True to style, we turned a long day into an even longer one to avoid dodging cars on the A590 out of Windermere, so Strava’s predicted 35km day turned into a 36.25km one.

It was a gorgeous start to the day too, with the mist over the lake clearing as we had breakfast. 

The path by the lake was perfect, wide flat gravel with a view of the lake, diverse sheep and tiny beaches where you can skim stones.

We’re going to call the stone skimming competition a draw.

Eventually though, what always happens, happened and our path vanished.

It’s a perfectly lovely path, then it stops. No warning, it just fades rapidly into the grass and at a bend (usually a blind one) and then we’re back dodging cars. Today we dodged a whole coach on a bend in a road that wasn’t wide enough for two cars. So at any opportunity after that, we chose detour paths like this, over stunning stone walls with their own inbuilt steps.

Or across fields through bracken covered paths,

with fabulous views out to the Pennine hills

and steep wooded paths.

So by the time we reached our hotel we were exhausted.

No time to rest completely though, just enough time to transform ourselves for L’Enclume, a nearby 3 Michelin starred restaurant.

We have SOooo earned this……

Distance – 51.3% of the length of the UK 780km/487.9 miles. I can feel every one of them in my feet and legs.