With The Lake District and The Yorkshire Dales on our doorstep - KDCS offers an exciting selection of cycle rides throughout the local area and beyond. There are social gatherings including slide shows, talks and supper evenings and members are kept up to date with cycling news and issues through this web site, emails and our Facebook pages. KDCS are an affiliated group of Cycling UK.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Further details from Martin about his ride next Saturday 14th July 2012.


Meet at Shap Memorial Hall at 10.30.

From Shap, we cycle through Keld to join the concrete road towards
Burnbanks, with a detour up the secluded valley of Swindale. Proposed lunch
stop at Bampton (pub - I recommend the Emergency Bitter! - or general
store), then we head North to Yanwath, visiting the very impressive Mayburgh Henge (where you can see what 5 million of something looks like!). There's also chance to visit another couple of ancient monuments along the route, if there aren't enough amongst the participants!

From Eamont Bridge, we head South through Lowther Park (I've checked that
this is OK), emerging near Lowther Castle. When I did the reccy, I rode
through Hackthorpe and Great Strickland (tea stop), followed by a long
steady climb to Castlehowe Scar, finishing with a quick descent into Shap,
total distance 34 miles. However, another, easier, option would be to turn
right at the castle and return to Shap along the East side of the valley
through Askham and  Bampton Grange, which I think would be just under 30
miles.

Gradients fairly gentle throughout, apart from the downhill finish into Shap if we take the longer route.

I recommend that you take a snack to eat at the top of Swindale, as once we
leave Shap there are no opportunities to buy refreshments before Bampton.