Kirk Fell to Lord's Seat

An afternoon stroll made up as we went along.

Route: from the cottage taking the steep cyclists route to the start of Whinlatter and immediately entering a field below High How. Ignoring its summit to leave the field in the corner and then contour north west through bracken but on a clear path. After descending slightly, on reaching a grassy farm track, heading right and uphill sticking with the most promising tractor track to nearly the top and then pathless to the summit of Kirk Fell. Taking an obvious logical line, though pathless to cross a subsidiary summit to reach Graystones. After some deliberation heading north east in time on a very clear path in serach of a route down from Widow Hause but failing to spot any plausible route through mature conifer forest. Instead continuing on a clear, sometimes damp path to Broom Fell and then Lord's Seat. After heated debate, picking the most likely path to descend into the valley, grazing old forestry and picking a straight path with new trees encroaching from the right, this becoming very boggy with chest high bracken and requiring fording a number of stream before picking up a forestry track to Darling How. Here taking a signposted path to Scout Force which again involved head high bracken, nettles etc. Then back down Whinlatter, home.

Conditions: cloudy to start but increasingly sunny.

Pub? no, but bottled beer in the sun at the cottage.

Balcony path under Carling Knott and Burnbank Fell

A post-prandial 9km walk with Chris and Kay.

Route: leaving the car at Maggie’s Bridge car park and heading uphill past meadows and High Nook Farm to cross the beck on a small footbridge. There picking up a gently rising wide balcony path above Holme Wood eventually descending onto moorland at the very edge of the Lake District. Descending through fields to Jenkinson Place and Hudson Place and then back along the lake shore in trees.

Conditions: cloudy but with improving views and dry.

Pub? back to the cottage for tea.

Sale Fell

A short walk on a wet morning with Chris Hoggarth.

Route: leaving the car on the road near St Margaret’s Church, Wythop, and taking a diagonal grassy path south west up and across the hillside to reach the west end of the ridge at a wall. Then turning east to walk up the ridge to the summit. Descending further west under Lothwaite to enter a forest and follow a gravel road zig-zagging down hill. Mistakenly, ignoring a final necessary right turn and heading on a little used track/path uphill to exit the forest onto bare hillside and taking a balcony path back to near the start of the outward route.

Conditions: at times high winds, low cloud and intermittent rain.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn (picking up Kay) for Cumbrian Legendary Ales American Pale Ale and Loweswater Gold and lunch.

(Largely) Off-road run from the cottage to the Kirkstile

A 70-min run from the cottage after church to meet Tim, Angie, Alistair, Robin and Virginia at the Kirkstile Inn for lunch.

Route: heading out of Lorton past Boonbeck Cottages and up the road to Scales, there initially missing a right and left turn onto a green track between fields (but doubling back down to find it) leading south to High Swinside Farm and then briefly down a concrete road, splitting off left on a path (sometimes flooded, sometimes boggy but mainly high, dry and grassy) to contour round underneath Dodd for several km. Cutting down right (east) through fields and finally a wood to reach the road just before it rises to Scales Hill. Then following the road down to the bridge over the Cocker and along to Loweswater and the pub.

Conditions: cloudy but warm and dry with very occasional glimpses of sun.

Pub: the Kirstile Inn, Loweswater, for Cumbrian Legendary Ales American Pale Ale and Loweswater Gold

Whiteside's Dodd

A short steep morning constitutional with Angie and Alistair but without Lois.

Route: from the cottage taking the Boonbeck road to Scales and then west before turning south on an improving track. At High Swinside Farm briefly joining the road to diverge onto a path to ford Hope Beck and then pathless and increasingly steeply up through bilberries to the summit. After a brief pause, heading further south to the saddle between Dodd and the rising hillside to Whiteside to pick a way down through scree to a faint path curving north east. After fording Hope Beck, taking the main path down from Hopegill Head to regain the outward route and hence home at a jog.

Conditions: cloudy but dry.

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn (meeting Lois and also Robin and Virginia) for Cumbrian Legendary Ales American Pale Ale and Loweswater Gold and lunch.

Red Pike, High Stile and High Crag

A four hour walk with Angie and Alistair on their first visit to the Lorton cottage.

Route: leaving the car in the National Trust car park to the north of the village and walking past the pubs to the lake shore. Then taking a pitched step-like path through trees to reach the open fellside and continuing up past the tarn to where pitching gave way to a loose scree path to the summit. Then along the ridge to High Stile and High Crag before a steep descent on a very tidy pitched path against a flow of Ironman triathlon runners. At Scarth Gap, taking the path back to the lake and along it to the pub and thence car.

Conditions: cloudy but warm with just a hint of the forecast showers.

Pub: the Bridge Hotel, Buttermere for Carlisle Brewery Citadel and Tractor Shed Mowdy

Coniston to Lancaster

The fourth and final day of the 2016 Ring o’ Roses cycle trip with Ian and Steve. 87km including the (short!) train ride.

Route: taking the quiet road along the east side of the lake to Nibthwaite, Spark Bridge and the sadly closed bakery at Greenodd. There taking the new route 700 on a dire path making its way to the B5278. Here deciding to avoid a steep ascent and instead careering along to another sadly closed café at Holker Hall, and again at the garden centre Cark. Instead pausing for a beer at Allithwaite and then waiting for a 14:05 train from Grange to Arnside, only just being permitted onboard. Then climbing to Silverdale, getting a little lost looking for Route 700 around Jenny Brown’s Point, climbing onto the shoulder of Warton Crag before descending for tea at the Carnforth Station Refreshment Rooms. Along the canal to Hest Bank and then on the road and Promenade to Morecambe. Back to Lancaster along a new Green Way cycle track arriving over the Millennial Bridge for beer at the George and Dragon before a circuitous route, again involving the 700 and the canal, visiting Ian’s new house and returning to his old one.

Conditions: initial rain clearing to cloudy morning and sunny afternoon.

Pub: the Pheasant, Allithwaite for Loweswater Gold and Cross Bay Halo. The George and Dragon, Lancaster for Timothy Taylor Boltmaker, Titanic Ale Over, Moorhouse Blonde Witch and Banks Dragon’s Heart.