St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge Day 1

After the dramas of the previous evening we rejoined the Coast to Coast path where we had left it, about 2km north of St Bees, and turned toward Ennerdale Bridge.

Now a word about the weather, that most popular of English conversation topics ...

The south of England has had an unusually dry and warm spring with some even talking of drought. The rain just prior to our arrival had therefore been most welcome.

But the north of England is different from the south in many, many ways, as people from both the north and the south will be quick to tell you. Here in Cumbria it has apparently rained non-stop since April. We have been warned that we are likely to be "knee deep in mud" and our guidebook says the Lake District is among the wettest places in the UK.

So we considered ourselves lucky indeed to have walked in fine and warm conditions today, up Dent Fell, down the steep side of Raven Crag and along the charming and secluded Nannycatch Beck into the Lake District. What's more the forecast for the entire week is for more of the same! Let's hope the Met Office has got it right.

Brackenwray Farm - our lodgings at the end of Day 1

So we bade our farewells to the Irish Sea from the top of Dent Fell and we are lodged tonight in another excellent B&B, Brackenwray Farm, a mile or so from Ennerdale Bridge. We were also rejoined at dinner at the Fox and Hounds by Heather and David who drove up from Kent today.

After another 15-16km today including some hill climbing, our muscles, joints and spirits are still in good shape. So we are preparing to head deep into the Lake District tomorrow (joined by Heather) with a possible excursion up to some of the higher fells. I doubt we'll ever get a better weather forecast for it!