End - Braithwaite
Distance - 11.2 Miles
Key Features - Ascent of High Spy, Classic View over Catbells, Newlands Valley
Geocaches - 5
Pubs - 4 (9 In Total)
Previous Legs - Day 1
A sense of Deja Vu at breakfast, as I take the same table as for last nights dinner, sat next to the same people. They are all Coast to Coasters and I am the only Inn Wayer. Without a doubt, they are jealous of my remaining 39 pubs.
Its promising to be another gorgeous day and the walking starts deceptively easy, across the valley floor. I pick up three good geocaches, including one ironically hidden in an original Garmin 12 Channel GPS receiver.
Borrowdale Valley Floor |
2080 Feet only just makes it a mountain but you try doing it with a weeks pairs of pants and other associated apparel strapped to you back.
Climbing Hut poking out in Top Right Corner |
High Spy Summit Cairn |
Of course, it is worth it. There's a geocache at the top - so I can tweet some extreme caching pictures and get nearly 10 likes from my ever growing band of followers. I also get a good couple of high level, scenic miles in until I am presented with the classic Cat Bells View, jutting out into Derwent Water and the Newlands Valley.
Classic Lakeland View |
Pub 6 - The Swinside Inn, Swinside, Thwaites Lightfoot
And it's an absolute gem.
Sight for Sore Legs |
The only problem with it is its painted white and on leaving (for leave I must), I can see it for miles as I make my way up Stonycroft Gill for the day's 2nd ascent to Barrow Door. A quick Geocache and a bit of a lie down and I have one of those classic walks, seemingly never ending downwards with Braithwaite always in view.
Beautiful Path to Braithwaite |
Pub 7 - Coledale Inn, Braithwaite, Yates Bitter
There's a really good chance that this will be my pub of the week. Yates Brewery has become something of a discovery over the week and this was the first place that it was sampled. The pub is handsome enough, but the views from the Beer Garden are even better.
Could be "Best of the Week" |
I'll admit it. I had more than 1. |
They should have put me on commission, I had a 100% sell rate.
It will take a long time for me to forget this most pleasant of afternoons.
Pub 8 - Royal Oak, Braithwaite, Jennings Sneck Lifter
How's this for co-incidence. Not only have I stayed here before, I was put in exactly the same room. In the future, it may need a plaque to show that Mappiman the blogger stayed here. Twice.
Its a perfectly functional boozer, where the food is good quality and plentiful and the beer well kept.
Recommended Base |
Pub 9 - Middle Ruddings Country Inn, Braithwaite, Fell Brewery Tinderbox IPA
The Braithwaite representative within the Good Beer Guide.
And you can guess it. I had the first (and on completion, only) pint that I didn't enjoy in the week.
Middle Ruddings |
What are jolly japes in an afternoon, take on a sinister hue as darkness falls.
I retired back to the Royal Oak to see how the birthday celebrations were proceeding.
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