What a fantastic day. We woke to a beautiful autumn morning and were quickly packed and away up Ashes Lane, The plan was to join the Dales Way as it leaves Stavely and continue to Bowness. After climbing for a mile or so we were able to look back at the Kent Valley. We could pick out the location of our site and, later, both the Whinfell Ridge and The Howgills as well as Cunswick and Scout Scar. We were both surprised at the toughness of the walk; there was a lot of climbing, but, as we continued, views of the Lakes opened up: Coniston Old Man, Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and The Langdales with Scafell and Great Gable peeping through. To the east were Fairfield, High Street and the Kentmere fells. As we sat high up enjoying our Christmas cake and cheese, there was absolute silence; civilization seemed a million miles away.
We were both well ready to descend into Bowness and to find that the Dales Way ended at a fine hostelry: 'a cosy inn of our sort'. It would have been rude not to call in. After some food and rehydration we wandered down to the pier to catch the bus up to Windermere where we shopped briefly (and expensively at Booths) before continuing by buss to the site. The bus experiment and our bus passes worked a dream.