29th June 2014 ride around Coniston Water (Page two)

- Route - Ride report - Page one -

I peel off from rest of the group in Torver, as  I was not in the mood for the climb up the Walna Scar Road, you read how the group got on in Alistair Post about the ride on Al’s World at this link. The above photo is view of new bridleway from Torver

A bit further along the bridleway.

The signpost on the shore path to Coniston.

The view looking back at end bridleway near Lake Road.

The cake photo at Bluebird Cafe by the lake in Coniston.

Three trees in field by B 5285

A view looking back up the lane on the East side of Coniston Water.

There several free National Trust car parks on East side of lake, a better starting point for ride over the Walna Scar Road.

A view of two trees on the shore of Coniston Water.

Old Barn in High Nibthwaite.

A door to house in Bridgefield.

A view of River Crake, taken from the bridge at Bridge End.

A tree at side of cycle path between Greenodd and Low Wood.

Two cottages in Haverthwaite

A view of industrial past in Backbarrow.

The view from Cafe Ambio at Lakeland Motor Museum in Backbarrow.

Ride report by Simeon Orme I  decide to drive up to Chapel House Wood and park up there and ride over to meeting place for the start of the ride at the Chicken Shed Tearoom at Old Hall Farm near Bouth which took about half hour to do, The hardest part was the climb out of Newby Bridge and after that it was fairly easy ride following the causeway across the Rusland Valley and little bit more climbing before heading through Bouth, where I found four other members of the South Lakes Group park on the roadside a few minutes away from the Tearoom getting there bikes out of there cars. So I spent few minutes chatting before riding on to the Tea Room to get my order in first before Nick got chance to order his second breakfast of the day. Once we put the world to right, we headed out of  Tea Room, following our leader Ian along the public byway from the Old Hall Farm over to Colton, we were soon getting off our bikes to push them up the hill, there some good views at the summit of this track looking across southern lakeland but I did not get a chance to catch them as my Panasonic camera decide to pack up and for rest of the ride I was down to using the camera in my mobile phone. After regouping by the church in Colton, we did a bit of road work following quite lanes over to Bandrake where our leader took another look at the map before following another quite lane up to Abbots Park where we headed on to our next track, which followed it over Spy Hill and around to Bletherbarrow Lane where we rejoin the tarmac, its first for me to ride down Bletherbarrow Lane, I usually climbing up it in the late stages of ride but anyway we headed down into the Crake Valley where we regroup again  just pass the hamlet Nibthwaite Grange. Once our leader got his bearings we headed up the Crake Valley, crossing over the River Crake via Bouthrey Bridge before joining the A 5084 at Water Yeat, unfortunately there was no way to around this section of ‘A’ road, so we had to follow it for next good mile before  following quite lane up to Stable Harvey which involved quite a bit of climbing to get us start of our next track, which we followed across Stable Harvey Moss and then Torver Low Common before stopping on the shores of disused Reservoir for lunch. As the aim of ride was do the Walna Scar Road, a did rough calculation and figures did not stack up for me, we should have been sat on summit of Walna Scar Road and not 400 metrics below for lunch, yes views would have been great from the summit, I just didn’t fancy pushing of bike up the climb to see them, as it was one rare occasions where I was not leading the ride, I decide once we got to Torver to peel off and do my own thing. After we all finish lunch continue along the bridleway across Torver Low Common then drop down to Mill Bridge where we followed the bridleway up the Torver Beck Valley into Torver. At this point, I left the group to follow the bridleway along the old railway line from Torver before following the cycle path along the shore Coniston Water and then through fields to Lake Road in Coniston which I followed down to the lake for early afternoon brew at the Bluebird Cafe. After the brew stop, I stop to chat to local cyclists and handed out two Rough-Stuff Journals for them to read. I then followed national trust cycle path around to the B 5285 where headed along the tarmac following the road back down the Eastern side of Coniston Water, there a lot of cyclist’s going both ways on this lane, it was pity that main camera had broke down but did have go had trying to catch some of views on my mobile phone, I soon left Coniston Water behind and then followed the lanes down the Crake Valley to Greenodd where I followed the national cycle route from Greenodd over to Low Wood. Then made my way through Haverthwaite before crossing over the A590 to follow the lanes through Backbarrow and then over to Newby Bridge, getting back to van park at Chapel House Wood for around 5pm. You can click here to see photos of 6th July ride to Winster or you can click here to download the 36.8 mile route or you can checkout the What’s New Page to see what’s new on the site and you can also sign up for site’s free weekly newsletter