The Cumbria Way: Day 4: Rosthwaite to Braithwaite

This was the shortest walk of the week. I chose to walk to Braithwaite instead of Keswick mainly because of the campsite I wanted to stay at. I learned later that Keswick campsite was flooded that night and they turned away everyone except backpackers. It was still drizzling when I left Rosthwaite but it gradually eased off as I left the village and headed along the river Derwent and into the woods. Everything was a shade of green, partly because of the light through the canopy of trees but also because of the moss, bracken, grass and lichen.

There's a campsite in the woodland which like several I saw during the week has yurts as well as camping. Passing the campsite a lane leads on to the road. Here the Cumbria Way is signed left but I decided to go right which is a short distance to Grange to look for a shop. Unfortunately there isn't one although there are two cafes and a couple of nice houses for sale! After a short distance along the road the path comes back in from the left and I headed across open but boggy fields down towards the lake.

By now I was used to looking for these green and yellow waymarkers but sometimes there are too many as here! As well as the two in the picture there was one on the back too. I think it was just a short variation of the route but this is not a place where anyone is really going to get lost.

Derwentwater was quiet that morning and the path winds through woodland near the bank with a brief visit to the road near the foot of Catbells. I had considered a different route from Rosthwaite up through the Rigghead quarries and over High Spy and Maiden Moor. The clouds were down on the summit though which saved me from having to admit my feet hurt too much to have attempted it anyway.

Finally the path joined the B road leading into Portinscale where the village shop does a better impression of a tea room. If you were going into Keswick you would have another half mile or so to go, but I turned left to join and cross the A66 towards Braithwaite. A footpath joins a minor road passing the Braithwaite Bridge campsite which was my destination, but the reception is at the Scotgate Holiday Park in Braithwaite half a mile further on. The extra distance is compensated for by the pubs in the village and a pint at the Royal Oak went down well. The general store promised much but delivered relatively little late in the afternoon. Don't look for the post office, it no longer exists. 

This is Braithwate Bridge campsite about half an hour after I arrived and pitched my tent. It's pretty peaceful. Another half hour saw 40 more tents erected courtesy of 4th Formby Scout group and at least two Duke of Edinburgh groups. 

I was woken by the rain at 1.15am, and by heavier rain at 4am. At this time of year that's nearly sunrise and by 6am there were plenty of campers up and about and not quietly either. So I joined in, packed up and was on my way at 7am.