The original plan had been to do the whole Cumbria way from Ulverston to Carlisle but I couldn't find any sensibly priced accomodation, probably due to the staycation effect of the pandemic. My friend Richard kindly invited me to stay at his lodge in the North Lakes which mean't I could do this two day section of the Cumbria Way. Many thanks to Richard and Jen for thier hospitality.The plan was to get the train to Penrith on Sunday 1st August and stay at the Lodge the night before starting.The train from Derby was cancelled, so it was a (twice as long) bus service. After a cancelled train in Crewe and then getting a different service to Preston before finally arriving at Penrith just over an hour late.
Day 1 Keswick to Caldbeck
After an excellent evening , Jen gave us a lift into Keswick to start the walk.
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| Richard & Jen's lovely lodge |
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| Looking South from the Lodge to Blencathra. |
The first section of the walk is up Spooney Green Lane past Latrigg and up to Gale Road car park.
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| Grisedale Pike from the track around Latrigg |
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| Rowling End, Causey Pike, Scar Crags, Sail behind Barrow |
Soon we were at the car park and heading on the good track around the base of Lonscale Fell.
Just after this bridge we reached Skiddaw House where we took the right hand track that would take us towards High Pike. The left hand track is a lower level route around High Pike (this adds about 3 miles to the route)
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| Skiddaw House |
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| Lovely sweet tasing Bilberries / Wimberries |
The path follows the river Caldew for a couple of miles before a sharp left turn at the point the river bends right towards Mosedale. I found this leg which follows Grainsgill Beck hard going. I think this was because we stopped for a lunch break and I felt slugged for a while. Eventually, we got to the top of Grainsgill Beck and turned right along the ridge to Lingy Hut.
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| Mine remains on the way up Grainsgill |
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| High Pike ahead |
After picking the right track off the top of High Pike the rest of the walk was an easy descent followed by some country lanes leading into Caldbeck where we enjoyed a welcome pint at the pub.
One thing I noticed on this leg was the lack of signage which was quite a surprise after the excellent Gritstone trail. Jen picked us up at Caldbeck and drove us back to the Lodge.
Day 2 Caldbeck to Carlisle
After a pleasant evening Richard dropped me off in Caldbeck for the second leg of this trek. The Cicerone pocket guide book was very useful today, and made the navigation straightforward.
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| Caldbeck Church |
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| The river Caldew in Caldbeck which I would be following for most of the way |
The route from Caldbeck set off through Parsons Wood and then wound its way across fields , and other woods , frquently dropping close to the banks of the river, and after yesterday was easy going.
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| Goodbye to the fells |
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| a rare CW sign |
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| Sebergham Church |
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| One of the many bridges crossed today |
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| Rose Castle from rose Bridge |
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| Bridge End on the outskirts of Dalston |
The track from Dalston was a tarmac cycleway all the way into Carlisle , so as my feet were getting hot I put my sandals on for the remainder of the trek.
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| Strange objects spotted in the River Caldew |
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| Weir on the outskirts of Carlisle |
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Carlisle Castle
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Because I had an advanced ticket I had about three hoursto kill in Carlisle , so I had a wander around the centre and popped in a pub for a hot meal aned a pint.
Short video clips shot during the day
An excellent two day trek. Total distance 30 miles.
I'll definitely return to do the Ulverston to Keswick 3 or 4 day trek to complete the Cumbria Way.
