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.

Running circuit of Loweswater

A 10km circuit on a glorious November day.

Route: leaving the car in the substantial lay-by to the west end of Loweswater (by a former phone box) and heading west along the road, spurning the next right turn but taking an unsigned route through a gate and across a bridge in the direction of Graythwaite Farm but following the right of way left across damp grass and then right up to and through the farm before turning left to follow a path and then muddy track uphill (past a farmer erecting a fence, seemingly across the track and encouraging us to limbo under it!). Continuing at a walk more steeply uphill to reach the plateau and ignoring two routes to the left continuing slightly downhill (still very muddy) to reach the Mosser fell road. Turning right and ascending slightly before descending to the road along the northern shore of Loweswater and following this, slightly uphill to the turn for Maggie’s Bridge. Taking this to run down to the parking area and on along the obvious track along the south-west side of Loweswater (now diverted through the farmyard in the closing stages). Running along wide, clear, level paths through the trees along the south shore, with views across the lake to Darling Fell, eventually climbing to Hudson Place and running down the road towards Waterend and turning right on the shortcut footpath back to the initial lay-by.

Conditions: an initially frosty and then gloriously sunny day (though the low sun making photography difficult).

Pub: the Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater, for Cumbrian Ales Langdale.

Kendal to Staveley 14km run

A 13.9km run along the river.

Route: leaving the house and descending Oxenholme Road to Romney Bridge to pick up the riverside path and then along the pavement to the path by the Abbot Hall. After the footbridge diverting left because of flood works and then along the New Road new park, spuriously choosing to cross the new footbridge (Tim’s first time!) to Thorny Hills, back over Stramongate Bridge and then along the river. By the footbridge from Mintsfeet, descending to a muddy track along the river, exiting onto Aikrigg Avenue and along Burneside Road before taking a right turn onto another muddy track under the houses on Kentrigg and then round the Carus Green golf course (again very muddy) to join the paved footpath along Burneside Road to Burneside, diverting right along the park and then right on the c-road past Croppers’ paper mill to the Dales Way. 

Across fields by the river to Bowston Bridge and then staying on the east of the river, past Cowan Head to Haggs Bridge. Again staying on the east of the river along a woodland track through Beckmickle Ing (perilous roots hidden by leaves) to join the Staveley ‘back road’ past the sewage works and then across fields to the footbridge into the Mill Yard.

Conditions: Warm sunshine (with tiny spits of rain in the air between Burneside and Bowston)! Forecast rain arriving only after finishing.

Pub: the Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, for Cumbrian Mosaic (keg) and Prime Porter (with a wake going on downstairs).

Arnside Knott

A solitary 5-mile run for L on a beautiful, sunny November day, leaving T in JJ Crossfield’s (for the first time) resting after his run the day before.

Route: Leaving the car on the promenade at Arnside and setting off on the coastal paved path but diverting onto the beach, switching between rocks, grass and wet sand to avoid the constant flow of people and, in this way, running round to the cove at New Barns and on to the next cove beyond Blackstone Point. Somewhere here climbing onto a path along the very edge of the low cliffs to Far Arnside to avoid flooding at beach level. Keeping the cliffs as close as possible on the right as long as possible, reaching a dead end underneath the far end of the caravan park and having to double back to cut through to exit the complex, and shortly after turn left up by Hollins Farm and uphill onto the Knott. At the crosspaths beyond a wall, going straight ahead and eventually peeling off right to come to the viewpoint from the east through trees. Leaving the summit on a tiny path leading north and then northwest, leading down to a minor road, dog-legging right and left over a cattle grid, and continuing on a wide grassy highway down northwards to join Saul’s Drive/Knott Lane and turn right at the junction with New Barns Road onto the path along the north side of Dobshall Wood. At the end cutting along Redhills Road to Silverdale Road and there turning left to run down to the front.

Conditions: bright and sunny (9C) with clear views.

Pub: JJ Crossfield, Arnside, for Lancaster Brewery Red, Ossett Brewery Yorkshire Blonde and a light lunch.