Author Archives for Richard Jennings
September 10, 2023 8:42 am
Published by Richard Jennings
Wednesday 6th September 2023Day 5Castlerigg Farm to Brown Hills – 13 miles 07:35Morning all, and yet again it’s a lovely glorious start. I had a wonderful night here at Castlerigg Farm; I managed a good six hours of sleep and I’m feeling pretty good except for my right foot, which is still sore after that epic walk from Buttermere yesterday. It’s been a very lazy start to make the most of the wonderful facilities; the showers are free and very roomy, so I couldn’t resist having another dip before breakfast. Sadly it’s plain old pasta and soup again, but I do have a nice variety of snacks for my walk today to Brown Hills. 08:40I’ve been sat here for an hour now, chatting away with fellow campers and just chilling. Anyone would think I was on holiday! Anyway, I’d best start packing my gear and preparing myself for another hot day of walking on the Lakeland Way. 10:00How do you move two horses from a gate? They were actually in separate fields but have obviously come together for a good old natter. I couldn’t encourage them to move, so in the end I had to climb over a stone wall. I hope no one saw this fiasco! I didn’t want to leave the campsite to be honest; I actually hung around long enough for the tent to completely dry and I finally left at 9:30am. I’m now on the track heading east from the campsite, where Blencathra dominates the scene ahead. 10:45I’m just sat on a rocky outcrop looking back towards Castle Rigg (the campsite is out of view being on the other side of the ridge). Walking over these grassy open fields was a delight this morning, and my feet are certainly thankful for it. However, this feeling won’t last for long, a mile away is the beginning of the Old Coach Road, which is a five-mile stony track all the way to Dockray. Firstly though, it’s a visit to St John’s Church. 11:00I’ve just arrived at the church only to find that their tap, on the outside of the building, is “out of order”. Yet again I make another silly mistake by expecting things to be as they were on previous visits, just like I did with the shop in Braithwaite. I didn’t carry much water with me from the campsite, and I know any water collected from...
September 6, 2023 5:00 pm
Published by Richard Jennings
Saturday 2nd September 2023Day 1Ravenglass to Wasdale Head Inn — 14.5 miles 08:00“I woke up this morning feeling fine, with something special on my mind!” That was me humming to myself 48 hours ago, having just looked at the weather forecast for the next two weeks. One hour later, after begging my wife to set me free, I rang the boss to give him the bad news. I then spent the rest of the day planning the itinerary and pre-booking campsites and evening meals. The following day my wife and I were running around like headless chickens, buying essentials and getting all my gear ready. My poor family — the things I put them through! However, with their help, and of course the boss for giving me time off at such short notice, my Lakeland Way adventure would never have started. I’m now in the process of putting my gear in the car, ready for my wife to take me to Ravenglass on the west coast of Cumbria. It won’t be easy to leave my family behind, as I’ve never spent this much time away from them. Maybe my wife and daughter are looking forward to a break and some freedom, or will they pine for my return? It’s probably best not knowing either way! 11:30Here I am at the Ravenglass & Eskdale Steam Railway turntable, the starting point of the Lakeland Way. Believe it or not, I’m actually pulling my stomach in for this shot. Maybe I’ll look a tad different at the end? On my Coast to Coast walk in 2011, I actually put on a stone in weight, but that was with the luxury of using a luggage transfer company and staying in posh hotels and B&Bs. However, this walk is going to be very different, as it will include carrying all my gear and camping each night. So off I go, leaving my wife to hold the fort for twelve days. I’ve only walked a few hundred yards out of the village and I’m already living off the land, stuffing my face with succulent blackberries. Maybe I didn’t need to carry all this food after all! It looks like the crumbling walls and arches of the Roman bath house have gained some temporary supports after recent concerns about collapse. Walking over the grassy hill of the old Muncaster deer forest is as pleasant as ever; don’t...
August 26, 2023 2:04 pm
Published by Richard Jennings
The combination of fording the River Esk and the beach walk to Ravenglass, are the grand finale of the Lakeland Way. However, a low-tide window is required to be able to cross the river at the Eskmeals Viaduct, and to continue the mile or so to the Market Cross in the centre of the coastal village. The length of this window is subjective, and can be one hour (comfortable) or two hours (doable) each side of low tide; both being very safe, and in my own experience the water level has never reached above my knees at one and half hours at each side of a low ‘spring’ tide (see Neap Tides and Spring Tides below). With all this in mind, it is important to plan your Lakeland Way adventure when there is a low tide in the afternoon, due to this crossing being at the end of day 12. Ideally, a low tide between 3pm and 4pm would be my preference. Tide TimesThe tide times tell you what time the water will be at its highest point (high tide) and at its lowest point (low tide). In the UK there are usually two high tides and two low tides in a 24 hour period. The time at which the high and low tide occur will change day to day. For example, if the tide was at its lowest at 3pm today, the lowest tide is likely to be later tomorrow. Tide times are generally available for the next seven days for around 500 port locations around the UK, and can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy. However, due to storm surges and other factors, predicting tide times a long way into the future could be less accurate. Websites that provide weekly or monthly tide charts:www.tideschart.com/Ravenglasswww.tidetablechart.com/Ravenglass To plan your walk way ahead, QuickTide provides a two-year tide chart:www.quicktide.co.uk Although tide times are generally reliable, long periods of bad weather can cause the sea to swell and push tides into the estuaries before the predicted times, so it’s important to look at the conditions and make an informed decision on the day. Other factors may also play a part, for example you could be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances or you may have misjudged the time it’s taken to walk the last day. It is at Stainton Tower where a decision can be made on which route to take...
August 9, 2023 5:36 pm
Published by Richard Jennings
There has been a small route change on Day 7 between Hayeswater Gill and The Knott. Any GPX or maps downloaded before 09.08.23 should be replaced with the following files: GPX route: DownloadPDF maps: Download On the map above, which was surveyed in 1859, you can see a section of the old packhorse track between the hamlet of Hartsop and The Knott. After crossing Hayeswater Gill, the course of the track takes a zig-zag climb up the steep western shoulder of The Knott. The track then continues and merges with the High Street Roman Road at the Straits of Riggindale. This route was a vital trading link between the valley of Patterdale and its neighbouring valleys of Mardale and Kentmere. On today’s maps, the route is still shown as a bridleway, but sadly a large section of the track, beyond the footbridge, has been lost to time and only a faint trace of it can be seen. On closer inspection, a few old cairns, partially hidden by long grass, can be spotted along the course of the old track. On the map above I’ve illustrated the two paths that exist today on the western shoulder of The Knott. Paths like these, which are more direct, are formed when a route is more popular as a way off the fells and less so as a way up. As a result of this, the zig-zag section of the bridleway became undesirable. Initially the Lakeland Way followed the direct path from the weir at Hayeswater, but after many days of persistent rain the crossing here can be difficult to negotiate and result in very wet feet. It was John Falcus, the first person to walk the whole of the Lakeland Way in one go, who notified me of this problem after he finished his walk in July 2023. As a result of this information provided by John, and a recce of the paths by myself on the 8th August, the Lakeland Way now takes a route over the footbridge and follows the direct path that runs parallel with the wall. It is a shame that this part of the old packhorse route is lost. Instead, we are left with a laborious ascent. Back to the top
August 2, 2023 11:13 am
Published by Richard Jennings
One man laced his boots and stepped onto a path that had never fully been walked. This is the story of that first journey — one of discovery, solitude, and deep connection to the land. A walk that turned a route into a legacy. Introduction“I happened to come across this walk purely by accident, but within minutes of reading all the information provided I was “hooked”. There was no way that I was not going to take on what I perceived to be a wonderful challenge in Lakeland. After a number of e-mails and telephone conversations with Richard, the walk devisor, it became apparent that I might just be the first person to take on and complete the walk in a continuous loop. Not wanting to miss the chance of “being that person”, on Saturday 22nd July, I began what I hoped would be a superb adventure. Why don’t you come along with me and find out how it went? Oh, you might just want to bring a coat!” Saturday 22nd July 2023Day 1Ravenglass to Wasdale Head – 14.5 miles “Leaving Ravenglass station at 1:00pm, the first few miles to Boot are relatively flat through woodland tracks. It left me feeling a bit complacent and I even stopped for a coffee break at Dalesgarth station. It was here that the rain decided that it should join me on my walk. Leaving Boot and crossing Eskdale Moor, any complacency you may have felt is suddenly shaken from you, and you’re reminded that you need to respect the fells and hills as they can be wild and unforgiving. Eskdale Moor was very challenging, with lots of rainwater coming off the tops and you certainly had to keep your wits about you trying to cross the becks. Some parts of the path were like streams and circumnavigating the end of Burnmooor Tarn was fun; even the duck board was underwater. Worse was still to come though crossing the stream near the campsite in Down-in-the-Dale, as there was no choice but to go straight through with water at calf height. I arrived at Wasdale Head very wet at around 6pm. I set up my tent in the small field opposite the pub; you have to book in at the pub first and pay a very reasonable £6, and they give you a tag to tie onto your tent along with the code for the...
June 1, 2023 7:08 pm
Published by Richard Jennings
For as long as I can remember I always wanted to develop a long-distance walk, either a long linear route along the gritstone edges and the steep-sided limestone valleys of the Peak District, or a circular route traversing the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District. It was in those early years of walking in my back garden, the Dark Peak, that I first became acquainted with OS maps, and realised the joy of joining the popular routes and creating longer days out in the countryside. This was very rewarding for me, mentally and physically. From an early age, I was very creative and full of imagination, which is probably the reason why I was good at Art in my school years, and had a successful career as a cabinet maker. However, it wasn’t until I was well into my 30’s that I truly embraced walking and found a way of escaping life’s dilemmas. Although exploring the hills and escarpments of the Peak District was the beginning of a new pastime for me, and one that would eventually take over my life, it would be a lovely calm September day in 2009 that completely changed my life forever. I skipped off the train at Ravenglass donning a new waterproof jacket, walking boots and a rucksack, and headed for the youth hostel in the valley of Wasdale. This was the Lake District, a whole new landscape for me to explore and stories to discover. While descending from Irton Fell, I looked ahead and witnessed something quite breathtaking. A patchwork of greens dominated the valley floor, but my eyes were soon drawn towards a long expanse of blue surrounded by shielding giants. Yewbarrow, with the appearance of the arched back of a diving whale, receives most attention across Wast Water, while a vigilant Great Gable, seated at the head of this amphitheatre like a Cumbrian king on his throne, invites you to enter its secret kingdom. This is Lakeland, and I am amongst new friends. The next morning I headed back to Ravenglass by following the course of the River Irt, and taking with me an overwhelming sense of spiritual and forward-thinking enlightenment. I wasn’t sad to be leaving, but instead I was already planning my next adventure. I returned to the Lake District the following year, in September 2010, to walk Alfred Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Path. To walk across the country...
