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 15 - Small lanes around Staveley

Summary

A flat start from KENDAL to BURNESIDE to INGS and back, with some steep hills on narrow lanes in between. There is 1 mile of off – road, generally ok for tourers.

Distance 19 miles (30 km)           1,080' climb (329 m)           Grade - hard
OS Landranger 97 (Kendal)

From Staveley there is an 8+ mile (13 km) optional extension onto quiet hilly lanes (extra height 723' – 250 m)
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=475878

Description

From the back of Kendal Leisure Centre go left on the shared pedestrian/ bike path for a mile (2 km), crossing over a road half way along. This is National Cycle Network 6.

At the end of the shared path follow the NCN 6 signs to and through a small park diagonally on your left (take care – pedestrians and blind bends), back on yourself for 50 yds/m on a public road, then right and immediately right on a shared path to follow the river through a larger park.

At the path end go straight ahead past the food kiosk to push on the short footpath to the nearby bridge, using the zebra crossing and go left over the bridge (all NCN 6 signs). Turn immediately right to use the shared path alongside the river again (shared path signs only), past a school, over the road and along the river to join a road by the Magistrates Court, going right (sign 6, maybe obscured).

Continue to and through Burneside (railway station), at the far end of the village going left after tennis courts. The lane is unsigned, but immediately crosses the Oxenholme – Windermere railway branch line A short sharp hill beyond the railway starts a steady climb up to the A591 dual carriageway.

Cross to the far lane here, using the central reservation, and go right (sign Windermere), then in 200 yds/m bear left onto the old road (Windermere Caravan Club sign).

The Caravan Club access road is close by, going left (same signs), which takes you soon to the club entrance. Here you then go straight ahead on to a track by the entrance gate (sign gated green road/ unsuitable for cars).

The track is generally suitable for touring bikes and is ¾ mile (1+ km) long, before reaching tarmac for a quick pull up to the public road.

Pass straight over (take care with poor visibility on your left) between 2 pillars with house names on, and bike past a farm on your left to climb steeply the gated road, then dropping down to a T junction, turning right (unsigned).

This rapidly becomes steep again, then drops down and continues past a cattlegrid lane on your right to the next turning, going right (again steeply uphill, unsigned) at this Y junction.

This gated road soon descends (nice views), going left at a small grassy junction, crossing over the railway and joining the busy A591in a few minutes.

Here you take the shared cycleway/ footpath going right. This is now again National Cycle Network 6, and you follow these signs down to nearby Ings, then crossing via the central refuge to follow NCN 6 to Staveley.

Staveley has all facilities, including wc, a big bikeshop and a railway station to Kendal, Oxenholme and beyond.

To return from Staveley to Kendal Leisure Centre in 7 miles simply follow the NCN6 signs – through Staveley, left on the shared path immediately after the railway level crossing, left at the end and continue on to Burneside where you pick up your outward route and retrace your steps to the Leisure Centre.

Possible 8+ mile (13 km) extension

Coming into Staveley go left at the crossroads (Kentmere sign, wc on right) and soon right by the weir, across the river and following the Burneside signs. In a few minutes keep right, where the left lane goes steeply uphill.

The lane drops and passes a house on your right and in a few more minutes go left at an unsigned turn. A steep 14% longish hill soon follows, before dropping down to a T where go left (black metal gate in wall opposite).

At the bridge in Garnett Bridge go right and climb up to the main A6 road, where turn left (Penrith).

You quickly leave the A6, going 1st right in ¼ mile (½ km) and carry on to Patton Bridge (signed).

Here take the big 14% hill on your right, the last climb of the day, and simply follow the road down to the main A685 road, joining it at Spital Farm.

Turn right, going into Kendal, where in a few minutes join the A6 (Town Centre sign), then straight ahead at the nearby roundabout (Town Centre) and 1st left (sign Sedbergh) in 100 yds/m (passing a bike shop) to bear right into the riverside park, here rejoining your outward route and NCN6 back to the Leisure Centre.