Eco Parish Walk for COP26

A group walk to represent walking from Lorton to the COP conference in Glasgow.

Route: from St Cuthbert’s Church heading south to the crossroads and then on to Hopebeck, turning left to pass the Hope to High Swinside Farm. Following the path/green lane to Scales and down the road, past the village shop to Lorton Low Bridge and then to High Rogerscale for a picnic lunch at Rosemary’s house. Continuing west to Sandybeck Bridge to Abbeygate, past Southwaite Mill and along the road to Stanger. Then crossing fields past Stanger Spa to the start.

Conditions: initially low cloud and drizzle, then drying with even a hint of sun for lunch, with a light shower later.

Pub? a bottle of still cider with lunch. Much later Jarl at the Swan Inn, Cockermouth.

Great and Little Mell Fells

A 10km walk on a damp day with Paul Taylor.

Route: leaving the car in a layby (~6 cars) at the Hause and taking the path north towards Little Mell but immediately turning left to follow a fence line on a sometimes nettly path to Lowthwaite and joining the road to Green Row. Here, turning left on a signed path and taking the second right to descend towards a marsh. Accidentally following the tracks of previous walkers and ploughing on straight across a wet and unstable marsh getting very wet feet. On the far side, following a redirected path round Brownrigg Farm to turn right on the road. Shortly taking a left turn on a track towards Great Mell Fell and continuing along the track to the south west, diverting off it at a stile to join a path circling the fell. Diverting right off this on a clear uphill path between bracken and choosing options to keep on the vague ridge to the summit. Descending the same way but, at a slanted crossroads of paths, heading left to descend through the wood and picking up a circumnavigating path at the foot of the fell and turning right to reach the outward route and return to the marsh. This time following the route marked on the map by a fence for a much easier crossing. Setting off south along the road to a clear track heading gently uphill before switching back north to a broken stile. Continuing to a lateral partial hedge and here choosing simply to head directly uphill to the ridge and a subsidiary summit. Crossing two more fences (barbed wire calling for care) and a locked gate to reach the summit. From there descending directly to the Hause.

Conditions: low cloud, light breeze and sporadic light rain.

Pub: the Horse and Farrier, Dacre, for Corby Blonde, Fell Alph and lunch.

NHS couch to 5km session round Sale Fell

Today, a series of 5 minute runs with rather more uphill than might have been expected.

Route: leaving the car at St Margaret's Church above the Pheasant Inn and walking briskly through the churchyard to its upper rear gate and then across to the main footpath heading uphill to the right, round the hill gaining altitude slowly towards the west. Running to the shoulder and then onwards and downhill with gorse to left and right. Joining the metalled road to pass Kelswick and the remains of the old Wythop Church, continuing, for the first time, on a woodland path through Chapel Wood gaining altitude again. Turning left and walking steeply uphill to the shoulder at Lothwaite. Running back to the start.

Conditions: surprisingly sunny and warm.

Pub? The recently reopened Pheasant Hotel for iffy Cumbrian Legendary Ales Loweswater Gold and a soft drink.

NHS couch to 5km run from Mawbray Banks with later swim

The end of week 4 of the couch to 5km programme and what may have been the final swim of the season.

Route: leaving the car at the car park on the dirt track opposite the road into Mawbray from the B5300. Running north along wide grassy tracks through the scrubby grass and later sand dunes of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Site of Special Scientific Interest. Passing the mainly dried-up pools in which Natterjack Toads breed and then running along the dune edge by the shore. When the road squeezed close to, turning right down a tarmac cycle path by the road. At another small car park, turning back into the grassland and roughly retracing the outward route.

Later, parking at the Lanthwaite Wood NT car park (2/3 full at 3:30pm) and walking round to the pebbly beach under Dropping Crag on Melbreak and swimming for long enough to feel significant core body heat loss.

Conditions: cloudy and with a breeze but surprisingly warm.

Pub: after the run, the Lowther Arms community pub, Mawbray, for Hesketh Newmarket Skiddaw and Doris’ 90th Birthday and a light lunch of rich mushroom soup and fine bacon roll.

Brackenthwaite Hows stroll followed by swim

A walk taking in a novel path and a swim from the pebbly beach under the north end of Mellbreak.

Route: leaving the car at the Lanthwaite Wood car park (half empty at 9:30am) and climbing Robin’s Steps to the summit of Brackenthwaite Hows (spotting a path to the right before the deer gate), descending to the second deer gate and here turning right to take the new path. Then back through the first gate again and on the lower path through waist high damp bracken. Down to the first shoulder and back to Crummock and along the shore to the pebbly beach for a cool swim. Then back to the car.

Conditions: after days of sun, a cloudy morning.

Pub? drinks with Midtown cottage neighbours.

Binsey and a swim in Bassenthwaite

A stroll on impulse, driving back after lunch at the Drover’s Arms, followed by the 6th swim of the week.

Route: leaving the car at the obvious Binsey car parking area to its south east and taking the main path up but diverting, twice over, to shallower paths to the left before finally turning right to reach the actual summit.

Afterwards, parking on the roadside between Cottage Wood and Herdwick Croft (by the bridge over the River Derwent) and dropping down by a rough path to a clear gravel path running parallel to the lake, some 30m from it. Turning right and going another 100m before turning left on a vague path to share a small point of departure with another swimmer. After a long shallow walk on shifting stones, finally swimming.

Conditions: sunnier than earlier - and hot in the sun - though with a cooler air temperature.

Pub: earlier, the Drover’s Arms, Monkhill (here). Later, Fyne Ales Jarl at the Swan Inn, Cockermouth.

NHS couch to 5km run from Burgh by Sands

A 5km run and walk on flat and largely dry land.

Route: leaving Burgh by Sands at the crossroads, heading north through North End and rising slightly to 27m before descending. Where the road turned right leaving to the left on the right-hand track of two to cross a couple of stiles onto the marsh (dry, today) and walk out to the Edward I monument. Then heading roughly west, about 100m from the field boundary of the marsh, over undulating ground until about 60m from a lateral hedge. Turning left to a stile, across a field and at a complex junction taking the leftmost option (signed Byre End, which we passed on the route out) but rejecting the initial plan as the path was too overgrown. Instead trending half right to exit the field, cross another and join track back to the village (arriving by Midtown Farm), turning left to walk back along the road to the car.

Conditions: cooler than of late (15C) with cloud and only some sunny spells.

Pub: the Drover’s Rest (Tom and Becky’s pub), Monkhill, for Totally Brewed Guardian of the Forest Session Pale, Cross Bay IPA and lunch.