Shepherd's warning (the old canal)

Our first office on the business park had a shower, which meant I could go running at lunchtime once or twice a week. When we moved next door into the beautiful office we have now, my only regret was the loss of the shower. 

Sometimes I'd run out through Natland to Barrows Green and then 'round the back of The Helm up to Oxenholme, other days I'd maybe run up to the castle, but my favourite route went out along the river, turned briefly up Hawes Lane and then came back along the old, filled in canal. 

And sometimes when I'm walking back to work from Kendal, I go up to Canal Head so I can come back along the route that the canal once took. So, I reckon I've covered that stretch from Kendal out to Hawes Lane a fair few times, if never in one journey, but I've always fancied going further and following it all the way out Crooklands, where it's blocked temporarily by the M6.

Recently, I formed this plan that I'd ask the Minx to drive with me to Crooklands to drop my car off and then we'd carry on to Canal Head in hers so that I could run back and today we had the opportunity; she was popping up for a few hours during the day. To be honest, the weather didn't look that promising but my enthusiasm for this long anticipated route won the day.

I'd hoped to be at Canal Head for half-three but you know what Sundays are like and in the end I stepped out of the Minxmobile and into the rain at about four o'clock. 

The first mile is all on concrete and that took me to the A65 after which the path is firm but a little muddy. It was after I crossed Natland Road and onto the fields that it got a little more slippy underfoot. Still, it was a lovely to find myself back running along this route that I used to know so well. (I took a couple of photos which you can see in the extras.)

It all went well and as I came into Sedgwick, I found myself on a proper path, which was a bit of a relief. That pleasure was shortlived, though, for as I reached the outskirts on the far side of the village and ran under a bridge, suddenly there was no sight of the canal. Up until now, even at its most obscure, I could usually trace it by where the earth used to fill it had subsided, but now there was no sign. 

I trotted on across the sloping field: how could a canal have crossed this? I followed what I thought would be the contour line, trying to pick up more obvious manifestations of the old canal. I came to some trees and a choice: down towards the A590 or onwards and slightly uphill. Neither seemed a good choice but I didn't think the canal crossed the main road: surely around now it must curve towards Crooklands?

I carried on although it became obvious fairly soon that the route I was on was entirely unsuitable for a canal. I took a left turn through some fields, thinking that by heading north I'd intercept the canal. I was beginning to convince myself that there must have been a sharp left turn as the waterway exited Sedgwick and that I'd missed it.

Past some farm buildings and onwards... I crossed and found a road leading down to some houses, including what, in the fading light, might have been a canal bridge. I ran along the lane and, well, found myself back in Sedgwick, just like a downed pilot wandering through the desert who finds himself back at his broken plane. Except I was a lot wetter.

I jogged through the village and up the steps onto the canal bridge and ran back out to where I lost sight of the canal. For a moment I thought I'd found that missed turn but no, the gate simply led into a field that sloped upwards. I stood there for a minute or two trying to see where the hell the canal's route had taken it. 

But then I could feel my body starting to do the things it does when I've finished a run and I knew I had to get moving again. It wasn't dark but it was getting that way and the rain was getting heavier: not ideal conditions for running through unknown territory. Maybe it was because I was stationary but my 'running brain', which is more prone to daft decisions, kept quiet and I ran back to the road in Sedgwick. 

A quick squint at my phone showed me a route through Crosscrake that would take me down a couple of lanes to Crooklands. It was dark now and hammering down but actually I was quite happy. I guess by this stage I'd done about seven miles with maybe four to go and my legs were still feeling strong plus millions of years of evolution ensured that even in the dark, I could see my way. 

I realised afterwards that a couple of miles later I crossed the canal, now filled with water, and ran along a road next to it for a while but by then I was into the twenty minutes and I was simply focussed on getting to the car. I was quite some way behind schedule by now but the Minx had been tracking me and let Dan and Abi know what was happening so all that was left to do was drive back and take it easy.

Lord, I enjoyed the shower when I got home!

PS As I was driving home and chatting to the Minx, she was looking at Google Maps and it transpires that the canal does go under the A590.

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-11.8 kgs
Reading: 'Middle England' by Jonathan Coe (at a rate of a chapter a day!)