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Home Page : Archive 2026

The old expression, "Some you Win" is followed by "Some you Lose" and this day it was a touch of the latter on several counts. One highlights of the week however was meeting up with John and Lisa and their two retrievers, Gunnerdale kennel mates from our joint County Durham breeder. As for the walk . . . Loes and I headed over to Ennerdale to stretch our legs by a different lake . . . but with limited success !

The car was due for an MOT right in the middle of this delightful walking weather. I have to deliver it to the garage in Keswick but returning home on the bus to walk the dog didn't work last time I tried it, so I get him to jump in the back of the car and we head over for the big city. I have another plan for a walk . . . I hope I've brought my bus pass !

The last Mob walk of the winter season (Winter is all year apart from summer holidays) was a 'B' walk from Silloth to Grune Point and back. It's a walk by the seaside so we would like sea, sun and ice creams please ... and that is exactly what we got on Peter's walk today. What was unexpected was the overall total mileage due to starting the walk in Silloth itself and not parking out on the seafront.

The line of the north west / south east split in the UK weather has moved slightly, bringing grey skies to Cumbria instead of the sunshine of recent days. However the rains and the warm temperatures have led to a growth spurt to the garden, in the fields and in the woodlands. The gardeners are struggling to keep up, the farmers are happy with new grass, but the extra leaves on the trees restrict the walking views slightly.

The chance to join a Gardening Club outing to a National Gardens Scheme open day at Muncaster Mill. I'm not the greatest gardener but this is chance to meet with friends from this valley and to go and see a building and gardens that I've occasionally passed and admired from a distance. Do join me on a more close-up visit to Muncaster Mill.

It's a hot day up here in Cumbria at last, but the Electricity Board crew replacing the transformer in the field opposite are not overly impressed with the temperatures. We've a power cut for the next six hours so I'll have to do something that doesn't need electricity. Perhaps I might go for a walk. Dylan needs his exercise so today would be a good day for a slightly longer walk by the lake.

Back from a longer day out yesterday so lots to do and not a lot of time for a big walk today. The weather is the south is entering a heat wave but up here it is a tolerable top twenties. However, Dougal still needed a run out, so I took a quick drive to Lanthwaite Green, uncertain of where exactly I wanted to walk.

Time for a 77 Club summer bus ride . . . with a small committee to help me, we arranged a bus trip northward this time, across the border to visit two major attractions, neither of which we've been to before, The Devil's Porridge Museum had an upgrade in recent years so a visit was certainly in order. The distillery, well it's always nice to visit a distillery !

The Loweswater Discussion (Farmers) Group traditionally meet during the winter months for beer and a conversation, usually with a guest speaker, always at the Kirkstile Inn. At this time of year the group tries to have a day out together and this year was no different. We head down to the South Lakes for a farm-orientated visit, lunch and an afternoon entertainment of some sort.

Back from our overseas trip (technically 'underseas' as we went by Euro Tunnel) it was time to get back into local life. Our first overnight visitors were Loes's daughter and her partner who were heading south after their Scottish holiday, then Frieke who we had visited in Holland arrived for a week's planned visit to us in Loweswater. Sunshine on a forecasted wet day allowed us to enjoy lunch and a walk in Buttermere.

With our friend Hilton cottage and dog sitting Dougal here in Loweswater, we've headed off for a visit to the flat lands to catch up with Loes's family. A long drive south to Tonbridge in Kent and a night at her son's house, set us up nicely for a Euro Tunnel crossing and the drive back up to Amsterdam next day.Lots of driving but hopefully a few less photos, as we'll be visiting people and places that we've been to before.

Having tested the bluebells and found them wanting two weeks ago, it was time to return and see how they were doing. I had the chance of a lift to Rannerdale with Loes, who was doing her own "Les Girls" walk from Buttermere that morning. This meant that I could see the display and then have my own leisurely walk back along the lakeside to the cottage.

My daughter, her partner and their grandchildren are with me this weekend and there's lots of options for activities to do. Yesterday we had a walk at Buttermere, so today we travelled over to two neighbouring villages, where they are holding an Arts and Scarecrow Festival.

My Daughter and her family are up in Loweswater for the Bank Holiday weekend. The good weather was forecasted to break but fortunately the overcast skies didn't bring daytime rain, it fell heavily in the night while we were all asleep. The choice of what to see and where to go this weekend was up to them, so first it was a trip to Buttermere to acquaint them with the tunnel, that Jenna can't remember walking through.

A longer walk up a classic Lakeland fell. The weather this week has been beautiful, but on the day, the forecast suddenly changed to reflect an overcast sky, perhaps even the chance of rain. We hoped not as Bowfell deserves a good day as the views should be fantastic. Today the Mob set off to climb this classic, with seven members, but only came back with six, but in the nicest possible way !

It's a beautiful day . . . again . . . and so this time we headed out to the coast for a flat walk along the Solway Coast. Recently we walked from Maryport to near the golf club, so this time we started there and continued on to the Salt Pans at Crosscanonby. I haven't visited them for a while so it would be a target to aim for and we might even stop by the golf club as they offer the public light lunches.

On a quieter midweek afternoon and we venture over to Rannerdale to explore the Bluebell Valley. The wildlife programs and the social media are all about how this classic flower is in full bloom down south. However the flowers in my garden have only recently reached anything like their full maturity and colour, All goes to show that it is colder "up north" . . . not that you'd think it from the heat of today's sunshine.

A weekend visit to Sheffield to see my daughter and her family. Part of the reason of going was to do a few jobs for them in their garden which is currently being tidied up and improved. On the Sunday we had the chance for a drive out to Eyam in the Peaks, and had a gentle walk around, lunch and a chance to explore the village and it's noteable history.

It's a great day and deserved slightly more effort to find somewhere nice for our dog walk. Several locations were suggested, but we opted for Long How, walking directly from the National Trust car park. What should have been an easy walk down to the lake, round to Buttermere Village and back, turned out to be more problematic than anticipated.

It's Sunday and the Mob are out again, this time a 'B' walk around the Loweswater Fells to the north of the lake. When you're not leading a walk it is always interesting to follow to see where others chose to walk. Today Judy chose the route, so eight regular fell walkers followed her round, even though she wasn't always leading from the front !

I didn't want or need a big walk today, but Dougal still wanted an outing to work off his energy. Might as well go somewhere interesting, so I headed for Hen Comb, as I hadn't walked that way for quite a while. However, despite the nice weather, time was limited so I changed my objective part way through the walk.

We were promised nice weather for Easter, apart from 'Storm Dave' which blasted through last week. The sun is out, the wind has dropped and I've had chance to get out in the garden. Loes said the Church which has been decorated for Easter, was worth a visit, so here are a few pictures of Easter in Cumbria.

It was such a nice day on Thursday that, despite Hilton having to travel home, we still wanted to get out and enjoy The Lakes. An early-ish start after breakfast found us heading for Eskdale via the Cold Fell road. Smaller walks were the order of the day after yesterday's Low Fell climb . . . and Eskdale has many delightful ones to chose from.

Our Leicestershire friend Hilton is up in Loweswater for a few days before Easter, and the weather has come up trumps, well at least for a day or two of his stay. He would like to walk the fells but nothing too extreme and he's been eyeing up Lowe Fell ever since he arrived. Far be it from me to suggest any other . . . and Loes wanted a walk too, so Low Fell it is.

Our friend Hilton is due tonight, so it's a short afternoon walk for us and the dog. With cloud on the fells we head for Maryport where a coastal stroll along the prom will do nicely. For our walk, a steep climb up the 'Lowry Steps' brings us up to the Roman Fort and from there on it is downhill all the way.

A quieter period of walking and no high fells to record, but still we managed to get out every day for walks, sometimes in between the showers, sometimes in between a shopping trip and sometimes in between breakfast and lunch. This is a selection of views from our part of the world this week.

Today's Mob walk was planned for Grey Knotts and Brandreth and the route Peter had planned would take the easier ascent route via Moses Trod. We set off in good time for a 9.30 start at Honister but got slightly delayed by the traffic. Little did we know there was a big fell running event centered on Buttermere today !

An afternoon stroll today and it was nice to get our of the valley for a change. We headed over to Ennerdale for a walk alongside a different lake. Loes requested a flat walk after her excursions yesterday so, for a change, we parked at Bleach Green and turned right as we reached the lake, aiming for Angler's Crag. The lower path by the lake is more level walk which would suit the occasion nicely.

Chance for a lift to the end of the Mosser Track allows me to have a linear walk home after what was a busy morning in the house. The weather was beautiful and it was great to get out in the sunshine. I met hardly a soul on the walk, one couple who were on the way back after walking Fellbarrow and a fell runner who had run from somewhere, he didn't stop to chat.

After two glorious days of sunshine, the prospect for Sunday's Mob Walk was for rain and wind. However, as our organiser Peter said, keep your fingers crossed, white rabbit and all those sort of sayings repeated to bring good luck .Whatever caused it, the weather forecast was found wanting and the morning dawned bright and clear once again. Time to drive to Buttermere for a walk.

Such a beautiful day, true to the forecast, with a frosty start and sunshine that lasted from dawn to dusk. I had an afternoon meeting planned but still had time to make the most of the morning sunshine, the question was where to walk. I haven't climbed Hen Comb for a while, nor walked out to Low Ling Crag, but perhaps I also had time to do a circular walk around one of my favourite fells ?

Each day time must be found for a dog walk otherwise Dougal sits next to you, staring you out with begging eyes. On a day like today it's no problem and an hour or so, plus a short car drive, gets me to Lanthwaite Green for a slightly more rocky path up into the fells. A forty minute climb and a twenty minute descent makes a great walk for this particular day.

Time for a local extended dog walk on a nice day, slotted in between other events. Parking on the main valley road, I strolled up the old Mosser Road, finding a Planning Notice along the way. The walk passed the start of a very old track that presumably the farmer wanted to improve. My return route was to head back to the Lake on a bridleway between Myresyke and Askill and return using the lakeshore path.

A combination of outings, both local, but on different days. On a walk to Holme Wood, I called by the hedge that I helped lay back in Feb 2023, to see how it was growing. A day or so later I took Dougal on a walk to Pottergill Farm, to check out the track and the footpaths that have been the subject of slight a change of route request recently. Join me on a walk in the sunshine.

We are all in Derbyshire this weekend to celebrate my daughter's Big '0' birthday . . . it makes you feel slightly old to say the least ! It was supposed to be a surprise, but with 22 people to cater for, the secret soon got out about our family gathering stay at Manor Farm Cottages.

An invitation across to Yorkshire for the weekend would take us to the seaside, to be correct, hundreds of feet above the sea at Bempton Cliffs. The weather this week was changeable all across the country but we were graced with a reasonable weekend for our stay at my brother's house and this drive to the coast to see the sights.

A shorter 'B' walk today but still an interesting one, close to home, in an area we often walk. Peter has combined several shorter walks with a coffee stop and made an interesting walk that we wouldn't normally do. Join us and nine others on a Mob walk up one of Wainwright's favourite small diversions and admire the views that the Artist Turner pained all those years back.

Either side of Burns Night the weather treated us to some lovely sunshine, so nice you just had to get out and walk. The first afternoon Loes and I took a stroll up the Ennerdale Bridleway track, past "Harry's Pool" to the holly tree. Nine days later I walked in similar weather but this time climbed Mellbreak and stopped by the pub afterwards for a pre-lunch half of Loweswater Oatmeal Stout

The calendar this week includes "Burn's Night" which is a celebration of the life of the Scottish poet Rabbie Burns. The celebration of this National Poet is a great reason to have a get together in our Village Hall, after all Cumbria was part of Scotland at one time, even before the Act of Union in 1701. It is also a great excuse for us to have a very sociable winter get-together for the folk of the valley.

Alternate Sundays are generally the day for the Mockerkin Mob Walk. Some days they are short 'B' walks and some are 'A's' that are harder and climb higher. Today the group are heading for a local walk that's a bit more intermediate, covering 7.5 miles and 2000+ feet. The week has been cold and the forecast is poor, but four of us head off, for what turned out to be a very enjoyable walk.

With a keen wind giving negative temperature on the high fells and with Lill and Loes both wanting more gentle walks we headed to St Bees to take advantage of the sunshine and to enjoy an interesting walk by the sea. No great bird life at this time of year but the views should be good . . . we might even see the snow that dusts Snaefell mountain on the Isle of Man this week.

The Mob are out again for the first walk of the New Year and it's a sunny but cold day in prospect. Other areas of the UK have had snow but we've just had the cold, cloud free nights so conditions should be dry, with the boggy areas of the walk possibly frozen which would make the walk in some ways slightly easier.

With Joan returning home after New Year, it was just Loes and myself, plus our trusty companion, to take a walk in Ennerdale on the first saturday in January. This is partially a new walk for me but also one more suited to Loes's and Dougal's capabilities at present. She used to do this round when she lived in St Bees but hasn't been here for a few years herself . . . chance to re-acquaint her with the smaller lanes near Bowness Knott.

Joan, Loes's sister in law, was over in Loweswater for a few days, including last nights festivities. On New Year's Day we head out on a drive down the west coast to reacquaint her with some of the places she used to visit with her late husband. The weather is cold . . . but no there's snow in our part of the country yet, so a drive over the Cold Fell Road and through Gosforth found us in Wasdale.

As before, I've donated £1 from every calendar sold towards Mountain Rescue and Air Ambulance charities. With additional contributions from you I managed to donate £650 to our good causes this year.

With match funding and gift aid, that equated to £900.00p to our Cumbrian Rescue Charities.