Dunmail Raise

Anyone with even a passing interest in the Lake District will be well aware of the closure of the A591, just North of Dunmail Raise. Earlier this week a shuttle bus service started from Grasmere to Keswick....But that wasn't for us, we decided that with the road in effect closed we should have a wander over and back. It felt strange being able walk basically where we liked on what normally feels more like the set of "Wacky Races"!

This old milestone close to the large lay-by near the foot of the Southern side of Dunmail Raise.
Its a good bit further than 11 miles to Keswick by car from this point at the moment, due to the torturous detour

This old mine level was broken into when the "New" Dunmail Raise road was created. Its on the Eastern side of the road, I think it was probably made in the search for Iron Ore.

Plenty of time to look back and admire Helm Crag, and in the centre of the picture the old Second World War Pillbox.

Steel Fell had a scattering of snow, the mist was drifting round in the light breeze

The AA box outside "Raise Cottage"....although I still think of it as the Achille Ratti" Club Hut.

Here we have the shuttle bus service timetable.

I may have seen this old stone before, I can't remember!
MCWW....Manchester Corporation Water Works of course, this would have been their Southern boundry.

King Dunmail's Cairn, you risk you life trying to get to this normally.

Lots of work going on, this is the "ByPass" part, with the recently installed "Bailey Bridges"

Here we're on our way back on the resurfaced old road, surely the best road surface in the entire Lake District!!
It would be good to think when the A591 is re-opened this will be kept as a cyclepath avoiding  busy, narrow section of the main road

Between the two temporary bridges....It looks like its always been like this!
Back along the road to the car. Although we stopped to have a chat with the guys on security duty. They had some interesting tales to tell of the abuse they and their colleagues had suffered by some vehicle drivers who clearly thought they were "special"
We enjoyed our unusual walk, it was good to take the opportunity to check out on foot what we usually speed by>