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.

KDCS route 12 - Kendal to Cartmel Fell and Grange

Summary

From KENDAL to BRIGSTEER and CARTMEL FELL to GRANGE, returning via MEATHOP and LEVENS

Distance 32 miles (52 km)                 Climb 1,780 ' (542 m)              Grade – moderate
OS 97 (Kendal)

A hilly start, then undulating for a bit, the last 20 miles or so (32 km) being mostly flat. Grange is halfway through the ride.

Start - Kendal Leisure Centre, Burton Rd, Kendal, LA9 7HX

Map

To view elevation details please use this link and select "Elevation Graph" from the top left hand side corner of the map.
http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=475806

Description

Go left on the shared path at the back of Kendal Leisure Centre and turn left onto the nearby public road (Parkside Rd).

Go right at the traffic lights and take the right hand lane on the nearby one way bridge (take care doing this) (Town Centre signs) and turn into the town's busy one way system. Cross carefully over to the left lane when convenient.

Do not take the 1st left turn (signed Brigsteer/ Underbarrow) – instead go up the much quieter unsigned Captain French Lane a few yards further on. At the top carry on to the T with the main road, turn right and immediately left, signed Brigsteer.

A short steep hill soon arrives but flattens by a bridge over the dual carriageway, then in a couple of miles comes a long steep descent down into Brigsteer (there is a chicane halfway down, take care) and simply follow the flat road up the valley floor.

In a mile + (2 km) there is a scissor crossroads, and here go left (sign Crosthwaite) and after a little up and down go left at the bigger road towards Crosthwaite.

Another hill is soon reached (an imposing house to your right) and after the top turn left (sign Lyth) and instantly right (Unsuitable for HGVs sign) and drop down this narrow lane to the A5074.

Here cross straight over (Cartmel sign) and going up and down another hill brings you to a grassy T junction, where turn right for Bowland Bridge and quickly left by the farm – Cartmel sign. Most of the climbing has now been done at this 9 + mile (15 km) point.

Take the next left in a few minutes, signed Lindale and Grange, and stay on this mostly flat road for a few miles, going straight on at a crossroads to Lindale.

A big overhead road bridge marks the entrance to Lindale, and 200 yds/m after passing under it bear left (effectively straight on) off the main road which is going right. At the nearby roundabout continue straight ahead to Grange, one mile + (2km) further on.

The route takes the Meathop Rd left turn on the very edge of town (golf club sign). You have now joined National Cycle Network 70 and you follow this to Sedgwick, 10 miles (16 km) further on.   Grange itself has all facilities required (including a railway crossing to Arnside) should you wish to make this short detour. The ride has done c 17 miles (27 km) to here, just past the halfway mark.

Follow the lane for 2 + miles (3 + km) - a flat start past the golf club, then gently rising, and after a couple of undulations bearing right onto a short narrow lane (sign 70) and right again at the end.

Route 70 soon turns left, and this is followed for another couple of (flat) miles (3 km) to the underpass under the A590. At the far side turn right (sign 70) at the crossroads by the Derby Arms and community shop for a couple more flat miles to near the A590, where a footbridge and shared path (take care at the blind bend chicane halfway along) takes you to Gilpin Bridge.

Route 70 goes past the pub and then left just past the  Jaguar showroom and in a few minutes turns right at the T and immediately left by the Hare & Hounds pub. A gradual climb becomes short and steep before flattening and soon dropping down to go left (sign 70) halfway down a steep hill and continuing down to the scissor crossroads (Strickland Arms pub, NT Sizergh Castle (and cafe), Sizergh Barn cafe) – lots of choice at this 26 + mile (42 km) mark.

Continue under the road bridge (70) and drop down, going right at the bottom by  the river and quickly left at the main road. This leads to nearby Sedgwick (here leaving 70, which heads east), where you stay on the main road to Kendal.

Pass through Natland and on the edge of Kendal (by Clarks warehouse) follow the  NCN 6 sign onto the old canal path, up and across the main road, and down on the shared path to quickly arrive back at the Leisure Centre. If wet, simply stay on the road, and take the 3rd right (Rinkfield) back to the Leisure Centre.
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