Preferring to lie in the shade, under my favourite bush, July and August are not months this cat ventures into the Lake District.
If the exercise bug hits then there is always space and tranquillity to be found around the edges of the county with the Cumbrian Coastal Way, with its varied history alongside the stunning land and beachscapes, there is something for everyone.
Add to that the lure of the eastern fells and walks in and around the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and why would the locals or the discerning visitor need to battle the crowds in Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick?
But I will return to the Lakes next month as I have four American friends visiting and I need to sort out my Cumbria Cat One Day Lakes Tour itinerary.
I have two stock routes, both of which include the central lakes, one my north route and one for the south with both starting and ending in West Cumbria, the location of that favoured bush.
Both routes share a common start: Cockermouth then the Lorton Valley, past Crummock and Buttermere and over Honister Pass to Borrowdale where we divert to Ashness Bridge for the iconic photo of the bridge with Derwentwater, Bassenthwaite and the looming Skiddaw.
Then to Keswick. Here is a chance to grab a saucer of milk and a walk down to Friars Crag checking, on the way, the offerings at the Theatre by The Lake before resuming on the A591 to Grasmere and Ambleside.
Here is where the route diverges: The south route takes us west into the wonderful Langdales before the long haul over Wrynose and Hardknott passes where I can regale the visitors with tales of the Roman Legions marching to Ravenglass, our next destination, and be grateful I have a trusty 4×4!.
I wish we had time to do no more that look at the magnificent miniature steam locomotives of La’al Ratty before we head south taking detours to the coast to, hopefully, weather permitting, see the Isle of Man, before heading back inland to take in Coniston and Hawkshead and the ferry to Bowness.
Taking the Lyth valley to we can link up with the A65 before, for me, the quick jog up the M6 through Tebay Gorge to come off at junction 40 to take the A66 west.
This final leg takes us past Blencathra and Bassenthwaite Lake, where, of course, I will tell them this is the only lake in the Lake District, before we complete the south route back in West Cumbria.
The North route breaks off just beyond Ambleside side up the Struggle to Kirkstone Pass before we head down to past Brotherswater to Glenridding where I might drop off the Americans who can take the steamer to Pooley Bridge where I can spend a quick hour exploring one of my favourite little corners of the Lakes.
Then its north for a quick dog leg via the A66 to Mungrisdale, Hesket Newmarket and Caldbeck before taking the road down towards Wigton where there are simply gorgeous views over the Solway Plain and across to Scotland.
We end this with a dash to Silloth via Abbeytown before a gentle saunter back along the coast past Allonby.
The beauty of both these routes are they provide a glimpse of everything Cumbria has to offer from high passes to windswept shores, and lakes like jewels with more than a little glimpse of the long history of our wonderful county.
And, for me, a chance to have the odd saucer of milk, a fish lunch, an afternoon tea in the widest variety of hostelries and cafes and a spot of shopping.
Is the dry smoked bacon from Waberthwaite the best in the world? Or proper Cumberland Sausage from a proper butcher who each have their own secret recipe of spices and peppers? How about Gingerbread from Grasmere or Kendal Mint Cake? What about Hawkshead Brewery versus Hesket Newmarket’s infamous Dorothy Ales? And where is the best ice cream?
And as for those live in the memory views? I have a room adorned with photographs I have taken across the world, from Bali to Falmouth, from Guadeloupe to the Mississippi Delta and from Seville to Rome and Boston, but are any better than that from Ashness Bridge or the rowing boats bobbing on Derwentwater?
The Lake District and the areas that surround it, hold much for the visitor and the local alike. And remember, take only memories and, of course, a selection of the best food money can buy.
About Cumbria Cat
Born in Cumberland and, from 2023, will be back living in Cumberland, having spent most of the past 50 years in some place called Cumbria, this cat has used up all nine lives as well as a few others.
Always happy to curl up on a friendly lap, the preference is for a local lap and not a lap that wants to descend on the county to change it into something it isn’t. After all, you might think Cumbria/Cumberland/Westmorland is a land forged by nature – the glaciers, the rivers, breaking down the volcanic rocks or the sedimentary layers – but, in reality, the Cumbria we know today was forged by generations of local people, farmers, miners, quarriers, and foresters.
This cat is a local moggy, not a Burmese, Ocicat or Persian, and although I have been around the block a few times, whenever I jump, I end up on my feet back in my home county. I am passionate about the area, its people, past, present and future, and those who come to admire what we hold dear, be it lakes and mountains, wild sea shores, vibrant communities or the history as rich and diverse as anywhere in the world.
