THIS ROUTE IS FROM KENDAL LEISURE CENTRE, SOON STEEPLY CLIMBING UP
SCOUT SCAR, DOWN TO UNDERBARROW THEN SOUTH-WEST TO BOWLAND BRIDGE AND THEN
ANOTHER STIFF CLIMB TO THE ROADSIDE TOP AT GUMMERS HOW. THE FLATTER RETURN IS
DOWN TO FELL FOOT, OVER TO HIGH NEWTON AND WITHERSLACK, THEN HOME VIA LEVENS
AND NATLAND.
Distance 28 miles (45
km) Climb 2,650'
(810 m)
Grade Strenuous to Fell Foot,
moderate after OS 97 Kendal & Morecambe
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=669408
Description
Go left on the shared path at
the back of Kendal Leisure Centre (National Cycle Network 6) and in a couple of
minutes turn left where the path meets a public road, follow the road and then right at the again nearby traffic
lights.
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 and safe.
Do not take the 1st
left turn (signed Brigsteer) – 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 uphill and at the nearby big crossroads go left (Underbarrow/
Crosthwaite).
It is a steep but not too
long climb, but after a short flat section crossing over the dual carriageway
comes a short but much harder climb up to Scout Scar.
The route follows the steep
drop through Underbarrow and then continues straight on through
Crosthwaite for the small climb up to
the A5074 road.
Here it joins the main road,
going straight on (Winster) and in a minute leaves it, going left,(Ulverston,
Bowland Bridge) by a bend and continues on to Bowland Bridge (shop maybe, pub).
This is 9 miles (14 km) from the start.
From here there are 3 hard
climbs in the next mile + (2 km), all staying on the main road. The first is up
to and past the Strawberry Bank pub, then a shorter one towards Lightwood
(buildings on the left), followed by a third just after Lightwood..
The route is easier going to
the road summit with nice views before the short push up to and after the
summit (looking down on the lake). Take care just over the top, as there may be
pedestrians crossing from the car park on the left over to the Gummers How
footpath. Virtually all of the route climbing has been done at this point.
A mile long steep
descent brings riders to the main A592,
where go left.
The car exit from National
Trust Fell Foot Country Park (lakeside cafe/ wc) is on the right, and it is possible to push
the bike past the car exit barrier, and then bike down to the lakeside cafe.
This is 12 miles (19 km) from the start
Otherwise bear left in 200
yds/m off the A592 (width restriction sign only) to pass through Staveley – in
– Cartmel and on toward the A590 trunk road.
Immediately before the
main A590 the route follows blue bike
signs left on to the old road
(Kendal/ High Newton), then down
to a shared path alongside the A590 before soon dropping down to rejoin the old
road up to High Newton.
At High Newton the route goes
left by the Crown and climbs for a few minutes, at the top going right onto Tow
Top Lane (Lindale/ Witherslack).
Extreme care is needed on
this very steep and sometimes rough surface twisting Tow Top drop, at the bottom crossroads going straight on
towards Witherslack
The road undulates a bit,
before going right at the T just past Halecat Garden Centre and down to
Witherslack.
Here the route goes right at
the T and by the nearby Derby Arms pub (community shop) left towards Kendal.
This is now National Cycle Network 70 and is followed to Sedgwick.
In a couple of flat miles and
near the A590, NCN 70 goes over a
footbridge and then along a shared path (take care at the blind bend barriered
chicane halfway along) to Gilpin Bridge.
Route 70 goes past the pub
and then left immediately after the car showroom, straight on at a nearby T and
in a couple of minutes turns right at the next T and immediately left by the
Hare & Hounds pub.
A gradual climb through
Levens becomes short and steep before flattening and soon dropping down to go
left (70) halfway down a steep hill and continuing down to the scissor
crossroads (Strickland Arms pub, NT Sizergh Castle/ cafe, Sizergh Barn cafe)
The route continues ahead
under the road bridge (70) and drops down to the river at the bottom, going
right and quickly left at the main road. This leads to nearby Sedgwick, where
you stay on the main road to Kendal (here leaving 70, which heads east).
Pass through Natland and on
the edge of Kendal (just before Clarks warehouse) follow the NCN 6 sign onto the old canal path through
the wood, up and across the main road, and down on the shared path to quickly
arrive back at the Leisure Centre. If wet, avoid the old canal path - simply
stay on the road, and take the 5th
right (Rinkfield) back to the Leisure Centre.
