Lake District trip

Some friends live in Cumbria. I met them here, Filling Station Cafe Keswick - quite pleasant for a place frequented by bikers

On your way up/down, take a ride through the Forest of Bowland. Ride through the Trough of Bowland and onto Quernmore. The views across Morecombe Bay are lovely.

The road over Moor Cock (always amuses me when that appears on the satnav) from Slaidburn to Bentham is a favourite.
 
Silloth motorcycle museum. Small but free, although a contribution is encouraged. Ride up the coast from Maryport to get there.

Peel island if you can get there in March. Small open boat from Roa island if it’s running. Best if you can work out how to get back to your digs when drunk as the pub is good. While there or before you go to Peel island Walney island for walk, look at seals, wildlife etc and the Dock museum in Barrow in Furness are nice.

Anywhere along the coast is worth a lookey-lookey. Morecambe bay and Duddon estuary views are stunning - try the back road out of Ulverston for example. Walk round the old iron workings (flooded) at Millom. West coast….Sunset Café at Silecroft, Ravenglass is pretty but only worth a short stop, Seascale for views to IoM and umm, well Sellafield nuclear power station. Whitehaven harbour is surprisingly nice but Workington isn’t. Maryport and Silloth as mentioned. Bowness on Solway is nice to mooch about for a short break.

Roads wise….
Passes - meh, always too busy. But do them all the views are worth it, and sometimes the idiotic Shenanigans of drivers provides a few moments of amusement.

A5095 from Greenodd in the South and the onto the A595 all the way to the Sellafield area is fab. North of Sellafield it’s all duals and 30mph until Maryport. The B5305 from Wigtown in the North to its junction with the M6 is a good fast quiet road. Watch for a few VERY sharp corners though. Lyth valley from near Milnthorpe to Bowness is one my faves. Short, challenging but fun. Big air in a couple of places.

Penrith to Alston then onwards to Middleton in Teesdale on either the B6277 or the A689 (turn right as you reach Stanhope) is a classic fast bike route. You WILL enjoy it. Return to Cumbria via Brough on the B6276 (another amazing road) and Kirkby Stephen - Sedburgh - Kendal.

Some beautiful villages in the area north of Skiddaw (north of the A66). Back o’ skiddaw as it’s known. Greystoke, Hesket Newmarket (brewpub), Caldbeck. Lakes distillery is this way too. Restaurant, whisky and more. It’s a smart somewhat expensive place but worth it.

Honeypot places are ok as long you know what you getting: avoid Bowness it’s horrid. Ambleside, Grasmere, Keswick, Glenridding are better. Have a ride on a boat. The one from Glenridding on Ullswater is the best imho. Get off at Howtown and walk/ back. It’s a long walk though 6miles and proper boots and Goretex needed.

Umm, that’s enough for now. Cumbria is just far enough from me for a good day out without being my back yard.
 
Lots of arty cultural places to visit too if that’s your thing

Glass blowing at the very posh Cumbria Glass in Ulverston is great (we did last year). But book. While in Ulverston go to the Laurel and Hardy museum.

Arts and crafts place at Blackwell near Bowness is good. Then there’s all the poets n stuff - Wordsworth stuff near Grasmere and Ruskin near Coniston. I’ve never bothered with this stuff, same for all the Peter rabbit bollocks at Far Sawrey. One look at the coach parties lining up for their visit puts me right off.

Loads of arty places to galleries in every town but the Old Courthouse gallery in Ambleside is very good if challenging on the credit card. Modern stuff at Windermere fine art is worth a look and theres half a dozen Cook House galleries for the trad Lake District arty stuff.

Lakes motor museum at Pooley Bridge (look out my mates 1930 Rudge) pencil museum in Keswick, and I think there’s a Bluebird museum in Coniston. In fact it might even have recently got the rebuilt Bluebird boat - something in the local news about it recently anyway.

Pubs…. Heft inn in High Newton is Michelin starred but does normal priced bar snacks that are amazing. Normal(ish) pub with a Michelin star kitchen attached.
If Michelin style dining is your thing the Lake District is blessed with choice.
Wasdale head inn for its stunning location.
Kirkstone pass inn has just reopened so should be worth a visit.
Manor Arms on the square in Broughton in Furness is a great trad boozer with good real ales if that’s your thing.
Wild Boar between Crook and Bowness is a weird place but does an “alternative afternoon tea”. A meaty and beet based afternoon tea instead of cakes and tea. Go there hungry. It’s big.
There’s lots of good pubs in the lakes actually just avoid anything with a coach or two in the car park.

Enjoy. Where are you staying?
 
AustinW said:
Silloth motorcycle museum. Small but free, although a contribution is encouraged. Ride up the coast from Maryport to get there.

Peel island if you can get there in March. Small open boat from Roa island if it’s running. Best if you can work out how to get back to your digs when drunk as the pub is good. While there or before you go to Peel island Walney island for walk, look at seals, wildlife etc and the Dock museum in Barrow in Furness are nice.

Anywhere along the coast is worth a lookey-lookey. Morecambe bay and Duddon estuary views are stunning - try the back road out of Ulverston for example. Walk round the old iron workings (flooded) at Millom. West coast….Sunset Café at Silecroft, Ravenglass is pretty but only worth a short stop, Seascale for views to IoM and umm, well Sellafield nuclear power station. Whitehaven harbour is surprisingly nice but Workington isn’t. Maryport and Silloth as mentioned. Bowness on Solway is nice to mooch about for a short break.

Roads wise….
Passes - meh, always too busy. But do them all the views are worth it, and sometimes the idiotic Shenanigans of drivers provides a few moments of amusement.

A5095 from Greenodd in the South and the onto the A595 all the way to the Sellafield area is fab. North of Sellafield it’s all duals and 30mph until Maryport. The B5305 from Wigtown in the North to its junction with the M6 is a good fast quiet road. Watch for a few VERY sharp corners though. Lyth valley from near Milnthorpe to Bowness is one my faves. Short, challenging but fun. Big air in a couple of places.

Penrith to Alston then onwards to Middleton in Teesdale on either the B6277 or the A689 (turn right as you reach Stanhope) is a classic fast bike route. You WILL enjoy it. Return to Cumbria via Brough on the B6276 (another amazing road) and Kirkby Stephen - Sedburgh - Kendal.

Some beautiful villages in the area north of Skiddaw (north of the A66). Back o’ skiddaw as it’s known. Greystoke, Hesket Newmarket (brewpub), Caldbeck. Lakes distillery is this way too. Restaurant, whisky and more. It’s a smart somewhat expensive place but worth it.

Honeypot places are ok as long you know what you getting: avoid Bowness it’s horrid. Ambleside, Grasmere, Keswick, Glenridding are better. Have a ride on a boat. The one from Glenridding on Ullswater is the best imho. Get off at Howtown and walk/ back. It’s a long walk though 6miles and proper boots and Goretex needed.

Umm, that’s enough for now. Cumbria is just far enough from me for a good day out without being my back yard.
Click to expand...
Epic info, really appreciate that (y)
 
AustinW said:
Lots of arty cultural places to visit too if that’s your thing

Glass blowing at the very posh Cumbria Glass in Ulverston is great (we did last year). But book. While in Ulverston go to the Laurel and Hardy museum.

Arts and crafts place at Blackwell near Bowness is good. Then there’s all the poets n stuff - Wordsworth stuff near Grasmere and Ruskin near Coniston. I’ve never bothered with this stuff, same for all the Peter rabbit bollocks at Far Sawrey. One look at the coach parties lining up for their visit puts me right off.

Loads of arty places to galleries in every town but the Old Courthouse gallery in Ambleside is very good if challenging on the credit card. Modern stuff at Windermere fine art is worth a look and theres half a dozen Cook House galleries for the trad Lake District arty stuff.

Lakes motor museum at Pooley Bridge (look out my mates 1930 Rudge) pencil museum in Keswick, and I think there’s a Bluebird museum in Coniston. In fact it might even have recently got the rebuilt Bluebird boat - something in the local news about it recently anyway.

Pubs…. Heft inn in High Newton is Michelin starred but does normal priced bar snacks that are amazing. Normal(ish) pub with a Michelin star kitchen attached.
If Michelin style dining is your thing the Lake District is blessed with choice.
Wasdale head inn for its stunning location.
Kirkstone pass inn has just reopened so should be worth a visit.
Manor Arms on the square in Broughton in Furness is a great trad boozer with good real ales if that’s your thing.
Wild Boar between Crook and Bowness is a weird place but does an “alternative afternoon tea”. A meaty and beet based afternoon tea instead of cakes and tea. Go there hungry. It’s big.
There’s lots of good pubs in the lakes actually just avoid anything with a coach or two in the car park.

Enjoy. Where are you staying?
Click to expand...
We've booked a cottage on a working farm 10 mins from Cockermouth. Wife is travelling up to Lancaster by train, collect her from the station and by request, first stop is Morecambe. We've got 6 nights there so hopefully enough time to get done what we want. Its really our first "tour" as 2 up so we decided to stay in one place to ease the luggage situation. As the first bike trip, seemed sensible.
 
Wasdale, especially on a wild day is well worth a visit.
Remember going there probably mid 70’s trying to unload a couple of kayaks from the roof of my Mark 1 Cortina, had to hold them down or otherwise they would have blown away!
 
The Marching Onion said:
We've booked a cottage on a working farm 10 mins from Cockermouth. Wife is travelling up to Lancaster by train, collect her from the station and by request, first stop is Morecambe. We've got 6 nights there so hopefully enough time to get done what we want. Its really our first "tour" as 2 up so we decided to stay in one place to ease the luggage situation. As the first bike trip, seemed sensible.
Click to expand...
Morecambe… nice if you look out to sea. Best thing in Morecambe is the prom. M&W statue and a good wide pedestrian prom for a couple of miles with great views over to the Lake District fells. It’s epic, but look the other way and it’s mostly shabby run down resort infrastructure that will mostly be closed in March. Midland hotel for an afternoon tea is good. Great but tiny coffee and pastry place in Hest Bank…https://fuellingthebold.com/

Nice walk, trad cafe (try Morecambe bay shrimps on a crumpet) and sea views down the road opposite Bold over the level crossing. Lots of free parking after the level crossing.

To get to Cockermouth from there if you’ve plenty time take the A5074 “Lyth Valley Road” to Bowness. Then find the Hawkshead ferry across Windermere and follow the road & signs to Hawkshead, then Coniston, then Broughton in Furness (but don’t go into BinF unless you want to stop there). Here either try and find the Corney Fell road (turn right just after lights for a narrow bridge - epic views once you’ve climbed onto the fell road proper) which will later re-join the A595 to the north or just follow the A595 out of BinF all the way (like 30+ miles) until you pick up signs to the right for Cockermouth. Most of the last bit through Cleator Moor is a drag.

Cockermouth is lovely. Percy house gallery is brilliant. Good coffee place serving best coffee in the area I’d say. Fyne Foods (fish) have an outlet here too. Home of Knox bike gear that has (had?) a small factory shop. Worth a knock on the door anyway. Free easy parking on the wide high street. I’d imagine it’s a good night out in Cockermouth.

Didnt we used to have a very vociferous ex copper on here who lived in Cockermouth. Not Big Lad but similar.

Back o’ Skiddaw and the north Cumbria coast is your playground here. Keswick too. Wessie mentioned the Filling Station cafe for a mild biker vibe. Burgers are good here. My son lives in Keswick. There’s loads to see and do here. I don’t know where to start. Lake cruises, shops, no end of good eating places: Fellpack, Barua Street food, Square Orange cafe are where we’ve been.

Kirkstile inn down Loweswater way is good.

Have a great trip.
 
I love threads like this ! :) I have been to Cumbria a few times like many here I am sure but still GS'ers offer up their personal choices, the places they love best so I always find myself jotting down notes in my phone for "next time". Thank you everyone.
 
Just obviously keep an eye on weather and especially temperatures...a bit of drizzle and 6 degrees low down may mean sleet and snow higher up on some of the passes..
 
The Bluebird museum up at Coniston is worthwhile. Bluebird was salvaged by divers a few years and more or less restored, at least so it looks like it did. There’s also good history of the Campbells, and the local area and slate mining too.

I dived some of the Coniston mines. Don’t think it can be done now, but quite interesting
 
AustinW fantastic info thanks for taking the time to put this together
Really useful
The is the sort of thing that makes this forum so good
 
Without stating the bleedin' obvious, be careful if you do the passes, some of the cambers are exceptionally steep when trying to put your foot down to stop, it will be even harder to save if you've got the extra weight of a pillion to hold up. You don't want to have to pick them both up and it may well put your missus off riding.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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