A LANERCOST RUNNING ADVENTURE

Lanercost must be one of my favourite spots, though I have to admit I have many (you can't live somewhere as beautiful as Cumbria, and have relatives in somewhere as beautiful as Scotland, and not end up with a long list of favourite places).

The picnic we had there last week made me think about the footpaths around the area, and I wondered if I could work out a new off-road running route.  A perusal of the map once I got back home seemed to confirm that this might be the case, so all I had to do was wait for some reasonable weather (I'm rather a fair-weather runner unless I've entered a race and don't have the choice) and then head off, map in hand.

I parked at the picnic site near Lanercost Bridge.  For anyone who doesn't know this spot, there is a lovely old (medieval?) stone bridge, now only for use by foot traffic and cyclists, and then the road is taken over the River Irthing on a modern bridge.  Near the bridge was the first wooden footpath signpost which had tempted me to go exploring: 'to Burtholme'.  After a rainy morning - Husband had got quite damp on his run earlier - it was becoming a rather pleasant afternoon, but my run nearly ended very soon as I got to a barbed wire fence with no apparent way through.  Turning back however I noticed a gate into a field and a footpath symbol, so headed past the sheep and cows, along the side of a couple of fields and came out at Burtholme Bridge.

The next bit was along the road but it's a very quiet road and there's a decent verge for running on.  The only problem with these quiet country roads of course is that they are all national speed limit, so potentially the few cars which go along there are going quite fast: my brother-in-law had in fact shown off his new fast Subaru to me only a few months ago along this very same bit of lane.  But on this afternoon I think I saw only one car, going along fairly sedately.

Round the corner and I was faced with two wooden signposts, one stating 'Howgill' and the other 'Low Wall'.  I didn't want to go to Low Wall, but I did want to go slightly further west than it looked as if the first one took me.  On the other hand, nor did I want to go miles out of my way so, as I could see the farm I was heading for next on top of the hill, I took the more obvious route.  The path was not clear at all and I ended up running over bumpy muddy ground and then following what looked like tractor tracks.  Arriving near the farmhouse (a very attractive one, I have to say - and it must have the most stunning view), three mother cows and their calves regarded me warily.  I gave them a wide berth and headed through the gate - at which the farm dog yapped loudly at me - and up the farm track for a few yards until I joined the Hadrian's Wall path.

I now felt I was on rather more 'official' footpath ground (I couldn't help feeling a bit like a trespasser going through farmland, even though I wasn't) and at times was rewarded with stone slabs to run on: though I couldn't help thinking that they'd be incredibly slippery when wet, or icy (Husband has run along the wall path in the snow to Walltown Crags..... maybe the snow was so heavy that it helped him grip).   I had also forgotten quite how high the hill was above Lanercost, but was rewarded by a stunning view across to the Lake District Hills, with artistic cloud formations overhead.....

As I ran up the hill, I glimpsed two walkers coming down.  I didn't want to lose face and walk so kept pushing myself up the hill.  As we passed each other they greeted me in a friendly fashion and said 'we won't stop you'.  I rather wished they had: I am very out of practice when it comes to running up hills!

I went past the places my 'team' had lit up torches and flares when the length of Hadrian's Wall was lit up a year or two ago, including 'my spot' at Banks where there is a sizeable chunk of wall in what used to be part of someone's garden.  The house there snuggles down against the hillside and the people had been very kind and had provided cups of tea and coffee and biscuits, and then later came out to talk to me and took some photos.  I was tempted to knock on their door to say 'hello' and relive the memories of that occasion, but I always worry that people aren't going to recognise me, especially when they've only met me once, so headed straight past.

I now had to get back on to road but again I knew it would be relatively quite road.  I hadn't gone far when I was tempted by a sign saying 'woodland walk'.  Looking at the map it looked as if it cut off a corner of the road and came out further down, in the direction I wanted to go in, so I climbed over the rather decrepit stile and entered the woods.

Wow!  I was in the most beautiful woods, full of wild garlic and bluebells and with a stream splashing over rocks down one side.  It looked as if someone had done a bit of maintenance so I headed through joyfully.

After a while though the route became a lot less clear, and the stream - which I needed ultimately to cross - seemed to be getting further and further below the level of the road, which I could tell was not far from the other bank.  I turned back, to find a footpath symbol which I had missed earlier, and which directed me down towards the stream but also sort of back the way I had come.  I decided it was perhaps a circular walk, and ended up on the bank of the stream with no clear way to go: or was that a path up the steep side opposite me?

The rocks around and in the stream were all very slippery, and I just thought how stupid it would be if I broke my leg or something, especially as the battery on my mobile was now getting low.  But I crossed the stream and started to climb up the other side, falling back, fortunately, just the once and not very far.  Thank goodness for trees: I love trees anyway but aren't they great to hold on to when you're trying to climb up or down a steep bank?!  I scrambled to the top, squeezed past the end of a wall and was back on the road: covered liberally in dead flies and with a far smattering of mud, and doubtless also stinking of wild garlic.

The final leg of the run took me on a footpath along the river Irthing and back to Lanercost Bridge.  There were more sheep with lambs in the field, which I steered well clear of, and cricketers in their whites doing their Sunday afternoon thing.  The river here is lovely, with stony beaches and pools which would be great for the children to play in: our next picnic at Lanercost will be here rather than near the medieval bridge.

I stopped to take a photo of the Priory and then headed across the road and back into the car.  It wasn't a long run, but with trying to navigate, the time I spent in the woods and then also the fact that I walked a bit from time to time, I had been out for an hour and a half.  I headed home feeling hot and grubby but happy.  I now understand why some runners prefer running alone: and I loved exploring.