27th June 2021 ride to the Claife Viewing Station and Wray Castle (Page three)

The view looking along the bridleway towards Esthwaite.

The sign post pointing towards Hawkshead.

A view of Esthwaite.

Stopping for eat up in Near Sawrey.

At end of the bridleway at Cunsey Bridge.

At top of second to last climb of the day near Graythwaite Hall.

Got back to the cars at around 5pm.

Ride report by Simeon Orme I hope you folk who maybe reading this from the Yet Another Cycling Forum, have workout which member of the forum I was riding with on today’s ride, it was Nikki from Lancaster who told me at end of ride, it one of longest ride she done for sometime and think she will please to know that it was 27.11 miles long. For those of you don’t know where Chapel House Wood car park is at, its small Forest Commission car park, at push will fit about eight cars it, so its not mark on the Ordnance Survey Map, so you have to be local or cycle pass it to know about it but its useful distance of about 20 mile from Lancaster. So makes its useful starting point, to start cycling adventures from, when using the car to help you get pass that boring bit of the ride which do on every week when we all start our ride from the front door of your home. The other point about Chapel House Wood, get there early, the locals tend use it, has starting point for taking there dogs for walks, so can get busy in the mornings at weekends. The start of the ride was about quarter to half mile from the A590 that busy highway that folk use to get places like Barrow-in-Furness. It was fairly easy ride down through Staveley-in-Cartmel, then short section on the A592 before following the cycle path into Newby Bridge, after crossing over the River Leven via the bridge. We followed the lane down the Leven Valley to near Water House, where we turn on to the first bridleway of the day, which we followed towards Finsthwaite House. Unless you on a mountain bike with low gears, you end up walking and push your bike up the first part of this track but once you done the climbing out of the Leven Valley its fairly easy ride to Finsthwaite House. The other think you will notice is noise levels drop has you leave the Leven Valley behind and think its good track to do in Spring when the Bluebells are out. We soon back on the tarmac again and heading through Finsthwaite it one those lakeland villages where the locals can not afford buy house but its a lot cheaper than some villages with views of a lake. If you not workout yet, we did a little detour around Lakeside but our route brought us back on that busy lane from Newby Bridge to Hawkshead which was strangely quite for this time of year which sum up most of day ride around this part of the Lake District National Park, maybe down to lack tourists from foreign parts, I don’t know if this was good or bad thing but it make life a lot easier has we followed the tarmac towards Graythwaite Hall where we turn on to more interesting lanes, has we followed the tarmac through Low and High Cursey, with interesting views of Lake Windermere to enjoy. After a bit of climb to the outer edges of Far Sawrey, we turn on to the B 5285 followed down to the Ferry House loo stop before back tracking a short distance to visit the Claife Viewing Station which one in things to do in Victorian times, its worth the small walk up to it as the views of Lake Windermere are outstanding. I must say, I was little a bit disappointed that the cafe was not open in the courtyard below the Claife Viewing Station where we left the bikes lock up to visit the Viewing Station but like a lot things over last 18 months things change and its look like the National Trust done deal with Joey’s Cafe to run their cafes and tearoom in this part of the national park. Instead sampling the delights of Joey’s Cafe which enjoy later at the popup cafe at Wray Castle, we enjoy our own pack lunches. After our lunch break, we continue to follow the tarmac which soon turn into public byway and then bridleway up Lake Windermere to Wray Castle. There a lot good views to enjoy on this off-road stage of our ride, we did a little detour at High Wray Bay to look at the view down the lake which full of sailing boats enjoying the weekend weather. After looking at the view, there was a bit of climbing to do along the bridleway before heading towards Wray Castle for coffee and cake at Joey’s Cafe which is pop cafe but look like they will moving inside the castle at later date, as some building work still going on for the new cafe. After cafe break, there short section on the tarmac down to Low Wray before following delightful cycle path along side Blelham Tarn, then testing climb near High Tock How before continue along cycle path toward Outgate and then on to Loanthwaite where there was short section on Loanthwaite Lane before heading along Scar House Lane to Colthouse. The point on Scar House Lane, where the cycle path left the lane to head across the fields to Hawkshead, the surface of the public way when downhill from hardcore surface to usual surface you find on lakeland tracks. From Colthouse, we turn on to the B 5285 which followed towards Near Sawrey, hopping off it and on to it to follow the three sections of the Caife Community bridleway before stopping at end of last section for eat up, on picnic table in the children playground in Near Sawrey. After our refueling stop, we followed the lanes down the valley to Eel House and the bridleway along side Cunsey Beck down to Cunsey Bridge where turn back on tarmac again. It was easy ride through Low Cunsey before testing climb to get back on main road near Graythwaite Hall, then it was mostly down hill headed via Lakeside back to Newby Bridge where retrace our morning route through Staveley-in-Cartmel and back to the cars park at Chapel House Wood. You can click here to see the photos of 4th July ride to Melling or you can click here to download 27.11 mile route or you can checkout the What’s New Page to see what’s new on the site.