The Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater, is tucked away in the West Cumbrian fells and sandwiched between two lakes, which means when it comes to pre- or post-pub lunch walks there are endless choices.
The wellie brigade (young and old) have lots of lakeside rambles to choose from. Loweswater has a lovely old wood on its shore. Awash with bluebells in May, at other times you can potter along the paths looking out for deer and red squirrels and hunting for the hidden waterfall.
Crummock Water is also surrounded by a great mix of old trees and has countless paths to explore. There are becks to guddle in, caves to jump out of, footbridges to run across, a stone boathouse to picnic beside and lots of shingly beaches to swim from.
For the walking-boot band there are fells all around. One of my favourites is Melbreak (1,670ft, grid reference NY 14306 19471), bang in front of The Kirkstile’s beer garden, it challenges you to give it a go as you tuck into your slow-cooked Lakeland lamb. A short, sharp, and in parts slightly scrambly, ascent up the front takes you to the summit from where you can check out the rest of the Lake District before heading down a more gentle path off the side and along a track which delivers you back to the pub. Done and dusted within an hour, a friend and I once did this between our main course and pudding at the pub.
But it’s not all location, location, location when it comes to The Kirkstile: it has its own brewery (check out The Kirkstile Gold) and the food’s fantastic.

www.kirkstile.com
+44(0)1900 85219
Loweswater, English Lake District, Cumbria, England, UK, CA13 0RU
Google map: bit.ly/hjOiiB

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If you're fit (ish) why not try fell running? Before moving to the Lakes a few years ago I thought fell running was for bearded, scraggy, mountain-goat types. Not at all, it's so much fun.

Ditch the heavy walking boots and bulky rucksacks, slip on some fell shoes (lightweight and nobbly) and go. Walk up the steep hills, run along the ridges, trot down. You're moving faster so don't need lots of clothes, you drink out of becks. Nothing beats running along a mountain ridge on a clear day with your mates (or simply your dog) alongside.

Having said all that, my husband's in the mountain rescue team and would never forgive me for encouraging people to get into trouble - so start with something relatively easy (perhaps walk up Catbells, run along and up on to Maiden Moor, drop off on the Grange side and run back through Manesty Wood and alongside Derwentwater). Great route - and it's not on my husband's patch!

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Get up early and have the fells to yourself. There will be far more wildlife around (I saw two roe deer, three red squirrel, pheasants and rabbits in the woods overlooking Bassenthwaite this morning) and no one on the tops. I was running with my dog for more than an hour, through the woods and up on to Lord's Seat and Barf, and met no one until I returned to the car park at Spout Force and some Americans asked the way to the waterfall. Set your alarm, the earlier the better.

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