Gummer's How

Distance: 9 miles
Ascent: 500m
Weather: Dry but cloudy and chilly (5°C)
Encounters: Fox, hounds, bogs, jays, moonrise

We parked at the car park near to Fell Foot and got all wrapped up before heading off up the path towards Sow How Lane. A fox headed off in the other direction. There were quite a lot of hounds hurrying about, not letting little things like gates get in their way. Turning off the lane, we went along a forestry track for a bit and then had a wander about in the stumpy, wet forestry plantation to visit a top that doesn't seem to have a name.

After short respite of track (with photograph-taking services) and we were off again up through undergrowth and heather to the top of Swainson, which is one of Wainwright's Outlying Fells and has good views over Windermere. The return back to the track was easier after crossing over the wall.

Sadly missing out the wonderfully named Cop O'Cow Hill which is wooded and looked well fenced in, we walked around Simpsons Reservoir and followed Way Beck (in full spate) north and along a wall through (wet) woods. There was a lot of wet. Quite a lot of it went into Rob's boots.

We passed near Sow How Tarn and through the well manicured looking park land  passed Heights Cottage. The return took in Gummer's How, where Rob took in additional top of Birch Fell and I got some cow-y water in my boot and decided against crossing the muddy stream. So I stood around in some cow-y gorse admiring the views and watching the moonrise.

Wintry Day on the Dalesway

Distance: 10 miles
Ascent: 450m
Weather: grey and nippy
Seen: mud, water bubbling up from the ground, off-limits hill, swans.

We retraced our steps into Bowness and headed off again along the Dalesway. Where yesterday we turned off at the first crossroads, today we carried on along a very pretty path, muddy in places to School Knott promontory and Grandsire. We walked on, through a very wet field with water bubbling up, swirling around in a hollow and disappearing back into a culvert or something. The water was splashed through, slippy rocks and tree stumps almost avoided. We stopped by a fence and looked over to a 256m Hump and decided it was too far from the right of way to visit.
We retraced our steps back to where the path splits between Bowness and Windermere (near Heathwaite Manor) and took the north route back to Windermere.

Bimble around Bowness

Distance:
Ascent:
Weather: started off fine with blue skies, then grey skies, rain, pub.

We walked from our hotel in Windermere along the road to Adelade Hill and then followed the shoreline of Windermere as far as possible (not far) and back to the road through a very soggy but passable field.

A look around the shops (and tearooms) of Bowness and we wandered off up the Dalesway for a short way, before turning off up to Brant Fell. Just as we were considering potential lunch spots, the rain came in and stayed for a few hours. So we went back into Bowness (and pubs) Robinson's Tom and Berry is especially recommended.