Summary
Start - Brathay (by the river by the start of the B5286 Hawkshead road). GR 366 033 Brathay Hall postcode LA22 0HPdistance – 23 miles (36 km) 2,200 ' climb (670 m) grade - hard.
OS 90 (Penrith/ Keswick/ Ambleside) and small part 97 (Kendal)
Over the past few years a number of linked shared cycle/ pedestrian paths have been created in parts of the central lakes, providing a useful number of predominantly off-road routes. Public roads will usually be needed to link some of them up. The paths are mostly of hardcore material, good to cycle on and good for most size of bike tyres (28 mm and wider).
There are numerous mix-and-match route possibilities within this network, and these 5 routes 29 – 32 are just a few of them.
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=776218
Description
The start (as detailed above) is the road junction just past limited riverside parking, where the main Hawkshead road turns left, away from the river. Our route goes (right) along the small riverside road (blue bike sign Ambleside National Cycle Network 6). It continues on past where shortly NCN 6 crosses the river (note - limited parking possible in laybys on main A593 Coniston road on far side of bridge) up to Skelwith Fold.
Here it goes left and straight on at the next nearby junction (both Hawkshead signs). The Drunken Duck pub at the crossroads is soon reached, where the route goes right (Coniston sign).
It simply follows the Coniston signs, flattish, then up a steep hill and on to the High Cross crossroads.
Immediately before the crossroads a wooden bike sign points (right) onto the first of today's new cyclepaths, to Coniston/ Tarn Hows. It soon enters a wood and descends (sometimes steeply), following the Coniston signs. Half way down is the Forestry Commission work site and road entrance, sometimes a bit muddy. Here the route goes right to then go left in at the Coniston sign in ¼ mile (½ km), and thereafter the descent towards Coniston is fine, again with some steepish descents on a good surface.
It soon crosses a minor public road coming down from Tarn Hows and in a couple of minutes joins for 30 yds/m the B5285 Hawkshead – Coniston road before returning behind a hedge on the right onto a permissive bridleway to Coniston. If the path is busy with pedestrians, simply take the flat road into Coniston. This is approximately 7 miles (11 km) from the start.
At the main A593 road T junction in Coniston centre the route goes right (37 sign) and immediately left by the Black Bull (37, Coppermines YHA) for a gradual but finally steep ½ mile rise (1 km) up to a bridleway small gate on the right (Yew Tree Farm/ Elterwater).
This easy bridleway descends to near the A593 Coniston – Ambleside road (access track coming in just after a gate) then continues on a nice gently undulating gravel path running roughly parallel to the highway. The path continues for a mile + (2 km), crosses straight over the Tilberthwaite road, and soon joins and goes left and up (unsigned) onto the Hodge Close tarmac public road.
This tarmac road climbs, occasionally steeply, to and past Hodge Close quarry, before ending at a gate (37 sign) onto a bridleway. The gated bridleway descends gently to Stang End, and is generally easily rideable.
At Stang End the route goes right, onto a tarmac road (wooden 637 sign Elterwater/ Ambleside), then in ¼ mile (½ km) leaves it by a farm, through 2 gates in the small farmyard (same 637 signs) and then onto a new gravel path after the farmyard (Cumbria Way footpath sign only).
It passes through a couple of gates, and on entering the woods it bears right (where the Cumbria Way goes left), and drops down, sometimes steeply, to the public road at Colwith, where it joins (going left) the public road to Elterwater. Elterwater is approximately 14 miles (22 km) from the start and shop/ refreshments/ wc are available.
In Elterwater the NCN number is 37, and the route takes (right, by the NT car park) the newish shared riverside path towards Skelwith Bridge. After about a mile (2 km) and on entering a wooded area through a gate it then goes right over a handsome metal bridge (slightly obscure 37 Ambleside sign) to cross the river, briefly run parallel to it and in 300 yds/m turn left to then pass through a wooden gate to join the public road (blue bike signs Skelwith Bridge/ Ambleside), going left down the main road.
The route drops down the main road for 100 yds/m, turning right onto a minor road (37 sign) where the main road turns left over a bridge – limited visibility of oncoming traffic, so take care.
It soon becomes uphill, again steeply, and in a few minutes it goes right (effectively straight on - Hawkshead) at a junction, where 37 goes left uphill to Brathay. (note - taking 37 back to the Brathay start point from here shortens the ride by approx 6 miles (9 + km)).
The climbing continues, but the ride soon bears left at Bull Close and then rejoins (right) the outward route at the next junction (both Hawkshead signs), and climbs up to the Drunken Duck.
Here it crosses straight over (Hawkshead/ ferry sign) and down to the Outgate Inn, going right at this main road.
In nearly a mile (1+ km) the route takes an unsigned (apart from 30 mph + width restriction sign) very hard left turn into a small lane (Loanthwaite Lane, just before Hawkshead Hall campsite), where the gently descending main road swings to the right. This lane is the 1st left after the Outgate Inn (and just before the campsite), but is easy to miss.
Almost immediately a NCN 6 track comes in from the right and joins the uphill route. This is now NCN 6, which is followed back to the Brathay start.
NCN 6 soon goes left at the top of this small rise (Wray Castle/ Ambleside) on a new gated gravel path along and down past Blelham Tarn, with good views of the central fells.
Past the Tarn NCN 6 splits, this Route going left (Pull Wyke/ Ambleside) on the gravel path, soon crossing over a road, through 2 gates and onto another new gravel path. At the road crossing, both the new path and the road itself are signed 6, so a tarmac return option to Brathay is possible.
Otherwise the new path climbs up to and through a wooded area to a crossroads on the main Ambleside road. The cyclepath adjoins the Ambleside highway and follows it (right) down and up for a short distance, but then rejoins the road briefly through a small wall gap. In ¼ mile (400 m) a shared path sign just past the entrance to Skelwith Fold Caravan Park takes the route onto the final gradual descent back to the start at Brathay.
Here it goes left and straight on at the next nearby junction (both Hawkshead signs). The Drunken Duck pub at the crossroads is soon reached, where the route goes right (Coniston sign).
It simply follows the Coniston signs, flattish, then up a steep hill and on to the High Cross crossroads.
Immediately before the crossroads a wooden bike sign points (right) onto the first of today's new cyclepaths, to Coniston/ Tarn Hows. It soon enters a wood and descends (sometimes steeply), following the Coniston signs. Half way down is the Forestry Commission work site and road entrance, sometimes a bit muddy. Here the route goes right to then go left in at the Coniston sign in ¼ mile (½ km), and thereafter the descent towards Coniston is fine, again with some steepish descents on a good surface.
It soon crosses a minor public road coming down from Tarn Hows and in a couple of minutes joins for 30 yds/m the B5285 Hawkshead – Coniston road before returning behind a hedge on the right onto a permissive bridleway to Coniston. If the path is busy with pedestrians, simply take the flat road into Coniston. This is approximately 7 miles (11 km) from the start.
At the main A593 road T junction in Coniston centre the route goes right (37 sign) and immediately left by the Black Bull (37, Coppermines YHA) for a gradual but finally steep ½ mile rise (1 km) up to a bridleway small gate on the right (Yew Tree Farm/ Elterwater).
This easy bridleway descends to near the A593 Coniston – Ambleside road (access track coming in just after a gate) then continues on a nice gently undulating gravel path running roughly parallel to the highway. The path continues for a mile + (2 km), crosses straight over the Tilberthwaite road, and soon joins and goes left and up (unsigned) onto the Hodge Close tarmac public road.
This tarmac road climbs, occasionally steeply, to and past Hodge Close quarry, before ending at a gate (37 sign) onto a bridleway. The gated bridleway descends gently to Stang End, and is generally easily rideable.
At Stang End the route goes right, onto a tarmac road (wooden 637 sign Elterwater/ Ambleside), then in ¼ mile (½ km) leaves it by a farm, through 2 gates in the small farmyard (same 637 signs) and then onto a new gravel path after the farmyard (Cumbria Way footpath sign only).
It passes through a couple of gates, and on entering the woods it bears right (where the Cumbria Way goes left), and drops down, sometimes steeply, to the public road at Colwith, where it joins (going left) the public road to Elterwater. Elterwater is approximately 14 miles (22 km) from the start and shop/ refreshments/ wc are available.
In Elterwater the NCN number is 37, and the route takes (right, by the NT car park) the newish shared riverside path towards Skelwith Bridge. After about a mile (2 km) and on entering a wooded area through a gate it then goes right over a handsome metal bridge (slightly obscure 37 Ambleside sign) to cross the river, briefly run parallel to it and in 300 yds/m turn left to then pass through a wooden gate to join the public road (blue bike signs Skelwith Bridge/ Ambleside), going left down the main road.
The route drops down the main road for 100 yds/m, turning right onto a minor road (37 sign) where the main road turns left over a bridge – limited visibility of oncoming traffic, so take care.
It soon becomes uphill, again steeply, and in a few minutes it goes right (effectively straight on - Hawkshead) at a junction, where 37 goes left uphill to Brathay. (note - taking 37 back to the Brathay start point from here shortens the ride by approx 6 miles (9 + km)).
The climbing continues, but the ride soon bears left at Bull Close and then rejoins (right) the outward route at the next junction (both Hawkshead signs), and climbs up to the Drunken Duck.
Here it crosses straight over (Hawkshead/ ferry sign) and down to the Outgate Inn, going right at this main road.
In nearly a mile (1+ km) the route takes an unsigned (apart from 30 mph + width restriction sign) very hard left turn into a small lane (Loanthwaite Lane, just before Hawkshead Hall campsite), where the gently descending main road swings to the right. This lane is the 1st left after the Outgate Inn (and just before the campsite), but is easy to miss.
Almost immediately a NCN 6 track comes in from the right and joins the uphill route. This is now NCN 6, which is followed back to the Brathay start.
NCN 6 soon goes left at the top of this small rise (Wray Castle/ Ambleside) on a new gated gravel path along and down past Blelham Tarn, with good views of the central fells.
Past the Tarn NCN 6 splits, this Route going left (Pull Wyke/ Ambleside) on the gravel path, soon crossing over a road, through 2 gates and onto another new gravel path. At the road crossing, both the new path and the road itself are signed 6, so a tarmac return option to Brathay is possible.
Otherwise the new path climbs up to and through a wooded area to a crossroads on the main Ambleside road. The cyclepath adjoins the Ambleside highway and follows it (right) down and up for a short distance, but then rejoins the road briefly through a small wall gap. In ¼ mile (400 m) a shared path sign just past the entrance to Skelwith Fold Caravan Park takes the route onto the final gradual descent back to the start at Brathay.
