The day dawned bright and sunny and we felt that with an early start we should be able to get somewhere more unusual today.

Having lived in St Bees for twenty five years, Loes had a yearning to get back to the west coast

so it was into the car, drive west and then south to Ravenglass and finally we turned up towards Muncaster Fell.

A very wide piece of ground on the bend beyond Muncaster Castle was big enough for ourselves

(and a few other cars should they have the same idea).

On the roadside was two adverts for future events at Muncaster Castle just down the road.

The track up towards the fell is aptly named Fell Lane.

Give or take a wiggle or two has a direct line of sight with the Roman fort down at Ravenglass below and Muncaster Fell ahead.

It would have given the Roman forces direct access to the high ground and a potential view of Hardknott Fort further up the valley.

The noticeably presteigne nature of the wall was explained very soon by meeting this gentleman wall builder

who was remaking the wall with fresh stone, left over from a local building project . . . a quality rebuild indeed.

The woods to the right of the lane had a reasonable display of bluebells, still to reach their prime.

The Ulpha Fells of Yoadcastle and Stainton Pike, seen through another field gate.

Looking back, westward down the lane to the Irish Sea and the distant Isle of Man.

Dylan stops for a quick breather, his jaunty gait due to his rather poorly left leg not taking any great weight.

He is nevertheless very enthusiastic about being out and being able to walk somewhere different.

Stacks of wood and the state of the track hint at on-going forestry work.

Immediately ahead is the tarn, but we can't see it due to the increase of undergrowth of recent years . . . we take the turn to the right.

A quick detour from the main track gave us views of Muncaster Tarn

looking great in the sunshine and with lovely reflections due to the lack of wind . . . we'll look closer on the way back.

At the top end of the forestry they seem to have been felling the invasive Rhododendrons and scrub trees.

A white mound is a smoking volcano of ash from their fire, surrounded by the smallest of tape cordons.

As we leave the trees and reach the top of the first rise, the views ahead open out.

Looking back on the reverse of the previous photo, with the western horizon now clear

from Black Comb in the south to St Bees in the north.

A few folk about as we approach Hooker Crag, the highest point of Muncaster fell.

Dougal jumps onto the trig with a little help from me and a steadying hand from Loes.

Dylan so wanted to be up there too, though his face implies he's now having second thoughts about the whole idea.

With both dogs safely down there's chance for a summit panorama as Loes talks to the walkers we met.

The view south to Black Combe, the most south westerly fell and south western tip of Cumbria.

When we walked back down through the woods we took the same little diversion as we did on the way up

but this time carried on around the lake to enjoy it to the full.

A family of geese swimming along on the far side of the tarn.

We were rather pleased that recent weather had been sunny and had given the track chance to dry out.

The wind had dropped by the time we reached the far end of the lake, so the reflections were delightful.

Stacked wood alongside the track looks like it has been selected, but for a purpose unknown.

Behind the undergrowth at the foot of the lake the calm water supports a float of water lillies.

Up and over the last slight rise as we start our way back down Fell Lane.

Dylan seems to have coped well with the walk and the pace of the day.

- - - o o o - - -

That evening we went to Church in Lorton . . .

. . . not for a religious experience but to listen to a concert by Mr Chris Banister