Bank Holiday in Hale (29th-31st August 2026)

For the August Bank Holiday, I headed up to Cumbria to visit Ruth and Chloe. Except for the first and last few hours of my stay, Josh was away with friends in Edinburgh, so the visit was well-timed from Ruth’s perspective, saving her from a long weekend of solo parenting! I had a good clear drive up on the Friday evening, the holiday traffic apparently reduced by the fairly poor weather forecast.

On Saturday, the best weather was expected in the North Lakes, as rain gradually pushed in from the south through the afternoon. We started our day with a run at Keswick parkrun – my second visit, the previous one having been part of my 40th Birthday weekend. I was pleased to improve my course PB by a little over 30 seconds, finishing 7th in a time of 18:13. Meanwhile Ruth had a good run with the buggy, about a minute quicker than she managed on Morecambe Prom in December.

After parkrun we drove a few miles west to Thornthwaite for a walk on the Lorton Fells. Ruth had Chloe in the carrier while I carried most of our food and kit. The walk started with a steep climb up through the forest and then attractive heathery slopes to Barf. The summit gave great views over Bassenthwaite Lake to Skiddaw.

Chloe had a bit of a walk around on the summit and the first section of the onward path towards Lord’s Seat. We continued along the grassy ridge to Broom Fell, then returned to Lord’s Seat for our picnic lunch on the very calm summit. Then we followed the forest trails down to the Whinlatter visitor centre before taking a bridleway down to Thornthwaite and lanes back to the car. The weather had stayed dry and reasonably bright all day, but we did hit some rain as we neared Kendal on the drive back to Hale.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/3422709

Chloe and Ruth on the way to Lord’s Seat

Looking towards the Northwestern Fells from Lord’s Seat

On Sunday morning, we had arranged to meet up with the Patricks for a walk from Newby Bridge. We all met at 9:30 and started off with a walk up through attractive mixed woodland to Summer House Knott. A recently-restored tower stands at the summit, with three memorial stones alongside, commemorating those lost in various naval battles.

We continued down through Great Knott Wood to the small village of Finsthwaite, then took a good path up to the hidden tarn of High Dam, surrounded by forest and apparently a popular spot for wild swimming. We had a snack break on the shore before returning to Finsthwaite and following a lower-level path back to Newby Bridge. It was good to catch up with Ian and Emma as we walked, particularly hearing about their summer holiday in the Alps – it’s been quite a while since I last dropped in for a chat!
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/3422712

Descending through the forest to Finsthwaite

Ruth, Chloe and the Patricks at High Dam

Ruth and I then headed to Mum and Dad’s house for a tasty Sunday lunch of roast chicken. A big thunderstorm passed over as we had our coffee afterwards. Ruth and Chloe drove back to Hale, but I waited until the storm had passed then ran the 10 miles. Ruth had recommended a good route on a mixture of easy trails and quiet lanes via Natland (and her old house), Sedgwick, Hincaster, Milnthorpe and Beetham. It was fairly dry until I reached Milnthorpe but heavy rain returned for the final 4km and I was pretty wet by the time I arrived at Ruth’s house!

On Monday, we drove west for a walk on the Dunnerdale Fells, starting at Broughton Mills. Our first objective was Great Stickle, which gave good views over the Duddon estuary towards Kirkby Moor, and a rainbow over Black Combe. From there, we continued on fairly well-walked paths via Tarn Hill to the day’s highest summit, Stickle Pike. A few short showers blew through the west so we wore our waterproof jackets and put the waterproof cover on Chloe’s carrier! She walked some of the ascent to Stickle Pike, with plenty of help!

Looking back to Great Stickle from Tarn Hill

We dropped down to the road at the saddle then followed a bridleway – rather overgrown with bracken initially – back up onto Raven’s Crag, where we found a sheltered spot on the lee side for lunch. The afternoon weather was a little brighter, and the cloud lifted off the summit of Caw, giving us some better views north. It was quite warm as we descended the grassy ridge to Knott End then small lanes back to the car.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/3422714

We returned to Hale for the rest of the afternoon and had dinner with Josh before I set off for another very clear drive home.

You can find my full photo album here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bufRuL1bSRwzh8fh6

Christmas in Cumbria (24th-27th December 2025)

I headed to Kendal and Hale for four days with family for Christmas, driving up after work on Tuesday 23rd to my parents’ house for the night. On the morning of Christmas Eve, Mum and I met up with Ruth and Chloe for a sunny stroll up Hampsfell, a Wainwright Outlying Fell above Grange. The low sunshine over Morecambe Bay at low tide was quite spectacular, as were the distant views of the Lake District and Howgill Fells.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/3190808
After dinner at Mum and Dad’s I relocated to Ruth and Josh’s house for the night.

Mum, Ruth and Chloe at the summit of Hampsfell

As has become traditional for me, I started Christmas Day with a parkrun, this year returning to Ford Park in Ulverston, three years after my previous visit. Thanks to a much-improved path surface around the bottom part of the park, the course was faster than last time, and would have been better done in road shoes! 201 runners was a record attendance for Ford parkrun. Afterwards, I headed straight back to Hale, arriving just a few minutes after my parents. We exchanged presents and had Christmas dinner together, then all took an afternoon stroll through the nearby woodland including a visit to some local pigs.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/3190812

On Boxing Day, I started the day with another run, accompanying Ruth, Josh and (in the buggy) Chloe for a loop through Dallam Deer Park and Milnthorpe. After lunch, Mum, Ruth, Josh (carrying Chloe) and I went for a stroll up Farleton Fell, just across the valley from Hale. It’s always a lovely spot with the extensive limestone pavement and views of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/3190821

Josh, Chloe, Ruth and Mum below the crags of Farleton Fell

Limestone pavement and the Yorkshire Dales

Saturday started, of course, with another parkrun. I had arranged to meet up with Amy and the girls for a walk in Langdale afterwards, so the most convenient choice was Rothay Park parkrun in Ambleside. There was lovely dawn sunshine on Fairfield and Loughrigg. Thanks to a heavy frost, the start on grass was not at all muddy and, thanks to water works, the previously muddy section around Miller Field has been replaced by an out-and-back on gravel, so once again I wished I had worn road shoes! Nevertheless I had a good run and was pleased to be first finisher – my 10th time, all in different locations.

After the run it was only a 15 minute drive to the Stickle Ghyll car park, where I just had time to get changed into walking gear in the back of the car before Amy, Isla and Lily arrived. We were lucky to have clear blue skies and light winds for our very scenic walk over the Langdale Pikes, taking in five Wainwrights: Loft Crag, Pike of Stickle, Harrison Stickle, Thunacar Knott and Pavey Ark. The paths and rock were generally dry and grippy but there was a lot of water-ice in the streams, tarns and puddles, which the girls were excited to see. It was good to see that Isla was much more confident near steep edges than she had been on our last walk (up Black Combe in August), and even managed the short scrambly sections without hesitation. Lily was also enthusiastic about the scrambling, as expected! It was good to catch up with Amy as we walked. It’s surprising how long a walk takes with two under-10s faffing, and we got back to the car just before dark.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/3190828

Lily, Amy and Isla below Pike of Stickle

Langdale and Windermere from Harrison Stickle

I returned to Kendal for dinner with my parents, and was well placed for my journey to the Highlands the next day. To be continued…
You can find my full photo album here.

Weekend with the Liveseys (22nd-23rd November 2025)

I took a weekend trip to the southern edge of Cumbria to visit Ruth, Josh and (now five-month-old) Chloe in their grand new house in Hale. As I’d attended the RR Harriers Awards Night on Friday evening, it was a Saturday morning drive north this time. That gave the opportunity to visit a new parkrun, extending my line of visited events close to the M6 with a small detour into Warrington, 70 minutes from home. A band of rain had been passing over from early morning but conveniently subsided to nothing by the time I was doing my warm-up. The course comprised a 1km loop within Victoria Park, followed by an out-and-back through Black Bear park with a short loop across some playing fields and beside the Manchester Ship Canal at the far end. Flat and fast, but nothing very scenic or memorable on this very grey morning! I finished third in a time of 19:08.

I was back on the road soon afterwards and arrived at Ruth’s before 11am. After a tour of the house and a coffee, we were off out to the make the most of a dry afternoon. I borrowed one of Josh’s bikes to join Ruth for a linear bike ride along quiet lanes to Newby Bridge. I could definitely tell I hadn’t ridden for over two years, with some shaky bike-handling in the low-speed corners to start with! The route was mostly quite flat, except for one steep climb over Tow Top to raise the heart rate! Don’t think I’ll be adopting cycling as a new hobby anytime soon, but it was a good way to spend some time with Ruth while she got some exercise between baby feeds. Josh and Chloe went by car and were waiting for us with sandwiches for lunch on our arrival.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/3172504

After a short drive into Grizedale Forest, it was time for the day’s third physical activity: a walk up Carron Crag, a Wainwright Outlying Fell I had not previously visited. We followed a signposted loop on forest tracks and paths. DIsappointingly, no summit view as the cloud was extremely low all day! We all returned to Hale by car and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the house.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/3172501

Josh, Chloe and Ruth at the summit of Carron Crag

Sunday was wetter, and we had a relaxed morning. After lunch, a drier spell allowed us to get out for a short walk to explore some of the local footpaths. The woods west of Hale are, surprisingly, dotted with sections of limestone pavement! We passed through the hamlet of Slack Head then took another path up to the Fairy Steps, a popular local landmark. The footpath squeezes through a narrow crack in the rock to get up/down a small limestone crag. We descended to Beetham then followed more footpaths through the fields back to Hale.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/3172505

I headed home after an early roast-chicken dinner, the journey taking an easy 2h01 on quiet roads with no roadworks at present. It was great to see the new Livesey house, to catch up with Ruth and Josh, and to see how much more Chloe is interacting with the world now. There are a few more photos here.

A weekend in Kendal (28th-30th March 2025)

I spent a weekend visiting my parents in Kendal, by chance coinciding with Mother’s Day. On Saturday the forecast was for a bright start then a wet afternoon, so a parkrun seemed the ideal activity. We took the short drive to Fell Foot parkrun, at the south end of Windermere, which I had not visited since 2019 despite it being the closest to Kendal. The summer course was in use for the second week this year, and the recent dry and breezy weather had done a good job of eliminating all mud from the grassy path around the meadow. I had a reasonable run, a little under 20 minutes but nearly a minute slower than my previous visit, then joined Dad for his second lap.

Once back in Kendal and showered, I spent an hour or so pressure washing the patio. In the afternoon, Mum and I enjoyed a game of Scrabble, then I walked down to town in the rain for a chat wiht the Patricks over a cup of tea – good to catch up for the first time since Ruth’s wedding nearly a year earlier.

Sunday was a sunny day, although quite breezy in the morning. We took a half hour drive to Dentdale for a scenic walk from Dent village. We started with a short but steep ascent on the bridleway beside Flinter Gill, lined with attractive old trees and with sporadic views of the unusual slabby stream-bed (but with very little water flowing down that day!).

Near the top we passed an unexpected viewpoint with a topograph identifying the surrounding peaks, including the Howgill Fells to the northwest, Aye Gill Pike across the valley and Great Knoutberry Hill to the east.

A little higher, we reached Green Lane, a traversing track, which we followed to the east, boggy in places, for around a mile. Whernside gradually came into view ahead as we rounded the hillside. We paused for a lunch break below the eponymous Great Combe of Great Coum, then descended by another bridleway, Nun House Outrake. Then it was easy walking along the lane to Double Croft. There we were surprised to find the bridleway down to the riverside flooded, so instead of joining the Dales Way we followed parallel footpaths beside a smaller beck back to Dent. A lovely day out in the sunshine!

We returned to Kendal for the rest of the day, and I headed back home to Derby after roast pork for dinner. You can find more photos here, and a map of our Dentdale route here.

Christmas in Kendal (24th-27th December 2024)

I spent a few days with Mum and Dad in Kendal for Christmas. Ruth and Josh also joined us for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The weather was pretty wet on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so my only outing was to Penrith parkrun on Christmas morning with Josh.

On Boxing Day, we took a short drive to Wray Castle for a walk on the western shore of Windermere. The cloud was low but it was still a scenic stroll through the parkland and woods, passing a few boathouses and taking in the views across the lake.

Dropping down to the lake shore from Wray Castle

Dad, Mum, Josh and Ruth in the grounds of Wray Castle

On Friday, I walked with Mum and Dad from the house up to The Helm – again lacking in views due to mist, but it was good to get some fresh air.

On the 28th I headed north for my traditional New Year week in Scotland. More about that in the next post!

There are a few more photos on Google here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1MVuDuYNYArL8DT6A

Ruth & Josh’s Wedding (6th-7th April 2024)

Ruth and Josh were married in St Mark’s Church, Natland, followed by an afternoon reception in the village hall with music by Kendal Concert Band, and a smaller evening reception, with meal and ceilidh, at Melmerby Village Hall.

St Mark’s Church, early on wedding morning.

Peter’s clarinet solo, during the signing of the registers

The happy couple, heading out of the church

The next day, a few of the guests met up for a short walk up South Tynedale from Alston.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/2617134

There are a few more photos on Google Photos here.

Christmas in Kendal (22nd-26th December 2023)

After a year’s break while they were in rented accommodation, my parents returned to hosting our Christmas family gathering, at their new house in Kendal. I took the Friday off work and travelled north in the morning, thus avoiding the evening rush. In the afternoon, I made a start on pressure washing the patio and paths around the perimeter of house.

Saturday was a fairly wet day, but started with a dry weather window for a visit to Penrith parkrun. Dad participated in the run and Mum came along to spectate. A strong westerly wind made parts of the course hard work, but gave me a good excuse for being 40 seconds slower than on my previous visit in the summer. After I’d scanned my barcodes, I caught up with Dad for the remainder of his second lap. We stayed at home in the afternoon, and Mum and I enjoyed a game of Scrabble.

Christmas Eve was a little brighter. I finished off the pressure washing in the morning, then Ruth and Josh joined us for a pre-lunch walk from Sizergh Castle up the ridge to Helsington church and back. We enjoyed good views over the Lyth Valley and Morecambe Bay.

On Christmas morning, Ruth and Josh took the opportunity to join me for a bonus parkrun. This year we chose Lancaster, where we knew there would be a chance to see Joe and Andrena, and Josh’s brother Toby. The course was exactly as tough as I remembered it from my one previous visit in 2017, with two steep climbs on each lap, and a very muddy section beside the small reservoir. I couldn’t keep up with Ruth’s fell-running colleague, Richard Mellon, but was pleased to be within 10 seconds and to finish in under 21 minutes.

Once back in Kendal, and showered and changed, we sat down by the Christmas tree to open the presents. Then we enjoyed our traditional roast turkey dinner before a lazy afternoon. I helped Dad set up his new tablet while Ruth, Mum and Josh played a couple of games.

Boxing Day looked like the one nice day of the visit, so we took a morning trip to Tarn Hows for a family walk, arriving fairly early in anticipation that the car park would get busy later on. There were beautiful reflections as we set off around the west side of the tarn.

Then we picked up some tracks through the forest to reach the slopes of Black Fell, and followed the grassy path up to its summit for views over Coniston Water. We could see that an unexpected rain shower was approaching over Wetherlam, so we didn’t hang about long before setting off back down to Tarn Hows, completing our circumnavigation by following the paths on the east side back to the car.

Dad, Mum, Ruth and Josh at the summit of Black Fell, with views of Coniston Water

A map of our route can be seen here.

In the evening, it was turkey leftovers for dinner, and a bit of time spent packing for the next phase of the holiday – in Scotland, as usual!

My full photo album can be viewed on Google Photos here.

To be continued…

Visiting my Parents in Kendal (21st-23rd July 2023)

I took Friday off work for a long weekend visiting my parents in their new home in Kendal. I drove up after dinner on the Thursday night on fairly quiet roads to arrive around 9:45pm with just time for a short chat and supper drink before bed.

Friday morning was showery but forecast to brighten up for the afternoon, so we had a leisurely morning and a prompt lunch before driving to Grasmere for an afternoon walk. Even on a weekday, it was pretty busy in the Lakes, and we only just found space in the free parking layby on the main road. Plenty of others had chosen to follow the same route as us, up Easedale to Easedale Tarn, but the valley was still quite peaceful and the surrounding fells looked good in the sunshine. We admired the waterfall on Sourmilk Gill as we climbed, with Tarn Crag gradually coming into view above and eventually the tarn itself.

It was breezy by the tarn so we didn’t stop long there, dropping down slightly for our snack break. We returned by the same route, with views of Helm Crag and Fairfield ahead, and took the short detour into Grasmere village to pick up some gingerbread before heading home.

Saturday’s forecast was for continuous heavy rain. I was keen to attend a parkrun but by the time I went to bed had not managed to decide between heading west to Millom, north to Penrith, or south to Morecambe Prom. I got up early to leave all options open and, reviewing the overnight radar data and morning forecast, decided that Penrith had been the driest and had the lowest chance of rain. It didn’t seem promising as I drove through persistent rain over Shap Summit, but pleasingly it cleared about five miles south of Penrith. It had clearly not been a very wet night there, as I found on my warm-up that the course was not even puddly, whereas I had seen that it had flooded during the previous week’s parkrun!

Hoping for a good time on the flat, gravel-surfaced course, I decided to set off at about 19-minute pace and see what happened. I was really pleased that I was able to cling on to that speed all the way and finish in 19:09 – my best since before the pandemic. I had passed the 5km mark in 18:57. Drizzle started to blow in as I caught my breath, so I didn’t hang around for long before setting off back to Kendal.

It actually stayed fairly dry for much of the day. We went out for a local walk through Kendal Parks after lunch, and only got caught in one short shower. It was good to explore the immediate surroundings of my parents’ new house a little.

Sunday had been supposed to be a better day than Saturday but actually turned out much wetter, the rain barely stopping at any point. We had a game of Scrabble in the morning, then an early lunch, then got our waterproof jackets and trousers on for an afternoon stroll down to the River Kent. Plenty of water was flowing around the big meander and over the weir at Watercrook, with even the ducks choosing to stay on the bank!

After enjoying roast dinner with my parents, I had a wet but undelayed evening drive back to Derby. Overall, not a good weekend to have chosen to be in Cumbria, but I was glad that I’d taken the Friday off and enabled that one good outing to the Lake District! There’s a map of our route up Easedale here, and a few more photos here.