Day 1 - Arnside to Kirkby Lonsdale, 21.1 miles.

Total ascent, 770m (2526ft)

Thursday, 2nd August. 

Drought in the north west!!! Hosepipe ban in the north west!!! Oh they’re so funny around here. It was pissing down when I ate dinner, pissing down when I went to bed in my “cosy single room”, pissing down every time I woke up folded pretty much in half in my cosy single room’s bouncy castle inspired bed and pissing down during breakfast. 

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks is very much like most pubs that provide accommodation; a pub first and a B&B second. Thus the beer and food were far superior to the room (and in particular the bed) and the breakfast. But it was cheap and most B&B singles aren’t, or they don’t have singles and charge a supplement for single occupancy. This effectively makes it a choice between a hotel, a good bed and breakfast and a good moan. And who doesn’t love a good moan?

During breakfast a family appeared asking if the person who’d said last night he didn’t want breakfast could have one as he’d changed his mind. The landlord was not happy and made sure everyone knew it, though it turned out that the reason for his displeasure was, “We don’t cook breakfasts now, we pre-prepare them the night before and heat them up, so we haven’t got enough food for him.” 

Further entertainment was provided by two radios (in the kitchen and bar) playing the same channel, but one was on the satellite TV and presumably the other was on FM or DAB because there was a significant signal delay between the two, which gave Fast Car by Tracy Chapman a spaced out, psychedelic effect (which I initially blamed on the mushrooms). This reminded me of the recent World Cup final, which I watched the first half of in the garden on my laptop. I had a delay the neighbours obviously didn’t, so they were loudly cheering or booing goals and decisions several seconds before I saw them, which had quite a spoiling effect. I watched the second half on the telly, and still wonder why they wanted Croatia to win so much that they had to shout so loud. Attention seeking probably. 

The forecast had predicted the rain to stop by 9am so that the north west could be like everywhere else in the country. At 9:30 it did and I’d wimped out of walking till then, preferring to drink more weak coffee and stare out of the window. I knew that today’s walk would be the longest at about 18 miles (aside from the final half day the shortest is about 14, so pretty consistent), but fancied having a look at the Arnside and Silverdale AONB en route to the actual coast, so promptly added on 2 miles wandering around and over a pretty, wooded hill (deciduous with lots of beech - the finest of them all IMHO). 

Jen - can’t believe this is a real place!!!

I reached the actual coast to find no sign of the sea as far as the eye could see, just endless  sand banks and mud flats. Consolation came with the first quality coffee of the day and bonus carrot cake. The route now began its easterly with a few zig zags path, passing through several pretty nature reserves before, at 2pm, crossing the M6. This is the third time I’ve walked over the M6, the other two being on ‘the’ coast to coast at Shap. I don’t know why I find it so fascinating but I stood there for what seemed like ages. For the record it was busier southbound. 

Busier southbound.

I passed through the uninspiring village of Burton-in-Kendal before climbing the second hill of the day, which appears to have several names (including Newbiggin Rigg, Holmepark Fell and Farleton Fell) and is an important hill in my history. The first time I ever visited the Lake District I remember heading north, reaching the M6 sign for junction 36 and getting the most ridiculous adrenaline rush because on the sign it said, “The Lakes”. This meant I was on holiday and it was going to be EXCITING! I also noticed a hill on the right and thought nothing of it, but next visit I saw the hill from a few miles away and recognised it, therefore getting a pre-adrenaline rush adrenaline rush! I’m not sure how my fellow travellers coped with all this.

I vowed that one day, for no reason at all, I would stand on top of the hill on the right and look down on junction 36, and today was that day. It’s a coincidence that it’s on this route and to be honest I’d probably never have bothered but the views were pretty impressive, including those of the M6, though it’s quite hard to see junction 36 because of the shrubberies. 

Lots of today’s walk from “the hill on the right”. Start of walk in far distance, M6 in middle, junction 36 out of shot to right. 

Kirkby Lonsdale is lovely and I’ve no idea why I haven’t been here before, especially as I know the other towns around here so well. I’m in the Royal Hotel and my room is lovely. Now is that because it’s a hotel and not a pub with rooms? But lots of rubbish pubs with rooms call themselves hotels. I think I’ll give up on this line of thinking. 

Stats Zone:

I made a mess of this by accidentally stopping the recorded walk part way through, so it’s split in two.