After the riggors of the AGM on Friday night, this walk was planned to be relaxing and gentle, enjoying the scenery around Levens, Stainton, Crooklands and Hincaster.

We enjoyed really lovely winter sunshine all day, and at one point had to resort to T-shirts.  The route out from Levens took in the deer park  (the D in the drug) and then passed by the gorge of the River Kent close to the A590 (more attractive than it sounds). We spent a few minutes looking for leaping salmon as aparently it is just the right time for them, but to no avail.

Stainton had provided a perfect picnic stop for our elevensies, with the embers of their belated firework night bonnie still smouldering to provide us with a heated checkpoint! We then enjoyed the twists and turns of the Canal and made our way past the Millenium Clock in Endmoor down to Crooklands and a lunch stop in the sunshine on the canal path.  Ron rather bravely sat on the fisherman's jetty here - he doesn't learn about Canals does he!

The route back passed through Stainton again to turn the walk into a figure of 8.  There were 360 degree beautful views in one or two places, and with fresh snow on the Coniston and Langdale Fells, and sun reflecting off the Howgills and Yorkshire Dales, we were treated to a lovely panorama. 

And the icing on the cake was the free admission to the Levens Hall gardens at the end of the walk.  Tired but not downtrodden at the end of the day, we still managed to play in the garden Maize made out of hazel and locate the hidden hare in the centre! Thanks to Ron and Ann for a truly relaxing day.