Ride in the Lake District

[garynortheast]

Had a cracking weekend of riding in the Lake District last weekend with my mate Mick.

Thought maybe I should clean the bike first....


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/CleanSVresized.jpg

Set off at around 5.30am to meet Mick at 8.30 just South of Kendal. I had been going to go through Ellesmere/Nantwich/Crewe and pick up the M6. It's always a nice piece of road to travel at that time of the morning but because I thought I was running a bit late I went straight out round Oswestry/Wrecsam/Chester and onto the motorway. Boring but quick. In the end I could have gone the other way as I arrived an hour early!
Waiting for Mick to arrive.....
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/SouthofKendal.jpg

When Mick arrived we headed into Kendal for fuel and an all day breakfast to get us off to a good start. Then it was off towards Windermere and Ambleside.
Came across this a few miles out of Kendal.....
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/StonearchwestofKendal.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/StonearchwestofKendal2.jpg

From Ambleside we headed for Langdale and the Hardknott Pass.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/HeadingforLangdaleandHardknottPass.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/Goingup.jpg

Hardknott Pass was good fun - 1 in 3 with very tight hairpin bends and a well corrugated road surface. Then it was over to the coast to see what that was like. Mmmmm... we stayed long enough for a quick cuppa at St Bees and then beat a hasty retreat back to the mountains!

We were booked into Buttermere youth hostel for the night so we made our way there via some great twisty back roads. The hostel was fantastic, superb location, very friendly and helpful staff and great food.

The hostel....
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/ButtermereYouthHostel.jpg
View from the hostel.....
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/Earlymorningviewfromthehostel.jpg
This is the road to Honister pass from Buttermere....
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/RoadtoHonisterPassfromButtermere.jpg

Next morning we set off to Coniston to visit the Ruskin Museum where they had lots of the memorabilia and pictures from Malcolm and his son Donald Campbells world speed record attempts including the whole story of the Bluebird and the fatal crash on Coniston Water. Fascinating stuff and a very moving video of Donald Campbell including footage of the crash. I've seen the footage many times before before but it still shocks me when I see it again.
One of Bluebird's engines.....
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/RuskinMuseumConistonBluebirdengine.jpg

A really good and informative display and biography of 19th century Coniston resident, artist and poet John Ruskin too. Very interesting chap.

And outside the museum was this....
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/CrashedHalifaxbomberengine.jpg

It's a Rolls Royce Merlin inverted V12 bevel gear drive overhead camshaft engine from a Handley Page Halifax bomber which crashed in the Lake District on a training exercise in October 1944. There were four of these engines fitted and each one produced 1,390 hp. Bet they weren't restricted for two years when the pilot first learned to fly it!

From Coniston we set off across to Yorkshire with the intention of getting to Whitby but what with the traffic and the road closures due to various bike accidents (including one fatal) we only made it as far as Thirsk before running out of time.

We rode past this on the way though.....
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/RibbleheadViaduct.jpg

And then had a quick look at this - Rievaulx Abbey.....
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/garynortheast/Bike%20pics/Lake%20District%202010/RievaulxAbbey.jpg

From there we went down to just south of York where we had a bite to eat and then headed off to our respective homes and families. A great weekend of riding in fantastic weather. I'd clocked up a total of 620 miles by the time I arrived back home.

I'd have to say though that I wasn't surprised at the number of bike accidents as I don't think I've ever seen so many 2hats on two wheels as I did on the Hawes road for a very long time. Some of the displays I saw were, let's just say entirely inappropriate for a busy Sunday afternoon on a road full of other motorists.

[Specialone]

Good pics and write up, i wanna go up there at some point this year, but its 165 miles door to door to windermere using m6 so would need a couple of days i think.
Been up loads in my car, never on a bike.

[gettin2dizzy]

Great stuff :)

Mind me asking what a hostel costs up those parts?

[starks]

great part of the country up there, i love it in the lakes, did a sponsered walk which took me over hardknott, good pics mate, glad you enjoyed it

[garynortheast]

Great stuff :)

Mind me asking what a hostel costs up those parts?

It was £20 for members and £23 for non members. Food was extra. Hostels in Britain are more expensive than their European counterparts and have only really caught up with European standards fairly recently.

[Ed]

its 165 miles door to door to windermere using m6

Is that all:confused:

[Specialone]

Is that all:confused:

But, im not gonna do 330 miles in a day, plus a ride round the lakes, hence why i said i'd rather a couple of days at least.
Have you rode 165 miles on the motorway in one stint? 50 miles is bad enough ;)

[Ed]

But, im not gonna do 330 miles in a day, plus a ride round the lakes, hence why i said i'd rather a couple of days at least.
Have you rode 165 miles on the motorway in one stint? 50 miles is bad enough ;)

Wasn't a value judgement on you:D Merely an expression of surprise that it's not further. I wouldn't do 330/day just to get there and back and then do a ride, either.

[Specialone]

Wasn't a value judgement on you:D Merely an expression of surprise that it's not further. I wouldn't do 330/day just to get there and back and then do a ride, either.

Sorry Ed, misunderstood your post ;)

My aching bones wouldnt take it tbh :( and i can imagine your 675 isnt the most confortable for distance.

[robh539]

Great write up, very nice pics. :D


Good pics and write up, i wanna go up there at some point this year, but its 165 miles door to door to windermere using m6 so would need a couple of days i think.
Been up loads in my car, never on a bike.

i will be going up there for a long weekend before the summer is over. I spends a lot of time working up there so and do the k2b challenge. But never been on the bike only in vans or cars as yet.