6km stroll.

Route: leaving the car in the Lanthwaite Green car park (half full at 11am in mid-January) and heading east up the steep narrow path but turning left on reaching the track and then joining the road past an outhouse, turning right. After 200m taking a path over a wobbly stile and along to join a track to the right. Following this round an implicit hillock to a gate in a wall and turning left across marshy ground to approach Pickett Howe. Turning right up the final path onto the ridge and then heading gradually to the summit. Descending into the woods to the south and near the end of the ridge taking the second main path back down towards the lake shore, taking a narrow path off it to cut a corner and reach the shore. Round the lake to reach the pump house and then along Park Beck to the road to the Kirkstile Inn. After a pint, back along the road to the start.

Conditions: low cloud gradually rising, dry and windless!

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold and Grasmoor Dark.

School Knott and Grandsire from Ings

A 7km New Year’s Day walk.

Route: leaving the car on the road heading south from the Watermill and walking along that road, under the railway line, to take a right on soggy ground across fields to Whasdike. Briefly joining the road to follow a causeway past a water tank into School Knott Plantation. Emerging from the trees at a gate to walk round the hillside to the main path up to the summit from Windermere. Taking this to the top and then descending and, for the first time, climbing to the higher summit of Grandsire. Descending on a clear path from there to join the Dales Way at Hagg End. Turning left on the road and then left again onto a path through a small wood to reach Yews and then rejoin the outward road to walk down to the pub.

Conditions: an early rain squall having been dodged (with a brief dash to Windermere Booth’s), dry and cold with intermittent sunshine and blue skies.

Pub: the Watermill, Ings, for Windermere A Winter’s Tale and Brewdolph.

Christmas walk to Spout Force

A 7km walk in unpromising weather conditions in the middle of Christmas Day.

Route: from the cottage walking up Tenter Lane and along the Whinlatter Pass road to the start of the walk to Spout Force under newly felled trees up the hillside to the left. Returning to the footbridge and following the re-engineered path steeply uphill to the Spout Force car park. Before joining the road, taking an initially attractive footpath left but finding this quickly degenerating into the very muddy tracks of some Forestry Commission behemoth. Sadly, a swift exit via a gate onto the road being blocked by brambles continuing through lesser brambles sometimes uphill to the left before eventually descending to more muddy caterpillar tracks and eventually descending to a gap in the wall opposite the road turn-off to Scales. Following this, slightly uphill and then down in now driving wind and rain and thus back to the cottage.

Conditions: initially dry, contra the forecast, but later heavy rain driven by wind.

Pub? Bottled Robinsons Ginger Tom and canned Lervig No Worries at the cottage.

Mawbray Bank (Cumbria Coastal Path)

A 6km walk on an unpromising day with the pretext of collecting some sea-rounded pebbles.

Route: leaving the car at the Mawbray Bank car park and heading directly to the coastal path, turning right but soon diverting onto the beach to find some previously identified excellent pebbles (for use in a Juggins series). Continuing along the sands, eventually separated by a narrow body of water from the mainland and thus continuing until, by leaps and bounds, it was possible to regain dry land. Back along a grassy, sandy path (the Cumbria Coastal Path) then through familiar dunes to the car park.

Conditions: surprisingly, a dry if grey day though very blowy.

Pub: before The Mason’s Arms Gilcrux for a half of Born Brewery IPA and a chat with Hal. Afterwards, the Lowther Arms Mawbray for Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold and a light lunch (fine soup and good chips).

Ulverston modest pub crawl: Hoad to Canal Foot

A10.5km walk on a day with some dismal, but also some surprisingly dry, weather.

Route: leaving the Town House B&B on Queen Street and walking North East past Ulverston Parish Church to join a snickleway, turning left uphill on another and then taking a tarmac path between fields round the back of, and then up to, the Hoad. Descending on smaller paths to another tarmacked path to Ford Park Crescent to reach the Swan Inn for half pints just after early doors. Then crossing the main road to take the canal-side path 1.25 miles to the Bay Horse for beer and a light lunch. In driving rain, finding the start of the Outcast Rope Walk and wading to the Devonshire Arms. Then back to the B&B having missed the now-shunted-to-Ford-Park-(for heresy) eco event.

Conditions: some dry patches before Canal Foot. Driving rain afterwards.

Pubs: the Swan Inn for Saltaire Zephyr and Fell Export Stout; the Bay Horse for Black Sheep Bitter; and the Devonshire Arms for Cross Bay Zenith and Logan Beck Brewing Navigator.

Snowy stroll in Serpentine Woods

A snowy stroll the day after it all fell causing so much traffic chaos it featured on national radio!

Route: leaving the car in the parish church car park (£2.50 for 2 hours) and walking along Kirkland, up Gillinggate and across to Captain French Lane to Garth Heads and the monument. Then up Mount Pleasant to Serpentine Road to enter Serpentine Woods at the first gate. Following paths to trend uphill and then exit the woods onto the golf course just beside the premier sledging run in Kendal it turned out. Then trudging through deep snow to the north to reach the edge of the golf course and have a chance meeting with Dave Cope. Descending the main path across the golf course to re-enter the Woods and exit at the bottom of the Tramway. Then back along Garth Heads and down to the high street, detouring back via Abbot Hall (to look at its new signage) and the Parish Church.

Conditions: several inches of snow underfoot (and lots more uplegs!) not cold.

Pub: the Ring o’ Bells for Gan Yam APA and Bowland Brewery Hoppy Christmas.