KDCS – The Kendal & District Cycle Scene

26 miles (42 km). 960' climb (290m). Grade - easy to moderate.
A gentle family ride up the Longsleddale valley, with a few undulations before and after.
OS 97 (Kendal & Morecambe) and 90 (Penrith, Keswick & Ambleside)

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service.
Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Place	Cumulative Distance, miles (Km)	Climb by Section. Feet (m)	Facilities
Kendal Leisure Centre	0 (0)	0 (0)	grid ref 520 913
near Burneside	4 (7)	65 (20)	shops, pub, wc, railway station
Garnett Bridge	6 (10)	230 (70)
Sadgill	11 (17)	230 (70)	WC halfway up valley.
A6	17 (27)	100 (30)
Plough Inn	18 (29)	200 (60)	pub
Near Patton Bridge	21 (33)	80 (25)
Mealbank	23 (36)	50 (15)
Kendal	26 (42)	- (-)

Description

Turn left on the cycleway behind the Leisure Centre, and follow it for a mile (1.6 km), crossing a road on your way. By the Council tip (beware cars coming from your right) follow the cycleway signs through a small park and then (unsigned) ahead through metal barriers to the public toilets opposite the church. There are proposals to extend the cycleway to reach the toilets via a different route, in which case follow thesigns.

Here turn right (Castle St), and in 100 yds/m turn left onto the one-way road just after The Castle pub. At the junction in 100 yds/metres dismount and cross the road via the pedestrian lights, to join the A6 where turn right to pass under the railway bridge.

Follow the A6 for ¾ mile (1+ km) and just after the turning to the Lake District Business Park turn left at Gillthwaiterigg Lane, go straight across at the industrial estate crossroads and left at the junction ¾ miles (1+ km) further on (unsigned).

In a further ¾ mile (1+ km) turn right just before Burneside (sign Longsleddale) and continue on for 2+ miles (4 km) to Garnett Bridge, where turn left (sign Longsleddale) and follow the road up the beautiful valley to Sadgill at the road end. There is a popular off-road bridleway crossing to Kentmere from here, but there is no road alternative to retracing your steps.

On the return continue straight past the bridge you came in on and continue up the rise to join the A6, turning left (sign Penrith). Continue on to the Plough Inn. (If not going to the pub, simply turn right in ¼ mile (400m) sign Patton Bridge.)
From the pub go back and immediately bear left (sign Selside church), then soon right (sign Watchgate/Patton) and then left (unsigned) to rejoin with those not going to the pub.

Go straight on a small crossroads (sign Patton Bridge 1) and in 1- mile (1+ km) (300 yds/m after a few houses) turn hard right onto an unsigned track to New House.
At the end of the gated lane enter into the house garden (looks private) and out though a small wooden gate to the left of the house (Dales Way sign). This is a gated bridleway, a nice grassy track for ½ mile (1 km), and then a tarmac road is joined.

There is soon a steady descent, bearing right by two houses and right again at the unsigned T-junction with the Mealbank road.

Follow the road through Mealbank and over the bridge, then soon turning right (unsigned) at the main road dropping into Kendal.

In Kendal you join the A6 (sign Town Centre), before turning left in 400yds/m into Castle Street (sign A684 Sedbergh) to meet the cycleway you came out on and retrace your steps.

Note The ride and climb can be shortened by either:
- turning right at the A6 after Garnett Bridge and returning to Kendal - shortens the ride by 5 miles (8 km) and lessens the climb by 230'(70m), or
- by not cycling up to The Plough, as mentioned in the text - reduces the ride by 2+ miles (4km) and the climb by 200'(60m)