Cumbria Way Day 1, Carlisle to Caldbeck

Saturday 22nd April 2017. Over the next week or so Jan and I are walking the Cumbria Way from Carlisle to Ulverston.

We travelled up yesterday by train, spent the night in Carlisle before setting off today at the crack of 9.30am. it was a lovely day, mostly sunny but not too warm. We stopped for a break after 7 miles at the Bridge End Inn near Dalston. It gave my aching back a rest.

Most of the walking was along the river on good tracks. Not much in the way of signs for the Way, we saw just 3 all day. All was fine until we reached Bell Bridge, a few miles from the end. It had been washed away in the floods of 2015 and hasn’t been replaced yet. The central span was completely missing, just the approach piers remain on each side. The alternative was along the road for a mile or so to the next bridge.

We walked down the hill and into Caldbeck village at 4.30pm, a total of 16 miles from the Travelodge in the middle of Carlisle. That’s the longest day done. Fortunately, the Oddfellows Arms pub where we are staying was open so I was able to have a medicinal pint before heading to our room.

Tomorrow is supposed to be another reasonable day but snow showers are forecast for Monday and Tuesday!