A very still, sunny, cold day, so I headed for the hills. The poetry post at Grange was totally out of synch with today’s weather. It was lovely to feel sunshine again – it’s been two and a half weeks since the last bright day – but there were still some icy parts.

I’ve done part of this walk over Hampsfell and down to Cark station before; I remembered certain bits but wondered where other bits were – then realised that I was cutting it short by going via Cartmel rather than Beck Side. A couple of fords and some cattle; snowdrops, sounds of woodpeckers, a barn owl (perhaps) and skylarks on Hampsfell. I could have done without seeing massed segway riders at Cartmel, but that’s just me being cantankerous.

Too sunny a day not to go out, so I caught the train to Grange-over-Sands and walked up Hampsfell. Then I looped down to Cark via Beck Side and the woods above Cartmel. Lovely colours in the slanting sunshine: gorse, holly berries, leaves (of course). Plenty of mud too. I lost my way a little a couple of times, but I’ve learned not to stray too far without checking.

The walk was not without its unnerving moments:

(Had I been brave, I would have photographed the cow before I’d safely gone past it.)