This time I set off north from Staveley rather than south, via Potter Tarn and the River Kent. It was a cold, grey, windless day; mercifully it has been dry for over a week, so there was no slippery mud to contend with on the up/downhill sections.

Truth be told, it was quite a dull walk. It sounds great to have views of the Lakeland hills, but – not wishing to sound ungrateful – a grey day highlights the monogreen bareness of the land. Thank goodness for serendipity: hens, another Thirlmere gate (built to enable engineers to maintain the Thirlmere aqueduct) and my first sighting of massed St George’s flags on an estate in Kendal. I’m still thinking about the latter.