FELL running legend Wendy Dodds will open Love Ambleside’s Festival of the Fells tonight (Thursday, September 21) at 7pm in The Golden Rule, with tales of long distance epics, and women running pioneers.

Wendy, one of the first women to take part in long distance fell races, is still competing at the highest standard after almost 50 years and will talk about her exploits in the Lakes, Scotland and beyond.

This launches the four-day festival in and around Ambleside featuring a wide variety of guided outdoor activities, plus film shows and talks by some well-known outdoor adventurers in mountaineering, cycling, fell running and climbing.

The festival also offers taster sessions and guided activities, including wild swimming in Windermere in daylight and dark, as well as electric cycling, guided walks for all abilities and a two-part course in Nordic walking.

Full programme of events at www.festivalofthefells.uk or pick up a brochure from town centre shops and the tourist information centre at The Hub, Market Cross.

Events include the Triple Spine three-day Lakeland Challenge walks, plus FBX workout classes and Max and Paddy’s Great Ambleside Dog Walk, dog show and dog agility.

There will also be worn wear free clothing repairs, a trail race, abseiling, Freedom Wizard’s wheelchair users’ ramble, ghyll scrambling and a duck race organised by Ambleside/Kirkstone Rotary Club along Stock Beck through Rothay Park to Miller Bridge in aid of Alzheimer’s Research.

On Friday, John Phoenix Hutchinson, festival poet will be at the Market Cross all day and the famous Ambleside-Kirkstone Pass car pull is on Sunday.

Mountain art and an exhibition of Lakeland images is on display in the Cookhouse Gallery, Church Street, and a craft fair takes place at the parish centre on Saturday, 10am-4pm.

Talks take place throughout the festival, including State of the Planet by environmental photographer Ashley Cooper, and Mark Hatton on the history of Lake District mining and quarrying, and Fix The Fells Ranger Sarah Anderson about life as an upland ranger.

There will be food from around the world at a street food market on Saturday and Sunday, plus live music at the Market Cross on Friday and a free concert on Saturday, both from 7.30pm-10pm, and live music in the Lily, The Unicorn and Ambleside Tavern.

This year’s festival is sponsored by Heart of the Lakes, the Ambleside-based holiday company.