A north Lakes man has devised a long distance walk which has generated a lot of interest since it was uploaded on social media.
The 144-mile Lakeland Way has been conceived by Cockermouth’s Richard Jennings who reconnoitred the route over three years, and has now experienced the joy of seeing the first person complete the circuit which starts and finishes at the small coastal village of Ravenglass.
The route takes the walker through valleys and over passes and follows old coach and drove roads, corpse routes and tracks used by early travellers by packhorse. Many of the paths were once used by miners and quarrymen who walked from the neighbouring hamlets to reach their workplaces in the depths of the fells.
On some sections the footsteps of Roman soldiers are followed as they marched over the fells to strategically placed forts.
“The Lakeland Way has been devised to take in the scenery, nature and history, rather than being a rush to bag summits along the way,” said Richard, 51, who is a cabinet maker.
“It is not an official route or waymarked, but is my own personal walk dedicated to the people that have worked and shaped this wonderful landscape.”
The walk passes close to Keswick, visiting Rosthwaite on the second day from Wasdale Head, before it makes its way through Buttermere to Braithwaite and then on to Dockray, Patterdale, Troutbeck, Grasmere, Coniston, Seathwaite and Boot.
“The website has been up live for a year but I was not expecting so many people to come across it,” said Richard. “The first person walked it officially last week and I have had a lot of interest from fell runners.”
The first person to complete the route in 12 days was John Falcus (https://lakelandway.uk/johns-adventure/) who was accompanied by Richard on the last leg of the journey across the estuary to the Market Cross in Ravenglass. John has written a blog about the walk which can be seen on the Lakeland Way website.
“I wanted to produce a walk for my daughter Emily, who is six, and to be able to say to her: ‘This is daddy’s walk’,” said Richard, whose interest in walking really started when he was living in Barnsley, not too far away from the Peak District. “I then developed a love for the Lake District and moved to Cockermouth 10 years ago and I have got to know all the routes, villages and local folk really well.”
Richard’s companion while reconnoitring the walk was his border collie dog Frankie who sadly died earlier this year.
To find out more about the route visit: https://lakelandway.uk/about/
