Having left the Coast to Coast route at Burnbanks yesterday I spent a bit of time retracing my steps. It was a bit unfortunate as I was walking towards grey cloud and signs of rain, while to the east it was looking bright and sunny.

Having rejoined the route I walked through a beautiful bluebell wood to the north of Naddle Bridge. After crossing the bridge and following the Haweswater Beck I rounded Rawhead with views back into Bampton Grange less than a mile away! There was no direct footpath to this point but it still seemed a cruel twist after walking a good 3 miles this morning to get here.

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I made a prompt start this morning, leaving Glenridding just after 8am. The weather was overcast but the steady rain was falling vertically. By the time I had made it to Patterdale the rain had paused slightly and I could see the clouds were racing over the tops of the fells ahead of me. Continue reading →

Breakfast had not even been served by the time I had started off the last couple of days, so a brief consitutional around the village before breakfast seemed in order to stretch the legs. I wish I had not bothered, there was thick drizzle in the air and not even the lower slopes of the surrounding fells could be seen – they seemed to all be smothered in low cloud.

The forecast was meant to be better today, I hoped that a later start might mean the weather had time to improve…

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Another early start, leaving just after 8am, to make the best of the days weather. Stepping outside for the first time there was already rain in the air – not enough for a jacket but just enough to keep jacket in hand.

I suspected I was the first one on the path again this morning, but with the guys I met yesterday missing out a stop overnight at Grasmere it would not be long before someone caught me up.

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After a quick early breakfast I set off as fast as my sore legs would take me. May be I am selfish but I did not want to share the early morning view of Ennerdale with anyone…
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I had waited for this day for months, the sense of anticipation over the last couple of weeks had been a fantastic buildup, but I dreaded the dawn and a sense of anticlimax due to the poor weather. Having driven from London yesterday, through 6 hours of rain, I woke to find the weather forecast was holding true – it was grey and overcast in Kirkby Stephen, just as the forecasters had predicted.

Thankfully by the time I had been driven to St Bees there was not a cloud in the sky overhead, my spirits soared. The Isle of Man was visible on the horizon, across the Irish Sea, as I carefully dipped my toe in the water and selected the stone that was going to accompany me to Robin Hood’s Bay.

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