C2C day 1 St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge
I slept soundly, and although not totally hungry due to my fish and chips dinner, I did have a hearty full English breakfast and some grapefruit and some toast with local home made jams and marmalades. Delicious! There was a couple staying there also doing the c2c, and I saw them several times during the next few weeks.
Off I set on my reduced distance day 1 hike. The day was a mix of cloud, showers and some sunshine, great walking weather. After retracing my steps back along fields by the railway line I rejoined my route at about 3.5k and turning under the railway line to more fields until I came to Moor Row. Lots of styles and kissing gates so far today, a few with tricky (for me) latches, and a couple of stiles with broken posts. Also a style that no longer needed climbing as there was nothing either side of it 😁.
Dent hill is currently closed due to forestry work, so I decided to take a route through Cleater Moor and over Flat fell. Cleater no longer has a shop, and Cleater Moor has a few shops and basic cafes, my thinking was that would be a good break time – though no longer needed on my shortened day,! At Moor Row (about 5k) I joined the Whitehaven- Rowrah cycle shared path. It is nice paved and very well signed narrow path that also forms part of the c2c cycle path. I followed this till 7.5k, with a few cycle path junctions, till I was coming into Cleater Moor. I saw no cyclists today but several dog walkers!
Cleater Moor is a declining small industrial town, but recently there are plans for rejuvenation. I walked along the high street to the church across Fritzington road (quite a busy road to cross). The narrow lanes to the right of the church lead up a steep hill most of the way on Nannycatch road which has virtually no traffic, a dead end lane leading to the fells (11.5k).
It’s a beautiful walk over Flat fell, with indistinct trails through the grass leading to a cairn at the top. Lots more sheep and many views (between the showers!), back towards St Bees, across to Dent hill, to the ravine (which is another Dent hill alternative route), and north east to the mountains beyond. From here the quickest route would be diagonally NE to meet the path that takes you down off the fell. I decided to head SE first to take a better look at the ravine and path down from Dent Hill, then follow along the edge of the steep ravine north to this same point down. More great views in this area, and views further a field appeared and disappeared as the rain clouds moved away and back again.
So at about 14.5k I was off the fell and on a narrow grass path separated from the lane, but parallel to it that took me into Ennerdale Bridge. I had an airalo esim using EE, today I found that there were a few spots without across the fields, and no access as I came across and down flat fell into Ennerdale bridge (also none, tried Vodafone also). Not that I needed it today, but was planning a rendezvous tomorrow so we will have to plan well! Along here I had my first glance at Ennerdale water, and once in Ennerdale bridge went straight to the Gather cafe for tea and a lovely piece of ginger cake. I had originally thought I was unlikely to make it there before closing (4pm) but with my new shortened day 1 I was there before 12.45 and before the heavy rain started. (15.5k 3.5hrs).
It is a comfortable picturesque cafe, with lots of homemade made sweet and savoury items, as well as a shop area selling a few essentials, as well as some souvenir/craft items. I spent quite a while there savouring my cake and polishing off my cup of tea, then since the sun was back out I headed off to wander around Ennerdale Bridge (church and a pub) and followed a path down to and along the river for a little way. Luckily I didn’t go too far though, just as I reached the Shepherds Arms where I was staying heavier rain started.
The Shepherd Arms is an old Hotel/Inn that has several bed and breakfast rooms, and also has a bar where drinks and meals are served through out the day. My room was very comfortable, double bed and my own bathroom down the corridor. Iwas eating dinner here so the continuing rain didn’t matter! I had a lovely sweet potato and hazelnut tart with a local beer and went to bed early for an early start the next day