Around Cockermouth - one of my favourite towns (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Around Cockermouth - one of my favourite towns

9:10am Friday 30th December 2011

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Cockermouth has always been one of my favourite towns, and like everybody, I was sad to see how it was devastated by the floods. What is good to see is how the Cumbrian spirit has risen above the waves. The more visitors which come, the quicker the town will recover, so go and follow this walk but don’t forget to bring your wallet and spend some brass in the town.

From the A66 look out for a brown sign indicating the sheep and wool centre. Follow the signs to Cockermouth and look out for the pay and display car parks. There is one close to a Sainsbury’s supermarket and others close to the information centre.

Note: For those who love literature and history then Cockermouth can not be missed. It was here that William Wordsworth was born in 1770. It must not be thought that the Wordsworth’s were poor because their father was a land agent who lived in a splendid old house now run by the National Trust. A more infamous son of Cockermouth was Fletcher Christian who was born in 1764 and was the leader of the mutinees of HMS Bounty. He died on the Pitcairn Islands. There is another Cumbrian connection with the Bounty because it was Sir John Barrow who wrote the account of the Mutiny for the admirality. He was born in Ulverston and the Hoad monument was built in his memory.

Route: 1 From the car park near Sainsbury's approach the war memorial and then the fire station. This leads to the bridge over the River Cocker. This is well named because it is Celtic in origin and simply means crooked and it certainly meanders at this point.

2 Cross this bridge and turn right and follow a sign indicating Double Mills, Southwaite. Follow through a wooded area which is of interest to bird watchers at this time as there are lots of wintering finches, including chaffinches and the occasional brambling. Ignore the more obvious track to the left which leads to a set of steps. Cross a small wooden footbridge into a field. Continue until you reach Double Mill footbridge.

3 Carry on straight ahead and follow the river bank with a youth hostel on the opposite bank.

4 Cross a field and approach close to the river bank. Bear left keeping the river on the right. Go over a stile and under the A66 road. Keep close to the river and over a steep ladder stile, which may be a challenge for less agile dogs. Continue to reach Simonscales Mill Cottages. Here there was once a paper mill dating to about 1770 but this has now long gone.

5 Cross a step stile which leads on to a farm track. Cross this track and over another stile into a field. Once again the river is on the right and the route is obvious. Cross a small footbridge and continue straight ahead.

6 Cross two stiles over a field which is almost always damp and follow the line of a fence.

7 Just beyond the fence bear right and follow a path directly towards the river. Follow a series of stiles and sown a set of wooden steps to approach a pretty little stone bridge. Bear left away from the river to reach a step stile and onto a metalled road.

8 Turn right and cross over the bridge. Built in 1890, Southwaite bridge is one of the prettiest in the town. Pass Southwaite Mill, which has been converted into dwellings.

9 At a sign for Eaglesfield bear right. Nearby is a Quaker burial ground but also the birthplace of John Dalton the founder of the Atomic Theory in the early 1800s.

10 Continue past the entrance to Low Hall on the left. Look for a sign indicating public bridleway. Here turn right through fields to reach a small stream.

11 Cross this stream and then a stile. Continue straight ahead along a farm track and continue to reach a road leading into the sheep and wool centre. Bear slightly left to reach the main road A5086.

12 Turn right to reach a roundabout. Take care in crossing the busy A66 and descent back into the town and the starting point.

Map: OS Explorer OL 4

Grid Ref: 119 306

Length: 5 miles

NB: Restrictions on space mean that this article provides a general summary of the route. It is advisable for anyone who plans to follow the walk to take a copy of the relevant Ordnance Survey map.