London to the Lakes on NCN6: Day 7 (Tour 3) - Lancaster, Kendal, Windermere, Grasmere & Thirlmere

Описание: Could this be the most beautiful ride on the National Cycle Network? It must be a contender for that crown!


2nd May 2025 started in a rather subdued way: I was still tired after the previous day's ride with the heat AND the late finish, and the thin overcast hiding the sun did little to energize me or to make the gentle countryside seem inspiring. But I did like the wildness of the marshes around the Lune estuary at Conder Green and the railway path which brought me painlessly into Lancaster.


2nd breakfast was not a gastronomic delight and it was rather over-filling, but those calories were all appreciated later in the day.


On my route planner app the "track" line had concealed the thin blue line of the Lancaster Canal, so riding for so far along it was a surprise as well as a delight. The next stage to Kendal was very pleasant countryside and the tree-avenue at Dallam Tower deer park was the highlight - remembered from LEJOG in '22 on a day that was deteriorating into heavy rain, unlike this one whose weather was improving with every hour!


I didn't much like the section between Kendal and Bowness. The countryside is lovely but the villages (n.b. Staveley has more "e"s than I have it) transition from mill villages near Kendal (the Kent provided power) to the commercialized tourism of Windermere, and the main road is fast and quite busy although I was probably fortunate in both the time of year and time of day. But aren't cars noisy? It's tyres more than engines; I find loud noise very unpleasant! I wanted to get that bit over quickly and trying to pursue the 2 guys on the tandem helped with that and distracted me from the noise. I was amused that the Windermere sign boasted that it is "a Fairtrade Town"; I really expected that this iconic Lake District destination would have found something more quintessential to boast about! But it's not really my kind of destination, except perhaps on the 219.4 days in a year on which it rains around here!


The western shore of Windermere is beautiful and mostly owned by the National Trust. It has a curated Victorian sort of 'natural' landscape, as if it is trying to be a 3D version of what the landscape artists produced in 2D - the one feeding off the other! But beauty seems to drip off every square meter of it (I'm trying to ignore the car parks).


The beauty continues all the way northwards. Route 6 follows the valley of the Rothay, then Dunmail Raise, Thirlmere and St John's Beck which together give the only low level route through the Lake District. Unfortunately the A591 got there first, but you only have to be on the main road for 1 mile.


The paths up the Rothay include Rydal Water and Grasmere and lovely woodlands in between. It's a privilege to cycle through this valley - again a Lake District icon, and as it was getting late there were fewer "tourists" on the paths than might have been the case.


On Dunmail Raise Pass (which is not challenging) I was distracted by the path turning off the road and forgot to look out for the ancient cairn - the true Dunmail Raise. 


I had read on cycle.travel that the road on the West of Thirlmere was closed. There had been a big rockfall and despite a campaign the water company had decided it was too costly to reopen it. Well, it seems they have done so after all! It was a lovely quiet ride which could only have been improved by having a few more gaps in the trees to take in the view. Apparently the planting of the trees was more controversial than building the reservoir!


Next, I was intending to head for Threlkeld (on the C2C) because I knew there was a campsite there and I really didn't have time to spend 30 minutes on Google trying to find another (it's harder than you'd think). Bridge End Farm was another surprise (it is shown on the OS map though). It was fairly full but they offered me a small space on the flat field which would have been "fine" - but the hill above the main site looked "special", and so it was! I slowly inched up the steep slope, glad it was dry and not slippery - it's amazing what you can do when you really want to! I had a lovely evening just watching the view. Fires are allowed on the hill - but I wanted sleep, and I didn't want little spark holes in my wonderful new tent.


Just one job left - I booked a cheap advance ticket for my train home for tomorrow.


Thanks for watching. I hope you enjoyed it! I know I did, and I plan to go back!