Peak n Lake District with a nice slice of Yorkshire on the side.

Peak n Lake District with a nice slice of Yorkshire on the side.



Just planning at the moment after some advice please.



Thinking on taking in some good o’l England. The basic plan is to head from Essex through the Peak District, up to the Lake District, a nice dollop of Yorkshire.

Maybe a couple of days around the lakes and then somehow – down to the Cotswolds and back to Essex. Thinking of stopping in Kendal for a couple of Days



Can anyone offer any suggestions of what to take in, sights to see, routes etc.?
Pubs- villages- (food – cafes – restaurants- tea n cake)

Anyone have any Garmin style mapping. ?



Just trying to get the most from the trip, 4 days – ish . Rain or shine.



Dean

Dean, see if this tickles your fancy -http://kurienp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/page-154-kendal-to-whitby.html - it is a cracking ride though. Can be done in either direction. Give 2 days to stop off at restaurants and see the sights.

Lake districts: do the three passes there - Kirkstone, Wrynose and Hardknott - in that order. After Hardknott, continue on to Eskdale and then take the coast - A595 - up or down. A good road if you are up for a ride.

K

Dean said:

Peak n Lake District with a nice slice of Yorkshire on the side.



Just planning at the moment after some advice please.



Thinking on taking in some good o’l England. The basic plan is to head from Essex through the Peak District, up to the Lake District, a nice dollop of Yorkshire.

Maybe a couple of days around the lakes and then somehow – down to the Cotswolds and back to Essex. Thinking of stopping in Kendal for a couple of Days



Can anyone offer any suggestions of what to take in, sights to see, routes etc.?
Pubs- villages- (food – cafes – restaurants- tea n cake)

Anyone have any Garmin style mapping. ?



Just trying to get the most from the trip, 4 days – ish . Rain or shine.



Dean

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IMHO the peak district is over-rated, its pretty enough but being near too many metropolises its very busy and too many roads have 50 limit on them. We had a weekend there at the beginning of February, it was wet and cold and we still couldn't park in Castleton and the pub we went to for sunday lunch was packed. Its a nightmare on a nice bank holiday monday. Nice pubs and bunkhouse at Sheen and Hurdlow.

Getting from the Peak District to the Dales is a PITA if you want to avoid the motorway, but does take you through some great countryside and some "pretty" post industrial northern towns and some wide open moorland roads. From the Peak district head to Glossop over Snake Pass then north over Holme Pass heading to Holmfirth - stop and have a look at some of the sights from Last of the Summer Wine. Then its a bit of torturous route criss crossing the moors to get over the M62. There's various option but I would head west towards manchester then look for Uppermill, Delph, Denshaw,and Ripponden before heading to Hebden Bridge (well worth a stop and look round) and Haworth (Bronte stuff and a great cobbled street to look at). From Haworth take a minor road toward Colne but when you reach the next main road cross it (staggered junction) and take the back roads to Elslack. These are very quite little used roads with great views. When you reach the A59 take a left towards Gargrave and then the dales are at your wheels. There loads of routes through the dales, the most popular head towards Settle (Naked Man cafe), Hawes (Pennyworth Cafe), Kirkby Lonsdale (Devils Bridge butty van). From Hawes the A684 is a great road through Sedburgh to Kendal, and I mean great as in one of the best runs in the country.

Lake District....all or any of the main passes are good but likely to be slow and congested with people who can't judge how wide their car is, can't reverse and can't turn the steering wheel fast enough for the tight hairpins. I live an hour away and hardly ever go there. The road from Kendal over Kirkstone Pass to Glenridding the all the way up Ullswater is a nice run to pooley bridge. From there take minor roads towards Bampton (nice little village to walk around for 10mins. Have a coffee and cake from the village shop) and Shap and then back down the A6 to ekndal. Nice pub in shap for lunch - can't remember its name but last pub on the left going south.

Lots of very good pubs in and near Kendal, esp to the south where there is a bit of a foodie thing going on. Try the Brown Horse at Dunster (I think the owner is a biker) and there's a home brew and smoke house pub on the road from Kendal to Bowness (B5284) but I can't recall its name. Another cafe worth visit is Wilf's Cafe in Staveley just north of Kendal, there's also a brewery and some other interesting shops and factory units in the little mill development its built on and if you are into mountain bikes theres a huge M&P there too.

On the way back try the Bowland Fells. Turn of the M6 at J34 or 33 and head for Dunsop Bridge and Slaidburn. Great pub near Dunsop Bridge - The Inn at Whitewell or try the Hark to the Bounty at Slaidburn (phone ahead as not always open mid week). Also cafes at both places.

Have great trip.

kurienp said:

Dean, see if this tickles your fancy

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Kurien,

Yes that's a great run thanks for posting it up I enjoyed that with a nice mug of Tea. I must build some of that in our trip

Go do it! indeed The passes mentioned (in order) and A595 to the coast looks very good.

Dean

AustinW said:

IMHO the peak district is over-rated,

Lake District....all or any of the main passes are good but likely to be slow and congested .

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Austin,

Thank you - several cups of coffee later what a lot of little Gems you have mentioned. Google image and mapping brought it to life.

I take your points about the congestion and people. Gods own country a bit of sun and everyone wants to do it at the same time.


I'm hoping for a bit of rain prior to keep the dust down, and for passing through the Peak district, not sure on Buxton, Bakewell has an obvious draw but The Derwent dam in full flow looks like a Moses moment, not to mention the Dr Barnes Wallis & Team with 617 squadron history. the Ladywell Reservoir has some plughole.

Thanks for all mentioned, I will no doubt go over it several times It looks like that butty van draws a crowd at times, the Shap pub was it the Greyhound? The smokehouse, The Wild bore Inn?


They do say you can not beat local knowledge.

Maybe some early starts would get ahead of the crowd

This trip already looks like it's going to need a return

Thank you for the detail

1 month to go! Yipee

Dean

Come up through leicestershire, rutland and Lincolnshire into N york moors and over to the Dales. That should be that as has been said the lakes is too busy and the peaks are too heavily speed controlled.

Wise words from Austin

I can't remember the last time I went to the Lakes (60 miles) or Peaks (80 miles) on a bike

Not for me, for the reasons stated

Dean the smokehouse is indeed The Wild Boar inn, pleasant enough. The road between Kendal and Bowness it sits on is a fine bit of road and generally not too busy by Lake District standards. Another nice pub is The Masons Arms in Bowland Bridge - nice beer garden and views and a nice bit of road to reach it either from Kendal or from the Newby Bridge to Bowness road. Avoid Bowness and Ambleside they are busy at any time but will be rammed from now right through to the end of summer. The Coast road is great and by Lake District standards quiet. If you are going up to the N Lakes, take in the Hartside pass and the cafe on top. You can then ride to Alston, Kirkby Stephen and into the Dales.

Dean said:

Austin,

Thank you - several cups of coffee later what a lot of little Gems you have mentioned. Google image and mapping brought it to life.

I take your points about the congestion and people. Gods own country a bit of sun and everyone wants to do it at the same time.


I'm hoping for a bit of rain prior to keep the dust down, and for passing through the Peak district, not sure on Buxton, Bakewell has an obvious draw but The Derwent dam in full flow looks like a Moses moment, not to mention the Dr Barnes Wallis & Team with 617 squadron history. the Ladywell Reservoir has some plughole.

Thanks for all mentioned, I will no doubt go over it several times It looks like that butty van draws a crowd at times, the Shap pub was it the Greyhound? The smokehouse, The Wild bore Inn?


They do say you can not beat local knowledge.

Maybe some early starts would get ahead of the crowd

This trip already looks like it's going to need a return

Thank you for the detail

1 month to go! Yipee

Dean

Click to expand...

I ought to have posted a map of the route but I was sort of hurrying as the wife wanted to go out, hence all the spelling and grammar mistakes too. Yes, the Greyhound in Shap and The Wild Boar near Kendal.

redrick said:

N york moors and over to the Dales. .

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Thanks redrick

The route that kurienp posted takes in the moors and Dales and looks like a great mapped route

JohnnyBoxer said:

Wise words from Austin

I can't remember the last time I went to the Lakes (60 miles) or Peaks (80 miles) on a bike

Not for me, for the reasons stated

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Ok negative points taken expect speed restrictions and it being in general too busy In the lakes and peaks. But can you offer anything else not yet mentioned as in a positive suggestions of sights to see, routes, Pubs- villages- (food – cafes – restaurants- tea n cake).?

Being a north Yorkshire man and all, anything over yonder not yet mentioned?

Mrsminx said:

Dean the smokehouse is indeed The Wild Boar inn, pleasant enough. The road between Kendal and Bowness it sits on is a fine bit of road and generally not too busy by Lake District standards. Another nice pub is The Masons Arms in Bowland Bridge - nice beer garden and views and a nice bit of road to reach it either from Kendal or from the Newby Bridge to Bowness road. Avoid Bowness and Ambleside they are busy at any time but will be rammed from now right through to the end of summer. The Coast road is great and by Lake District standards quiet. If you are going up to the N Lakes, take in the Hartside pass and the cafe on top. You can then ride to Alston, Kirkby Stephen and into the Dales.

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Thanks for that input Mrsminx yes we do intend to head up to N. Lakes. I googled pictures of the Hartside pass very nice

AustinW said:

I ought to have posted a map of the route but I was sort of hurrying as the wife wanted to go out, hence all the spelling and grammar mistakes too. Yes, the Greyhound in Shap and The Wild Boar near Kendal.

Click to expand...

Thanks Austin, all made sense, I appreciate your input.

Thanks all for your input and help , not long not until the off rain or shine

I have plotted all advice on my L D Map just need to roll it up and squeeze it in my Garmin








Has anyone used the Motogoloco map planner ?


The Ride magazine website has some lake district Mapping in GPX file

JohnnyBoxer said:

Wise words from Austin

I can't remember the last time I went to the Lakes (60 miles) or Peaks (80 miles) on a bike

Not for me, for the reasons stated

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I agree with Johnny and Austin to a certain extent but the Peak District is fine if you know you're way round or have time to explore a lesser know route. There are stopping points such as Yonderman at Wardlow or Monyash which can be accessed on good roads although as Austin says at weekends traffic can be a problem on the more obvious routes. I'd avoid the snake pass which is a 50 limit and very busy. Instead I'd take the Strines Road off the A57 which is a lovely back road which will bring you out at Midhopestones. You can easily get up to Holmfirth and beyond from there.

I'd also avoid Devils Bridge. The A65 isn't a great road and the biker cafe is more about posing and tyre kicking than anything. I might suggest that rather than spending too much time in the Lakes which is also chocka block with retired Honda drivers you might consider going further up into the Dales beyond the A66. There's a cracking road from Leyburn via Grinton and Reeth that continues up via Arkengarth Dale to the A66. From there you can go via Barnard Castle and Eggleston over the top to Stanhope which is a glorious route and there are all sorts of possibilities from there. Places like Alston, Allendale, or even further north towards and beyond Hadrians Wall. Bellingham is nice. Better roads, less traffic, friendly people

Anywhere that are must do rides in bike mags are to be avoided...they're full of bikes and bikers.
I'd go with North Yorks Moors and stick to B roads and less travelled roads (no knobjockeys on sportsbikes) and then Northern Dales into Teesdale, then over via Alston but rather than the cafe at Hartside, try the Village Bakery cafe at Melmerby. It is brilliant.
You can do a nice lap of the Lakes in a day and avoid alot of the crowds. From Melmerby stay at the Northern end of the Lakes and do a figure of 8 taking in Whinlatter, Buttermere, Honistor Pass, Borrowdale Valley back up to Keswick, A591 past Thirlmere thru Ambleside then out towards Coniston, Little Langdale and Hradknott and Wrynose passes (MIDWEEK!!), then out onto the West Coast then head south and ride back towards Coniston before finishing with Kirkstone heading North back to the A66.

Redrick, JB and Harry are all quite right. ....the Peak District is shite. 50 mph limits as opposed to 60 mph speed limits everywhere else (ffs's) ruins it for us all The roads, as they say are chokka as we are surrounded by the massively populated Metropolises of Sheffield, Barnsley, Holmfirth, Derby, Macclesfield and Manchester and Baslow...it's a fair nightmare owd dook, I can tell you. Only last Thursday, during the Easter holidays too more fool us, a 200 mile bimble from Matlock around the Peaks as far as the northern wastes of Holmfirth and back was a nightmare as we saw several cars and at least another three motorcycles during the 12 hours out there.


As for visiting Castleton and other well known honeypots at optimum honeypot visiting times, well, surprisingly then, you deserve what you fekkin get.

As for the speed cameras, err there's a half dozen or so in the places you'd expect in the Peaks...they use them to catch kids and fekkwits.

As JB says, he hasn't been there for yonks cos it's shite ( I can't really work that one out )

Stay away.

Stay away.

He's right of course. And then there's the plague. Some say it's still active in Eyam but it only affects tourists and southerners

When are you there Dean? If I am free and if you want I could come and show you the way round.

harry the cat said:

Stay away.

He's right of course. And then there's the plague. Some say it's still active in Eyam but it only affects tourists and southerners

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Aye ... there's nowt to be seen in North Yorkshire, The North Yorkshire Moors, the Yorkshire Dales and the Yorkshire Wolds, but speed traps and anti social locals everywhere ... best stay away Dean

But if you must come up to Yorkshire then give us a shout, some of us will try to meet up ... if only to keep you away from the best bits you understand. We don't want you going home and telling every fecker how good it is up here