A Lakeland Loop - continued

Day 3: Derwentwater- Patterdale

by Rob Burrow

The Wednesday morning of our Lakeland ride dawned drizzly and dank. It was going to be waterproofs from the start of the day, a stark contrast from the previous two days of glorious sunshine. I had decided the previous evening to start the day with the bridleway from Watendlath to Hazel Bank Rosthwaite, this started with a long climb on the road from the hostel to Ashness Bridge.

This was a tough start, especially for those who had the full English breakfast in the hostel. The bridge, despite being a popular visitor attraction and the most photographed bridge in the Lake District was deserted on this wet morning, as was surprise view a little further up the road, a great vantage point giving lovely views of Lake Derwentwater, Catbells and Black Crag opposite. We did not linger when we reached the village of Watendlath but took the track leading west to Rosthwaite this track proved to be rocky and stony and was also very slippery in the wet conditions. Eventually we reached the road, turned right and on to Grange for a morning coffee stop.

From Grange we rode to Manesty and joined the bridleway below Catbells, passing Hugh Walpole's seat on the way. This bridleway is a stony pull up to start with, but eventually becomes a grassy ride parallel to the road, avoiding the traffic on the west shore of the lake, but giving superb views of the lake and the fells to the east from its elevated position.

Eventually we dropped back to the road, and on through Portinscale to Keswick. Here we stopped for lunch and to stock up with provisions for those members who were cooking for themselves at the next hostel. It was a great shock to suddenly experience the traffic and the crowds in Keswick, especially having seen only half a dozen people on our trip over the previous few days.

We left Keswick using the disused railway track from behind the swimming pool; this track has now been made into a good cycleway crossing streams on old railway bridges. The track covers about 6 mile and led us to Threkeld now completely cut off from traffic, bypassed by the main road running from Keswick to Penrith. We crossed the road at this point and made our way down the valley to St Johns in the Vale.

From here we took a left onto the Old Dockray Coach Road. As suggested by the name it was a road across the fells used in previous centuries to travel from Keswick to Ullswater. The track has now become difficult as it climbs steeply from St John's in the Vale on a loose bouldery surface made worse by the access and use of four wheel drive vehicles. Indeed one passed us dislodging more rocks as it bounced its way down the track.

Upon reaching the highest point the track becomes grassy and stony, but we were able to ride the remaining miles over a remote and desolate moorland landscape in very wet conditions on to Dockray. On joining the lane at Dockray we dropped steeply for about 3miles down to Lake Ullswater. The need for good brakes being essential, especially as the lane meets the main road from Glenridding to Pooley Bridge at a T-junction.

After a short stop for refreshment we made our way to the Patterdale hostel, which was to be our refuge for the night...

Day 4: Patterdale to Ulverston - 43 miles

I woke early on the final day of our Lakeland loop, and as I sat gazing from the hostel window at the low cloud base that hung over High Street, I realised that the route planned for the day over High Street to Troutbeck would have to be changed. This decision was confirmed when we arrived at Hartsop, which would have been our turning point for the fells, by this time not only was the cloud base low but it was raining heavily, and as we caped up at the bus shelter we decided that the road route over the Kirkstone Pass was our only option.

The long drag up the pass was made more difficult with the rain and wind, and as we struggled it was nice to receive shouts of encouragement and hoots on horns of vehicles going in the opposite direction. Eventually we reached the summit of the pass, and decided to take the long steep downhill road into Ambleside. It was on this road that a motorist decided that I had no right to be on the road, and as I was traveling at about 20mph (wet conditions), he drove inches away from my rear wheel and eventually decided to overtake on a blind bend, causing me to brake hard, they say riding the fells is dangerous, at least on the fells we are not at the mercy of other peoples inconsiderate actions.

Ambleside was even busier than Keswick had been on the previous day. It took a while to get a place in a café for coffee, as it turned out the chap who gave us his seat was the warden from the Elterwater hostel, we had stayed there on our first night.

From Ambleside we took the road to Hawkshead for lunch, and after shopping for shoes for Ken, we made our way towards Coniston, turning to take the road on the east side on the lake below the High Nibthwaite track we had taken on our first day. From here Bryan led us down the quiet lanes back to Ulverston. I must say a special thank you to Bryan's wife who put on a lovely tea with huge pieces of homemade ginger cake. It is no wonder Bryan rides as well as he does over the high fells.

GENERAL COMMENTS about the trip:-

The trip was conceived after reading articles in past journals by Bill and Nellie Hill (Nellie's Hills). Arthur Matthews (Gateways to Paradise), and other trips made by Lancashire members Bob Harrison, Gerry Swift, John Matthews and Albert Winstanley.

Starting the trip on the date of the 50th Anniversary seemed very appropriate and I would like to thank my companions Ken Glaze, Peter Gawthorne, Peter Kenner, Brian Parkinson and Bryan Lynch for their company on the trip.

From a personal point of view:
I took too much. In future (Travel Light)
For Peter G (He had a tough initiation into rough stuff)
I greatly admired Ken's tenacity and strength on the trip.
We all know who now holds the TM trophy for snoring.

The total distance covered was 100 miles door to door.