Lady Anne's Way - Brough Sowerby to Langrigg

 Wednesday 12th August 2026

1. Extreme hot weather warnings are in place.

2. It is a once in most people's lifetimes opportunity to view of an eclipse.

3. It is the "Glorious" 12th - opening of the grouse shooting season.

4. It would have been my mother's birthday.

Quite a significant day

As for the hot weather it is something I can cope with better than many but this was seven miles,  more than my comfortable distance these days, so it was something of a challenge. Later, back home I was more dehydrated than normal, and even this morning I still have a mild feeling of unquenched thirst.

Again back at home there was much hype on the tele regarding the eclipse with commentators struggling to say something meaningful whilst waiting amongst the crowds at Jodrel Bank. I sat in my study which looks towards the east, but I had no proper viewing aid so couldn't look directly. Apart from a slight darkening,  less than many rain clouds might make, nothing much happened. I did see the one in 1999 when I went with a freind to France to view, and then being dropped off to do the the Tour of the Vanoise, the first of several of those tours that I walked in the Fench Alps. That eclipse was full-on with the eerie darkness and silence so at least I have that from the Memory Bank.

As for the grouse murderers their joy of killing will have been spoiled by the huge moorland wild fires that have  prevailed in these successive heatwaves. That is worrying as one wonders what they may turn their attention to in lieu.

Mother was very well read and literate writng profound poetry and a novel (umpublished) and it has always been a sadness that I wasn't a bit older before she died to have had more valuable interaction at a higher level than we did. It was also sad that she died on a Christmas Eve when my daughter, who would have been her first grandchild was born on 18th January following.

Back to my continuation of Lady Anne's Way in bits. There was a small section that I had not previuously walked to link my last section with today's and I felt honour bound to tick that off despite some irritating logistics. See the map below. By the time I had faffed about with this necessity I was in quite a bad temper at the delay at getting on with what I considered the proper walk for the day. That feeling did dissipate after a while and all in all this was an enjoyable country walk apart from a more thasn usual need to consult map and GPS resulting in a couple of minor diverions, and some annoyance at uncharacteristic Ordnance Survey incorrect postioning of paths.  For the rest captions to photos will replace a blow by blow account. here. 

The pale green at left edge is Lady Anne's Way. The short vertical bit was previuosly unwalked. My intended route for the day started where Lady A's turns sharp left where in retropsect I should have parked but at first sight I disdmissed this, why I know not, and pressed on to park at blue line, top of map and walk round anti-clockwise back to the car which I then drove back to the proper start of the day's walk. What a faff!

The first parking spot

The second parking by the footpath sign. In the forground is the point at swhich previuosly unwalked joins the start of today's walk proper.

On the very short, irritating bit of previously unwalked

Looking back to Brough Sowerby village

Pennine hills which were pleasingly visible during most of the walk

Down to cross for a short stretch on the A66 to enter Church Brough village

Church Brough Village. Where paths lead out at the northern end footpaths were not accurate on the OS map

The Roman fort at Church Brough, known as Verterae (or Verteris), was a 3-acre military installation established around AD 79–80 to guard the vital Stainmore Pass. Its earthworks were later reused in the 11th century to build Brough Castle, which is managed by English Heritage. 

A ramshackle gate and and cheapjack hairy orange string. Here the string looks as though it might be alive and seems to be employed in its unraveled state well beyond its capabilities.

 

Lowgill farm. It is unoccupied and appears to have been sanitized prior to going on market?

Langrigg school. This where I leave Lady Anne's Way for next time and turn for my alternative return toute. I was pleased to confirm reasonable parking for the start of the next section

Welcome bench in  Great Musgrave for my sandwich stop. Note the stone pillar beyond the seat which displays the toposcope in the next photo.

The sun shone on this making photo impossible. Photoshop has done its best. The toposcope shows the surrounding hills to mark Elizabeth 11 90th.

Exiting Great Musgrave

Is this related to an earlier one commented on by Alan R on the Nateby section?

Green = Lady Anne's Way
Purple and blue.= today's route. anti-clockwise 

Lady Anne's Way - Kirkby Stephen to Kaber

Friday 7th August 2026 

Another short stretch of Lady Anne's Way but progress is slow because I am having to do circular walks of five miles or so, therefore only two or three miles on the route.  I am not too bothered about that, the main objective is to have an enjoyable walk regardless. But becsuse this is proving to be a worthwhile campaign suited to the parameters for my limited walking I am keen to make progress. I will keep going with what I think is easy walking to the northern end at Penrith and then think about starting at the other end from Skipton.

The short blue line is my approximate progress to date.

Today I decided to motor  to Tebay instead of going via Sedbergh and although it is longer I saved about ten minutes getting to Lowmill Bridge at Kirkby Stephen where there is good parking.

The way follows the river Eden north on a gnarly rootpath lined with tunnel forming trees to arrive at the A685 and couple of hundred yards thankfully on on a good footpath alongside this busy road. Branching off a minor road passes Eden Place, a National Trust garden venue which may be worth a visit sometime. Now a pleasant footpath leads across semi parkland to Winton with views of the distant Pennines triggering memories of past forays.

Winton is a pleasant village where I parked a while ago for a circular which followed part of Lady Anne's but omitted a short link further on to continue the LDP from Brough Sowerby, but more of that in the next section.

More easy field walking took me to Kaber, my furthest today on the Way. Here I was able to confirm a small car park right at the re-commencement of the route for next time. Walking out of Kaber there is a splendid Primitive Methodist chapel which seems rather grand in the context of this small village. It was closed as a chapel in 2005 and is now a holiday let, but having retained much of its interior and outward appearance. Just before that the Kaber villagers have constructed an attractive circular stone wall resting spot with seats, all in all a worthy millennium project.

From here my return followed quiet lanes repeating part of that Winton walk in July last year;

winton-north-of-kirkby-stephen.html

From the lanes a tricky section of interconnected footpaths skirted Winton and I wandered off line briefly which can be seen on the map below. Sod's Law had me repeating what was the steepest bit of hill on the whole walk, but it was only a short pull.

I am enjoying this project and look forward to the coming sections.

The tree root path leading off up river from Lowmill Bridge

A short stretch on the A685, but a good path. I've driven up that road many times over the years. Now there will be another spot along its way that coincides with a previous walk.

Off into parkland

A good stretch of the Pennines - memeories

Winton.Note the telephone box where I parked last July

Perfect field walking with views. On the way to Kaber

Kaber's tribute to the Millennium, plaque detail below.
 Perhaps the influence of the Primitive Methodists lingers on?

"A thousnd years in thy sight are as but yesterday"
Psalm 90:4

The impressive Primitive Methodist chapel

Half a mile back to the car from here at Hartley

Green: Lady Anne's. Purple: me. Just short of 6 miles

In reply to BC's comment here is my guess at the hills in the photo:

Lady Anne's Way - Nateby to Kirkby Stephen

Monday 3rd August 2026

I continue this camapign for walking Lady Anne's way in bits. Unfortunately at my ration of 4/5miles I am only walking half the distance on the route having to return to the start by a circular route. I am not at all bothered about that, it is just  such a great pleasure to be walking and exploring any new terrirory, and today I rekon my curate must have bought fresh eggs because it was "all good."

I am driving via Sedbergh and the twelve mile stretch from there to Kirkby Stephen on the A683. This road is almost devoid of traffic. I have driven it twice now in both directions and have not had another vehicle in front or behind or overtaking and the road progresses in a series of enjoyable bends with great views almost all the way into the Howgills on the western side

There is a good lay-by just south of Nateby at exactly the point where thr LDP meets the road. After good paths into Nateby the way follows a sunken medieval lane but with good views and thoughts of the old traders  and perhaps pilgrims with pack animals. making their way from village to village.

At one point I notice a large boulder built into the wall with an inscription. It is unreadable firstly through weathering and secondly because of a difficult stylised script. Later in Kirkby Stphen I detoured to the Visitor Centre to see if they had some information. Two jolly ladies sold me a booklet for £2.00 which details Meg Peacock's eleven poem poetry trail, the poems having been been skilfully engraved into stones along the way by artist Pip Hall.

Now here I have to say that there is a kind of friendly rivalry going on between my friend Bowland Climber and myself about who has or has not visited venues we both come across on our wanderings. Back home I perused the booklet which has a map with the poems numbered one to eleven but unfortuntely those numbers are not collated with the script where each peom is only dentified by the month of the year to which it refers, and also there is no showing of the poems themsleves. Wanting to see the poems I turned to Google and the first hit, top of the first page, was Bowland Climber's post from November 2023 on which I commented. BC had walked the whole trail and his post is superbly detailed and enhanced with really good photos especially as there was a lively abundance of water in the rivers and streams. I highly recommend you to visit.

https://bowlandclimber.com/2023/11/28/the-poetry-path-kirkby-stephen/

BC had found the text of the poems and here are the two I found before I knew there was a whole trail, the second one being a little further on from the one decribed above. It was strangely plonked in the middle of a stream and not easy to get close to. Apparently whilst being manoeuvred into position at the time it fell conveniently into a perfect resting place and so was left as was.

Here is the text from the two I found.

From field and fell run cols run small. I am the rain tear in the eye blood in the vein I am the sea. 

Coltsfoot, celandine, earliest daisies. Twin lambs race to the mother, baby cries, Mam! Mam! Jolt out of them and now they jostle the ragged ewe, boosting each split hoof high off the bitten turf. Pinching jaws and hard curled coats are braced against these April suns and sleets. 

I will have to see if rhe next section of this campaign takes me to somewhere that may be new to BC, not easy!

Just past that second stone I crossed a footbridge over a tributary of the River Eden and on the other side was a gate with a footpath sign pointing back down to the riverside. It seemed unlikely but I followed the river round rhe corner for about thirty yards before retreating, but a huge crag of red sandstone towered over the stream on the far bank contrasting with the white limestone of the stream bed itself, an interesting bit of geology.

Pleasant walking took me to Kirkby Stephen and a joining with the Coast to Coast LDP  at Frank's Bridge. Frank was the proprietor of a brewery, long gone I learned. After the Visitor Centre detour I came back and continued to my turning point at Low Mill Bridge where I noted good parking for the start of my next section. I returned by pleasant lanes, good field footpaths and some tarmac to my car. It seems I am following stretches of the river Eden so I am filling in a bit more of the Eden Way that I abandoned a while back after several forays from further north.

Just leaving the car park lay-by. I had to squeeze uncomfortably through that stile.

Sunken medieval lanes, expecting the burbling Jabberwock 

Nateby

From the Internet: "The dismantled railways around Kirkby Stephen include the historic Stainmore Line and the Eden Valley line, which closed between 1952 and 1962. Today, parts of the old trackbed form popular scenic walking and cycling paths featuring magnificent restored Victorian viaducts..." 

Bowland Climber refers to the viaduct trail in his post mentioned above.

The first of the poetry stones...

...and the second. Not easy to photograph

The gate left of other end of bridge lead me to wlk round the corner of the stream before coming back to reveal the red sandstone cliff, photo below

I think may be a Lady Anne's Way marker. The first I have seen

Red sandstone contrasting with limestone stream bed

Frank's Bridge

Kirkby Stephen

Outside the Visitor Centre

Looking back to Tailbridge Hill and Great Bell (I think)

Pennine journey and definitely Lady Anne's Way

Low Mill Bridge, my turning point from Lady Anne's Way

Kirkby Stephen industrial estate

Nearly every gate over a wide area of square miles had identical fastenings. There must have been good haberdashery salesman in the area some time back?

Coming back through Nateby, only a few hundred yards back to the car

.

Today's route purple. Green: Lady Anne's Way