Scratches around Cumbria...

[Dragon Master]

Hi collective...

When I posted my first message in the 'welcome' thread, ash19600 said I'm a 'lucky git' to live where I do. He (or she?) is right of course, some superb roads around here, but unfortunately, as is often the case, with living here I tend to take them for granted. And what's more, I tend assume that everybody will know them. But I realise that this is not the case, especially for tossers from other areas. So...

If the collective are agreeable, I could put together a few posts describing 'runs' in Cumbria and the surrounding areas, for the benefit of visitors to 'God's Country'. These would start and end in Kendal, but can be accessed at any point.

I've taken the liberty of describing the first one below; hope you don't find it too long winded. And let me know if you'd like some more.

Cheers,

Dave.


Not so much a road, rather a combination of roads that make a great (IMHO) 'Sunday Run'. I've started it from Kendal, but it could be joined at any point. Sorry there are no pictures, unfortunately I'm usually too busy enjoying the ride to bother with such mundane things. Maybe I'll have to discipline myself one day...

Leave Kendal on the A684 to Sedburgh. Nice twisty road, though touroids can be a problem. At Sedburgh take the A683 for Kirkby Stephen; more twisties, and a bit of open moorland thrown in. Just before Kirkby Stephen you turn right on to the A685 (an alternative is to follow this from Kendal, via Tebay, but not as much fun) and follow this through the town and on to Brough.

Pass under the A66 and turn right in the village, heading for Middleton-in-Teesdale, B6276. A real GS road this; if you're on a Jap Whizz-bang, watch the road surface, it isn't the best. GS's of course won't notice this problem.... A brilliant road across some fairly bleak looking moorland. At the bit where you drop in to a shallow valley and cross a couple of humpty-back bridges, just beware of the chevrons on the S-bends as you climb back out; they aint telling any lies! More of the same roads to Middleton. I usually stop here for a quick brew; if you haven't got a flask, the small cafe on the left just before the T-junction does a nice pot of Earl Grey...

Turn right, heading for Barnard Castle on the B6282. A couple of miles, and turn left on to the B6278 for Stanhope. This is the kind of road I could ride all day. Just watch for touroids when you drop in to the valley half way; it's a bit of a sun trap, and attracts pic-nicers by the thousand in hot weather. A steep descent in to Stanhope, with a ford at the bottom. I've never tried this; it's usually too high, or too full of kids splashing about. Turn left for alternative route.

At the A689 turn right, and after about a quarter of a mile take a left back on to the B6278.. Climb steeply out of Stanhope for more open moorland to Edmundbyers. Continue on past the Derwent reservoir (any Harry Potter fans might notice the sign post hereabouts directing you to 'Muggleswick' ) to join the A68, where you turn left. After a few miles you join the A69 for a short dual carriageway stretch, then back to the A68 (signed to Jedburgh) at Corbridge.

Perhaps watch it on this road; it is good, especially after the Corbridge roundabout, where the blind summits give plenty of scope to clock up air miles. But they are blind... Also the Police use unmarked bikes around here (sign informing you of this as you leave the Corbridge roundabout), and I believe they use R1's...

Follow the A68 for twelve miles, then take a left turn on to an unclassified road, heading to Bellingham, via Reedesmouth. Watch your mileage for this, the junction appears just after you wind her back for a blat down a long inviting hill...

At Bellingham, turn left at the T-junction. I usually stop again for a short break here, parking just on the left outside the shops. Then continue through the village, and take a right towards Kielder Water. Windy one-and-a-half track road eventually becomes fast two-lane with long sweepers as you pass Kielder Water.

An interesting alternative at Kielder village is to take the 'Forest road'. This is a private un-made road, about twelve miles, that brings you back to the A68. An 'Honesty Box' is provided for the £1.00 fee. Up to you, and off the route, but worth a quid in my opinion. But our route carries on through Kielder village, shortly after which it quite suddenly becomes one-and-a-half track again, to join the B6357 at Saughtree. Here you have the opportunity to abort the run, and turn left to head home via Newcastleton and Carlisle. But better to turn right and head for Bonchester Bridge. Here, after a short run on the A6088, again turn right back to the B6357, and follow this until it re-joins the A68. Turn left for the short run to Jedburgh. Anyone who needs it will find a 'Jet' filling station at the far end of town.

After a fill-up (if needed) watch your mileage again, as our route doubles back on the A68, over the Carter Bar pass. Great road, but again well watched by the boys in blue. The layby at the summit of the pass is worth a quick stop on a clear day, for the view back across the plain towards Edinburgh.

Continue south on the A68 past Catcleugh reservoir, watching for the T-junction at Elishaw, where the A68 takes a right turn. Take this, and if you've been watching the miles, after 26, take the right turn near Old Town, and head back to Bellingham. Again through the village, and where you turned right for Kielder, this time take the left on to the B6320, heading south to Chollerford. Here I take a right (roundabout) on to the B6318, and after a mile take a left on the B6319 for Haydon Bridge.

Here you turn left, and take the A69 for about half a mile, before taking a right on to the A686. There now follows around twenty miles of superb (GS) roads to Alston. If you fancy another brew, the South Tynedale Railway, signed to the right just as you enter Alston, has a cafe on the station, open in the touriod season; and the little chuffa-trains are quite cute. Then continue through town on the A686, and back on to open moorland, heading for Penrith via Hartside Pass. If you've done Hartside I need say no more. If you haven't done it; why not?

Just outside Penrith you join the A66; a right turn brings you to a roundabout. Straight on brings you to junction 40 of the M6, where you can take the motorway back to Kendal. But better to take the first exit, on to the A6, for the run back to Kendal. Since the opening of the motorway, this has become an almost deserted road, and a superb final leg of the run, with some excellent bends on the final descent to Kendal.

I first did this run, about 260 miles in all, twelve years back on a CX500. I left Kendal at 12:30, and was back home by 19:30. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday (or any other day!) afternoon. If you wish you could do as I did, and start by heading south out of Kendal on the A65, for a short stop at 'Devil's Bridge' at Kirkby Lonsdale, then take the A683 to Sedburgh.

 

[Big Lee]

good description there Dave , I`ve done that route & know excactly where you mean the only problem is it`s the worst route to ride ever you lot on motorbikes really wouldn`t enjoy it The M6 and places like that would be better Nothing to see here, move along :eyesdown All the locals you see on that road and any others round here are just on their way to work & MUST travel that way No good for tourists



Lee

 

[Bazza]

Exactly....... you southern tossers stay away....

 

[marcus]

Question Dave.....


Are parts of this route selection usually heavily protected and served by members of the law enforcement community traffic squad...or just weekends?


(couple of weekends back I counted 5 radar traps - 4 fully visible from miles away and one a blacked out volvo well hidden away in a layby all on 10 miles between the M6 and Grange.......)

 

[sven]

Question Dave.....


Are parts of this route selection usually heavily protected and served by members of the law enforcement community traffic squad...or just weekends?


(couple of weekends back I counted 5 radar traps - 4 fully visible from miles away and one a blacked out volvo well hidden away in a layby all on 10 miles between the M6 and Grange.......)

Sounds like an extension of the North Yorkshire police campaign - be VERY wary on the A65 at the moment of unmarked cars (grey 07 Golf GTI, grey 06 Astra, several Impreza's) working in tandem with marked cars.

Apart from the odd traffic car on the A686 Hartside road, I've never seen any police on the roads mentioned above.

 

[Dragon Master]

Hi Marcus,

Sorry, only just come across your question. I assume you mean between M6 and Grange over Sands? Not seen any mobile radars along there, I travel it fairly regularly as a driver. There is one of the new-style camera set-ups between the two dual carriageway stretches; rumour a year or so back had it that they weren't operational because the county council hadn't applied for planning permission. I wouldn't take the chance though.

As Sven says, be very wary on the A65, or anywhere within 30 miles of Devil's Bridge, especially in Yorkshire. I have heard rumours of a blue Impreza 'pushing' bikers in to 'racing', then pulling them. I hope it's not true, but if a blue Impreza looks as though he's trying to hitch a lift in my top box, I slow down to about 45...

I was travelling from Ingleton to Hawes one day a few years back, shall we say 'making good progress', when I spotted a liveried Impreza coming towards me at a very similar speed. Glad he was going in the opposite direction!

Never seen our blue-clad friends on any of the roads I've mentioned above; but the warning sign on the A68 I notice every time I pass it; it's not worth chancing in my book. Though it is part of a Roman road, so lots of long straights with good visibility, apart from over those blind summits...

Dave.

P.S. Having received no objections, I'll get round to typing up another route or two in the next day or so...

 

[Dragon Master]

Heading to Scotland?

If you are, do you take the M6-A74-A74(M) route? Bit boring, innit? Fancy a change?
Have a look on your map/gps as you approach Gretna, and look for the B7076. Don't worry about the classification, this is basically what was the A74, before they built the motorway. It's down to single carriageway now, and does have a few villages, junctions and the odd roundabout or two to negotiate. But it's an absolute gem! I've used it about five times, and I doubt that, in all those trips together, I'll have seen more than ten cars on it. It parallels the M74, at least as far as Abingdon services. Often the motorway is only yards away to your right; it's great to watch the cars on the M-way as you 'overtake' them...

Dave.

P.S. Keep this quiet!!

 

[Big Lee]

If you are, do you take the M6-A74-A74(M) route? Bit boring, innit? Fancy a change?
Have a look on your map/gps as you approach Gretna, and look for the B7076. Don't worry about the classification, this is basically what was the A74, before they built the motorway. It's down to single carriageway now, and does have a few villages, junctions and the odd roundabout or two to negotiate. But it's an absolute gem! I've used it about five times, and I doubt that, in all those trips together, I'll have seen more than ten cars on it. It parallels the M74, at least as far as Abingdon services. Often the motorway is only yards away to your right; it's great to watch the cars on the M-way as you 'overtake' them...

Dave.

Good call Have you been following me? These are all the routes I do & like

 

[davidmot]

went down the B7076 as part of the Steve Hislop memorial run,brilliant road,good surface,fast and some good bends as well

 

[marcus]

Hi Marcus,
Sorry, only just come across your question. I assume you mean between M6 and Grange over Sands? Not seen any mobile radars along there, I travel it fairly regularly as a driver. There is one of the new-style camera set-ups between the two dual carriageway stretches; rumour a year or so back had it that they weren't operational because the county council hadn't applied for planning permission. I wouldn't take the chance though.
As Sven says, be very wary on the A65, or anywhere within 30 miles of Devil's Bridge, especially in Yorkshire. I have heard rumours of a blue Impreza 'pushing' bikers in to 'racing', then pulling them. I hope it's not true, but if a blue Impreza looks as though he's trying to hitch a lift in my top box, I slow down to about 45...
I was travelling from Ingleton to Hawes one day a few years back, shall we say 'making good progress', when I spotted a liveried Impreza coming towards me at a very similar speed. Glad he was going in the opposite direction!
Never seen our blue-clad friends on any of the roads I've mentioned above; but the warning sign on the A68 I notice every time I pass it; it's not worth chancing in my book. Though it is part of a Roman road, so lots of long straights with good visibility, apart from over those blind summits...

Dave.
P.S. Having received no objections, I'll get round to typing up another route or two in the next day or so...

THanks Dave....I'm actually a regular London to Grange over Sands! (Flookborough to be precise) There certainly is (at least) one plain clothes Impreza in the region on the east side of the M6 towards the Cat & Fiddle. I've seen it hidden behind trees in a lay-by with the police chap attempting to hide behind tree with his radar gun (Top tip: Bright yellow jackets are not suitable camoflage....)
The G-O-S turn off on the M6 (J36?) is on a bit of a bend and pretty much 3 out of 4 saturday mornings there's either a battenburg or a plain clothes Volvo hanging around on top of the bridge. The roundabouts on the A6 and the A590 frequently have parked up liveried police cars in laybys - and theres pretty much always one at the burger bar siding just before Grange at lunchtime!
I sort of think that anybody making "signifiant progress" on the trunk roads of Derbyshire, North Yorks and Cumbria on a Sunday really is just asking to get pinched. Trying to keep the RSV at legal speeds when BMoronW M3 driver is right up your arse trying to start a race though........ignore. every time.

PS Top place to stop for a little bite to eat - The Haslemere, Grange. Home made pies. YumYum.

 

[marcus]

Hi Marcus,


P.S. Having received no objections, I'll get round to typing up another route or two in the next day or so...

I can recommend the HardKnot pass - hoping the 5th gear publicity doesn;t spoil it...

 

[Dragon Master]

Run around the Roses.

Run around the Roses.
(110 miles, approx)
​

OK, I know I said 'Scratches around Cumbria', well this does start and end in Cumbria, it just happens to cover a few good GS roads in North Lancashire and North Yorkshire on the way. These are the kind of roads for which I bought the GS; they vary between double, one and a half and single track, sometimes within a few hundred yards on the same road. They are not rice rocket roads, though the odd one or two do attempt them. Still, most of them allow a good view ahead, so decent progress can be made. I'll recommend a buttie stop part way, so butties and a flask might be handy.

I am well aware that many of us 'wellard northern gits' are likely to know these roads; I post this for the benefit of any southern tossers who may brave the lands labelled 'Here be Dragones' north of Watford...

Start by leaving Kendal, southbound, on the A65. Not the 'by-pass', the A65, up past Asda and the hospital. About half a mile after you leave the 40 limit you'll pass a pub on the right in a dip; the 'Punchbowl'. This is my 'local', where I might be found on the odd Friday night, in a group of fellow bikers at the right hand end of the bar, enjoying a pint of the black stuff and talking a load of shite. And believe me, quality shite is spoken here!

Follow the A65 to the roundabout, and go straight across on to the A6076. This is a decent fastish road, just watch out for quarry wagons. Through Burton-in-Kendal, and after a couple of miles and a few shallow bends, you'll find yourself on a long straight. ¾ of the way along this is a pub, the 'Longlands'. Take the left just before it. If you go over the motorway, you've gone too far. A couple of miles along here you'll come across some traffic lights. These are to control traffic over a humpty-back bridge across the canal; even on green be careful, some cage pilots are colour blind...

At the end of this road turn right, in to Over Kellet, and go straight ahead at the cross roads. About 1 ½ miles, take the left turn; it's got white railings around it. Once on this road, ignore the first left, but take the second, then the next, and you'll hit a T junction with the Lancaster/Kirkby Lonsdale road. Turn left here, then first right after about 100 yards. At he next T junction turn left, and follow the obvious road to the junction with the A683 at Caton. Here turn left, then just after the Gatsos, take the right. About two miles along here, the road begins to climb just after a left hander, there's a road joins from the left. Take this, and follow it to the cross roads in Quernmore (pronounced 'Cormer' for some reason...), and turn left You're now on the road leading to the Trough of Bowland.

Up the hill, a right hairpin, a left elbow, and up out on to open moorland. If you have time, stop for a few minutes at Jubilee tower, the small stone building on the right just after the road opens up. It was built to commemorate Queen Vic's 50 Jubilee, and commands an extensive view. If it's a particularly clear day, you can see from Sca Fell Pike in the lakes, right down across the Fylde plain and the Wirral, to the mountains of Snowdonia.

As the road drops down and narrows down, watch out for touroids, especially after about five miles when you run alongside the river (right), it's a popular pic-nic spot. Climb up again, over the watershed, and drop down steeply (1 in 4, I think) with a shallow ravine to your right. This is the 'Trough' itself. . Some twisties bring you again to a pic-nic spot by a river, again beware touroids. Continue on to the T-junction, and turn left. Just watch the hunpty-back bridge in Dunsop bridge; it can be a bit blind for traffic coming the other way. Stay on this road through Slaidburn.

Climb up out of Slaidburn, and about half a mile past the hiarpin, take the junction on the right, then left at the next. About two miles and you'll find yourself on a longish down hill. Don't go too fast, you need to turn left at the bottom of the dip. Follow this to the end, turn right, then left at the T junction. Continue on this road, through Bolton-by-Bowland, and on to Gisburn, where you turn left at the A59 junction. Half way through the village, turn left at the mini-roundabout, on to the A682 (signed Settle and Kendal) to Long Preston.

This was one of my favourite roads when I got my first bike, a KH250, back in the dark days of learners on 250's It's been spoiled a bit by the fecundity of double white lines, but still enjoyable. About five miles along here and you'll hit a long straight, following from a left-hander by the river. A few twisties follow this, then in the dip take the right turn for Hellifield. In Hellifield you re-join the A65 for half a mile; as the road begins to climb and swing right, take the lane on the left. Watch out for tractors distributing rural aroma, and after about four miles you'll come to a cross-roads in Airton. Turn left here, and follow the road in to Malham.

Now you have a choice. In the village centre, if you take 'straight ahead', it will take you steeply up hill (good view of Malham Cove to right is possible, but stopping is difficult due to steepness and narrowness of road) bringing you out on to open limestone moorland, and eventually to a cross-roads. Turn Left here.

Alternatively, take the right in the village, over the humpty-back bridge. The pub on the left, the 'Listers', is highly recommended-- I once got barred from here before I'd even entered the place...)-- on past the cafe (also good) on the right, and if you don't want a buttie stop, take the sharp junction on the left after 100 or so yards. This will take you, once again via some steep twisties, up past Malham Tarn, to eventually reach the same cross roads mentioned above. This time you go straight ahead.

But now is where I would suggest a buttie stop. So take the right in Malham, carry on past the left turn, over the hill and drop down to Gordale, only about a mile. At the bottom of the hill note the gate in the wall on the right, then go on fifty yards to the buttie/ice cream vans. It's usually full of cages, but there should be room to squeeze a GS or two in.... Once parked, walk (!) back along the road, butties in hand, to the gate. Through this, and after twenty yards and a short rocky gully, you'll find yourself at one of my favourite places; a small green pool fed by a silvery waterfall. This is 'Janet's Foss', named after the queen of the local faeries. It can be infested by touroids on a hot day, but still worth the effort. Bring a camera...

After lunch, once back on the bike, just stop before you climb the hill and have a look past the gate. Part of the 'magic' of Janet's Foss, to me at least, is that from here, you'd never know it existed...

Right, now you've reached the above mentioned cross roads, and either turned left or gone straight on. Just follow the road (at the 'Y' junction take the left, then beware of clocking up 'airtime' about two hundred yards before the farm ) and you'll eventually find yourself in the village of Langcliffe, just outside Settle. Turn right here, on to the B6479, and follow a gem of a road (watch for rice rockets) for about ten miles, to the T junction at Ribblehead. Turn right, and after about four miles, take the left turn to Dent. Single-ish track for the next seven miles. Through Dent (take the right in the centre), and once out of the village, after about a mile look for the junction to the left signed 'Barbon'. Follow up to the houses, then again take the left, steeply up hill and in to Barbon Dale. The Pic-nicers/touroids warning applies again once by the river. Once you've climbed back up from the river, woods on your right, I usually take the left fork at the 'Y' junction. Either way, you'll eventually hit the A683 Kirkby Lonsdale/Sedburgh road. Turn left, and head for a stop at 'Devil's Bridge'. You can't miss it, look for the bikes!

After a stop to look down your noses at the inferior oriental machinery on show, head for the juction with the A65 and turn right. You can then follow this back to Kendal. However I would suggest one last deviation...

At the mini roundabout, take a right, past Booths, then left. Follow round the sharp right, back down to the village, and turn left. This is a lovely GS road that I usually take when heading home from the bridge. Just beware of the 40 limit beyond Old Hutton.

Enjoy.

Dave.

 

[Dragon Master]

Evening Circular.

Evening Circular.​

One of the advantages of the GS is that, when imagination fails to suggest a long run, or perhaps when time is a bit short, then much fun can be had just pottering around country lanes without going more than twenty miles from Kendal. Here's one that can easily be done between 'Tea time' and 'Pub time'.​

WARNING: There is a stretch of this route, about a mile, that is definitely OUT OF BOUNDS to Rice Rockets.​

Leave Kendal on the A65 southbound, and follow for five or so miles to the roundabout. Turn left here, and follow to Kirkby Lonsdale. Maybe a short break at 'the Bridge', then re-trace your route to the first roundabout (still in Kirkby Lonsdale) and take the left. Past Booths, left, and follow round to the right. At the bottom of the hill turn left; this is the same route as the 'final deviation' on the route above.​

Follow this road as far as Old town, maybe three miles, and take the right fork, signed 'Killington' amongst other things. I was looking at this road on 'Auto route' a few years back, and discovered that it is labelled as the 'Old Scots Road'. I'd never heard of this name, so decided to investigate. It turns out it is part of what was once a major drove road from Scotland to places south. I decided to investigate on the GS...​

Follow this road to the T Junction; turn left, around the right hand bend, and take the next right. Continue on this road (ignoring the right fork after a couple of miles for Killington), past Killington reservior. Look out for 7.5 tonners on this (single track) road, I might be driving one. When you get to the A684, turn left, after half a mile take the right, just before the road slopes down towards the motorway bridge.​

Follow alongside the Motorway, and take the second turning left, the second bridge over the railway/motorway. *It is suggested that any road bikes in the group carry straight on here, down to the small hamlet of Beckfoot, where they may await the return of the manically grinning GSers...* After about half a mile you'll reach a sharp left turn, with what looks like a drive to some houses visible in front. Take this drive.​

** NO RICE ROCKETS HERE**​

Past the houses and on to the lane, which gets steadily rougher, until you find you're climbing up hill over small boulders that would be better suited to a role as a river bed deep in the Lake District valleys. After a few hundred yards the gradient eases, and you find yourself faced by a rutted track. Choose your rut; I usually stick to the left, but both contain engine-deep puddles, and neither is easy to leave once you're in it. After half a mile of splashing about, you'll come to a junction with the A685 Kendal – Tebay road. Turn right.​

A couple of hundred yards and take the right, then right at the end. You drop down a steep hill under the motorway and railway. Don't be fooled by the road opening up here, it don't last! At the bottom of the hill, in 'Beck Foot' re-group with the road bikes (if any) after trying to remove your grins. Take the next left, under the viaduct. Continue for a mile to the T junction and turn left. The road now takes you up the 'other' side of the Lune gorge, giving a much better view than can be gained from the M6 across the valley. A camera is worthwhile. Just watch for Woollybacks...​

(Anybody who tries to follow this route on an older (2001) version of 'Autoroute', ignore the fact that it says this road eventually ends in mid field; I assure you it doesn't! )​

Three or so miles wil bring you back under the railway/motorway to a T junction with the A685 . Again turn right, and head for Tebay. Straight on at the roundabout, heading for Orton. At the fork in Orton (there's a pub on the left, the 'George' if I recall correctly) take the left fork, then left again, heading for Shap. Off over some open moorland, under the M6 to a T junction, where you turn left. The A6 is at the bottom of the hill, where you turn left and make 'significant progress' back to Kendal over Shap Fell.​

All in all about 60 miles, and a fun couple of hours. Enjoy.​

Dave.

Pictures:
1) The road 'Under the Howgills'.
2) the view south down the Lune gorge.
3) the view north up the Lune gorge.
​

 

[sven]

If you are, do you take the M6-A74-A74(M) route? Bit boring, innit? Fancy a change?
Have a look on your map/gps as you approach Gretna, and look for the B7076. Don't worry about the classification, this is basically what was the A74, before they built the motorway. It's down to single carriageway now, and does have a few villages, junctions and the odd roundabout or two to negotiate. But it's an absolute gem! I've used it about five times, and I doubt that, in all those trips together, I'll have seen more than ten cars on it. It parallels the M74, at least as far as Abingdon services. Often the motorway is only yards away to your right; it's great to watch the cars on the M-way as you 'overtake' them...

Dave.

P.S. Keep this quiet!!

Yes - keep it quiet! I always use the B7076 as it makes the trip much more interesting, even if I'm heading to Dumfries (God, I hate the A75) as you can take it as far as Lockerbie before heading west - well worth a detour to avoid the A75.

I usually take it as far north as Moffat and then take the A701 Devils Beeftub road to Edinburgh if heading east, or you can take it as far north as Abigton Services and take the A73 to get you past Glasgow if heading west