21/09/13 - Coast Path. No Coast.

Distance - 6.5 Miles
Geocaches - 13
Walk from - Country Walking Magazine


Last Night
Following directions from our landlord, we headed away from Grange-Over-Sands and went to the nearest best pub - the Pheasant Inn.  Unfortunately, it is in the next village along, Allithwaite.  It was a 35 minute walk, with plenty of ups and downs and no lighting for the way back.

This provided plenty of opportunity to discuss what we would have to eat and Sonia was desperate for a Goats Cheese Starter.  Imagine our joy when it was one of the special starters.  She ordered it along with a Taxi for 9.30.

This arrived bang on time and whisked back to our abode, which has taken on a more sinister hue in the darkness.  We entered and a year after visiting Venice, watched "Don't Look Now" on DVD.   I say watched it.  Sonia was asleep within 10 minutes and I was ordered to turn it off when I let loose my first little snort.

That's mountain walking for you.

Today's Walk

Cartmel

We have come to Cartmel.  A fine medieval village, with a priory, a Michelin starred restaurant and the home of Sticky Toffee Pudding.  What more do you want?

The weather is abysmal.  Opened the curtains to see the sea view.  It was a cloud view.  It wasn't raining as such, more like a low cloud had come down for us to walk through. 

Park up at the race course and head off Cistercian Way.  Slight detour to find cache of the day, but we have to wait for a muggle to pass.  You cannot just say "Morning" in this part of the world.  You end up in a 20 minute conversation.  Whilst I pass time waiting to grab my cache, Sonia learns how easy it is to take a dog on holiday to France.  When the next muggle comes, we have to pretend we want to take photos.

Told you the weather is grim

At last, we get the cache and head off on the walk proper.  Two more easy caches along Hill Mill Brook and through Walton Hall Farm. 

Short bit of road walking and then into the woods to pick up the Cumbrian Coast Path.  This is interesting.  We are at least two miles from the coast.  Even if we weren't walking through a cloud, I doubt whether we could have seen the sea. 

It was a very nice path though and not without its dangers.

Snakes Alive

We head uphill through the forest and meet another couple who are on the same path.  We need a bit of space between us, so Sonia leans against the marker post for a photo and to waste a bit of time.

Post not as sturdy as expected

Keep on the coast path.  Once through Burns Farm - now offering holiday homes to hardy souls - the ground takes a turn for the worse.  Its now a mud bath.  The walking would have been superb if only we could have seen more than 20 yards.  Sonia is getting tetchy, asking questions about teashops and civilisation.

At Speel Blank, I can see there is the option of taking 1.5 miles off the route by taking a short cut along the road.  I offer her this choice.

Mrs Mappiman - "I don't mind, whatever you want to do"
Mappiman - "Well the map looks interesting and there is a cache"

I open the gate to the sound of "Get back on this road now".

That's a cache I will never see again, but at least there are plenty more on the way back.

The navigation gets a bit tricky as we move between the farmyard and wild house steads.  At least we get the answer to the question "what do farmers do with old cars?"

Just drive them into a bush

Last couple of caches and thankfully, we can hear humans meaning we can get out of the miasma.  Although we are back at the car, it would have been churlish not to have investigated the pretty village.  There are certainly hordes of people doing the exact same.

She was disloyal last night and had Ginger Pudding

Three sides of a square dominated by eateries and drinkeries

Four free papers and a pint.  Afternoon entertainment sorted.