24th July 2022 ride to Kitmere (Page three)

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2022 Photo Galleries

24th July 2022 ride to Kitmere (Page three)

The view looking back along the bridleway towards Kitmere

At start of the bridleway between the Old Scotch Road and the B6254

The view at end of the bridleway looking back towards the Old Scotch Road.

The cake photo at Kitridding Farm Shop and Cafe.

The view looking from Beck Lane towards Kitridding Farm.

Meadow Crane’s-bill flowering at side of the lane.

A view of All Saints Church at Lupton.

Trees in field next Kellet Lane.

- Page one - Page two - Ride report - Route -

Ride report by Simeon Orme It was my birthday the day before and when you get my age at 58 years old, you still single it becomes a bit of non event where you get birthday wishes from Friends on Facebook, if you lucky you may get birthday card from family member but the world gear to those of you who met that love of your life, maybe have children where events like your birthday, your family members make a great fuss of but for us folk that are single its a bit of non-event. Yes I got a few comments in brew room at work about not working on your birthday when we were sorting out who working what days at the weekend but for me Sunday about going cycling and going exploring the countryside. I do work in part Horticulture where some one has to going into work to set up the golf course for day golfing if there competition it may take three or four of us to do this, for cyclist golf is strange hobby but it employs a lot of folk like me who have knowledge about how plants work to get that perfect putting surface on a green. The golf industry is slowly waking up to fact that there is skill shortage of folk who know how plants work and like in other sectors of Horticulture and Agriculture there skill shortage its down history poorly paying folk that leave the industry to get better pay rates else where would you wake up on Saturday morning at 4.45am to have some breakfast while watching BBC news channel before heading in to work for 6am to sit on greens machine which if the golf club had to replace it, they would have part fifty thousand pounds to get a new one. Depending how good you are at cutting greens, the job of cutting 20 greens on the golf course takes just over 3 hours to do and if you can image its like driving a car at seventy miles per hour on the motorway for three hours, when you stop you feel mentally drain that what cutting greens is like, when you doing it in front of golf competition. After detour to do the weekly food shop I was back home for 10.30 am, the secret of trying to survive the rest of day is to get few hours of sleep, after I had something to eat, I did this and sometimes you get away with hour kip but in my case my body decide it needed a few hours sleep to make up for week of early starts. I got up early evening watch movie on Netflix then when back to bed and that was my birthday. Over last twenty to thirty years humans have slowly losing the connect to natural world, we discuss in the brew room at work and we pin it down to invention of the mobile phone which a lot folk that born at turn of the new century seem to have glue to faces for some reason that I can’t work out but with the cost of fuel only going up, it was head line news on early morning BBC breakfast news that cycling industry having bumper year because folk are starting realize its cheaper to use two wheels than four. Its also harder to use a mobile phone on a bike where you need both hands to steer your bike and reason why most cycling clothing have three back pockets, you can use one of these to store the mobile phone in and surprise how fast you forget its in your back pocket. I think, I only look at my phone twice on the hold ride that was when I was at a cafe. Yes its taking me about 35 minutes to get to Saddles Cafe at Red Well Country Inn which for me about right distance for the first cafe stop of the day. After I enjoy my coffee and and cake, I headed along the B6254 towards Kirkby Lonsdale, its fairly easy ride and there quite a few sections of free wheeling especially when drop down into Arkholme but the views when you looking across the Lune Valley towards the mountains of the Yorkshire Dales National Park are always interesting. After crossing over the A65 and then navigating my way through Kirkby Lonsdale one way system, the roads start to get less busy, has followed the B6254 into Kearstwick, where its worth stopping a few minutes to admire the sculptures in the garden by the bridge over the beck. I always enjoy following the lane from Kearstwick towards Rigmaden, its quite fast lane to ride along until get to Fleshbeck Wood which was few months pass its best, as its delightful Bluebell Wood in Spring. From Fleshbeck Wood, its was case getting into low gear for little bit climbing, the lane sort of levels out after you pass through the hamlet of Fleshbeck but fairly easy ride as follow the lane towards Rigmaden Park. The main house at Rigmaden Park dominate the landscape in this part of the Lune Valley. After passing through Rigmaden, I soon turn off the tarmac to follow the bridleway up to Kitmere, its one those tracks where I think you better getting off and pushing your bike along the bridleway. The first part through Park Wood would have been more interesting in Spring but once I had followed track out of wood there were some good views to enjoy looking back into the Lune Valley and you can understand why this part of the Lune Valley is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. After passing through another gate, I was soon on open moorland with dragon flies crossing over bridleway and with heather starting to flower at side of the track, I did stop to take few wild flower photos. Yes I will own you can’t see much of Kitmere due to the Rhododendrons growing around it but its nice track to follow out of the Lune Valley and must admit well worth doing. I soon back on tarmac following the Old Scotch Road towards Old Town for about mile before turning on to next bridleway of the day which followed across to the B6254, most folk will find it quite easy to ride along as hardcore field track. Then there was a bit road work, has head to the Kiridding Farm Shop & Cafe for another brew stop. After my stop at Kitridding, it was case of looking at the map and working out best way getting me to Lupton where stop, for few minutes to take photo of the small church which just a few minutes from the A65. I did very short section on the A65, then followed lane pass Badger Gate Cottage before turning on to Newbiggin Lane, where I had stop and cape up due some rain. From Newbiggin, I followed Puddlemire Lane down the Lupton Valley to Farleton, then after crossing over A6070, I followed the lanes through Holme and my normal route back into North Lancashire. You can click here to download 38.4 mile route or you can click here to see what’s new on the website.

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