Walking 1000 miles from Lands end to John O'Groats in aid of The Air Ambulance (starts april 7th 2024)

Thursday 26 April 2012

Good luck n bad luck!

Awake and away by 7.45 still no one at the campsite office so free camping!
Out of the site, down the road and turn left into a lane .puddles everywhere, deep long wide puddles! Thick mud at the bottom .......lovely lane other than that!
Out of the lane and through pretty fields with the path next to a stream until we reach the Allerdale ramble path which we follow past countless lambs, and into boggy woodlands by bassenthwaite lake, looks like its been a rough winter here as a third of the trees appear to have fallen, mostly in the way of the path!
Over a road and along another lane we find a small zoo of which I think we saw through the fence most of the interesting animals like bison and tapier !
Moving on the path follows the river derwent where at a small fisherman's bench we stop for a brew, sun shining on the river was lovely.over the derwent and up watch Hill and we get a good view of cockermouth walking down Hill a fell running scares the living daylights out of me far to quiet on her feet ,very glad I wasn't singing to myself!
In cockermouth itself I replaced my old rucksack cover, saying a fond farewell to the cover that had survived lejog :(.
Quick stop at Gregg's for dinner and chuckle to myself at all the townies staring at me with the "is he a tramp" expression! I'd have happily answered yes to that! :)
The neighbouring village of papcastle is built on the remains of a Roman fort ,the only sign I could see of this was the cute little Roman road now lane that we followed out of town (pic to follow)
Now with the wind getting stronger we follow roads to a place called Tallentine then north west on footpaths to Crosby, as we drew close the rain started, quite heavily so we stopped at the local pub in the hope of accommodation, with none to be had and a beer in my belly we brave what is now a storm and head to look at the Roman mile fortlet on the coast, this earthwork at least had some info!
But with the weather not improving we didn't hang about, south east and we're setting up the tent in a nature reserve under a hawthorn bush ,the only shelter visible! Interesting!