Lady Anne's Way - Kirkby Thore to Cliburn

 Monday 31st August 2026

There was no alterative to a long there and back for this section with the need to park a car at the far point for next time. I could reduce the return distance to some extent using quiet roads. I could also see the possibility of using the disused railway line at one point leading dirctly back to my starting point, but if that was not viable I would have to carry on to the A66 death trap and opt for suicidal walking back to The Bridge, or extend the walk by footpath and roads to enter Kirkby Thore by the back door and that is what happened, so until I was back home I hadn't plotted the exact distance. It turned out to be 9.4 miles, that is more than I have walked for a long time, but although a bit tired at the end I was by no means on my knees ( good job in view of their semi artificial construction.)

After pleassnt riverside paths there were less friendly sections through woods with rugged twisting paths eventually leading to the superb red sandstone, multi arch Ousenstand Bridge. A long stretch of tarmac followed which I could see vanishing to a pinpoint, all too far ahead.

At Crossrigg Hall I was back on decent footpaths with more pleasureable walking. An unusual Victorian post box was seen here of a design I have never seen before. My path only skirted the hall, but the Wikipedia details fascinating history of a string of wealthy owners with military and East India Company comnections amongst others and leading up to modern times where there seems to have been plans to develop this into a leisure complex. I noticed the extensive use of proud and sturdy decorative cast-iron railings around the estate. During WW2 iron railings were comprehensively "acquired" by the powers that be to boost weapons and aircraft production. I wondered if these were rare survivors in this out of the way backwater. Just imagine the "Powers" coming round today and taking your railings - it is amazing the lengths gone to  and the inventiveness and improvisation  in the desperation of our situation at that time and that should be remembered. 

Further on a man on a quad bike stopped and remarked on me being a "lone walker." We chatted with interest for perhaps ten minutes on a range of subjects partly influenced by not much of a gap beteen our advanced years.

Arriving at Cliburn I decided to return by roads which turned out to be much busier than I had anticipated perhaps due to it being August bank holiday.

After having to contnue to the A66, the footpath  across the road to Kirkby Thore was blocked by large security fencing plastered with warning notices,  part of the on-going major realignment of the A66. Surprisingly I managed to open the gate and complete my walk to Kirkby Thore.

Immediately oppositeThe Bridge on the A66 where I had parked. Crossing that road was not for the faint hearted

Following the River Eden

Identification? Looked unusual to me

The splendid Ousenstand bridge. Unusually dominating considering it is in the middle of nowhere on a relatively minor road

Tarmac disappearing a long way into the distance

See close up of rare Victorian post box below

The superb iron railngs mentioned above. They look to be in too good condition for circa WW2 unless they have been meticulously maintained over the years 

More of interest on this Crossrigg estate, a fine avenue of oak trees

Quite a lot of corn being grown in the area

Cliburn

Odd?

Blue Lady Anne's way (not a river.) My route red

Lady Anne's Way - Appleby to Kirkby Thore

Tuesday 25th August 2026

A problem with any walk is finding somewhere close to the route to park either at the beginning of the walk or the end. I usually research this using Google Earth. Today I had found The Bridge, a closed down restaurant exactly on Lady Anne's route facing onto the hugely dangerous A66 and exactly seven miles from my last destination at Appleby. Unfortunately I failed to take a photo of The Bridge so I cribbed the photo below from an estate agent's site. At first the jpeg image seemed to be locked (copyright?) Using Preview on my Mac I took a screenshot and saved it as a jpeg and athough this is a poor quality image it serves the purpose.You will see there is a large vacant car park to the rear, and in the spirit of my gung-ho use of the photo I had no qualms in using that car park. I recruited my previously used taxi man from the last section of this campaign and he picked me up at 9:00 am and dropped me back at Appleby so I was off to a good start at 9:10 am.

The route took me pleasingly through Appleby. I have driven past the large column at the top of Boroughgate many times but today I had the pleasure of  walking past, and then onward down Boroughgate to cross the river Eden and then climb out of Appleby to gain mainly old drovers lanes for the rest of the walk almost all on level ground.

From AI:

High Cross: Built circa 1670 as a Doric pillar monument at the south end of Boroughgate, bearing the inscription "Retain your loyalty, preserve your rights". Its stepped base was historically used for selling cheese.

I'm not sure of the sentiment of that quotation. King Charles 11 was on the throne and there was much politico/religious stuff going on.

The walking was almost all level and easy to follow with one short badly overgrown grass field, but the rest was  on lanes and a some tarmac. This would have been a fairly unremarkable country stroll but as with the whole of Lady Anne's Way one is accompanied almost all of the time by views of hills not too far away with the Pennines to the right, and now the northern Lake District to the left.

Arriving back at The Bridge I needed to rurn right onto the A66 to head back to Penrith and south on the M6. Approaches from left and right on the A66 were blind at a distance enough to make the right turn a risky manoeuvre with danger from traffic approaching from either direction, but as you will deduce I survived. Next ime I will need to do it again on foot straight across to pick up continution of Lady Anne's Way.

 

The Bridge. This was a well respected restaurant but now in dilapidated condition and has been  on  the market with no takers for a long time. I will need to use heir car park again for my next section

The 1670 column at the top of Boroughgate in Appleby

Crossing the River Eden

Pennine Hills. High Cup Nick in the dip at right end

Murton Pike

A rare field of overgrown grass. The rest of the walk was on agreeable surfaces and I made good time

An unusual take on stile construction

I tried to get an internet translation but it didn't make much sense:

"pool house" or "pond house"

Shame, I thought I had found something interesting from an educated farmer, a little knowledge...

The main line north

Far Broom farm - zoom to  geese below

Broad Lea. A well found residence

Over the beck leading into Long Marton

The village institute in Long Marton. I couldn't even be sure there was writing on the plaque. My camera zoom triumphed- see below

The village shop in Kirkby Thore. The artic. on the left had been delivering at the shop and had needed to reverse out of the road to the right being directed by the shop owner with much drama while I watched on

There were a few of these bespoke benches in Kirkby Thore dedicated to jubilee/millenium etc.

Lady Anne's Way - Langrigg to Appleby

Tuesday 18th August 2026

I am really fed up with Blogger. It now cuts off the text at the righthand margin and to view that half I have to use the slider at the bottom making editing onerous. Now it is underlining  captions text and I can't stop it or alter its colour. I have spent ages on the Internet reading of others with these problems and trying suggested solutions. Every now and then the guillotine effect reverts to normal but why I cannot tell. I have battled with Blogger over the years and solved many problems but I draw the line at editing HTML text. I have better things to do, but the effort of putting up a post is becoming much more of a toil than a pleasure and as I only have one or two commenters except for rare exceptions. I just wonder if it is worth bothering,  but I do value the blog as a reference for myself.

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I have said it is not a problem if only half my walk contributes to Lady Anne's Way because I have to retrace steps to get back to my car. Having said that I have to admit to frustration because of the overall length of time the project is going to take at that rate. I still have unfinished business from the start at Skipton as far as Grassington, and another section beyond Askrigg. Today I walked 7.6 miles on the route to get to Appleby and took a taxi back to Langrigg from where I had started. I think I can now get to the finish at Penrith in two more hits.

Progress to date: that now extends from north of Kirkby Stephen to Appleby

 In one way I have been fortunate with the dry heatwave conditions not having encountered  muddy paths of late, but there had now been heavy ahowers overnight. All walking today has been more or less level on well defined paths most of which have been cut back earlier in the season, but now becoming overgrown with long wet grass, but quite refreshing.

I have been suffering the boring development of a painful bunion at the base of my small toe for some time but after much guilt for an act of vandalism I resorted to cutting a slit in my trainers and the problem is compltely solved. Needs must. Guilt assuaged. A great relief. Not quite waterproof anymore but worth every bit of that inconvenience.

I had spoken to a taxi firm the day before but couldn't say what time I would arrive in Appleby, but he was amenable providing I wouldn't mind waiting if required. I arrived at 2.10 pm and he picked me up at 3.00pm. One problem with taxi owners is that they always ask for a destination post code but when I have parked somewhere in the wilderness that is not an easy possibility. I sat in the front and navigated for him with Ordnance Survey and GPS on my iPhone and all was well.

Good paths out of Langrigg but now, and more so further on, becoming overgrown with long wet grass

Massive multi-trunked beech tree. Note my poles giving some scale

The path is still there well defined but hidden by the long grass

Today walking gave a pleasant variety of paths, tracks, and quiet country roads

Flitholme

The now dissued railway just south of Warcop where the operating Eden Valley Railway terminates. I wonder what happened when it encountered that banking ahead

LA's Way skirts round the south of Warcop from here 

A rare Lady Anne's Way marker. From here the route more or less follows the River Eden all the way to Appleby although much of the river is out of sight passing through woodland

Skirting south of Warcop

This and below. Characteristic red sandstone in the Eden Valley

Sandford Bridge. River Eden flowing north west towards the the sea, and...

...upstream, and the distant Stainmore fells

I think this is a Massey. Would Alan disapprove at letting it get into this state, or perhaps he would be glad to see it working hard?

Not sure what is the contraption being towed.

Weidemann. Cute?

Northern Pennines across the Eden Valley

Ormside Lodge. Unoccupied and dominated by this massive tree, possibly a yew, all  gloomy

Great Ormside. Posh house. I sat on their garden wall for my refreshment stop

A long stretch of woodland path alongside the Eden. The path was dangerously erroded in places with the potential for a slip into the river

Footbridge over the Eden and a short lane up to the war memorial where I awaited my taxi

A good day of varied country walking with constant views and memories of Pennine hills.