Copyright 2001 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme

Copyright 2001 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme

Copyright 2001 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme

Copyright 2001 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme

Ride report by Simeon Orme I got one of those phone calls on the Friday afternoon, asking when I was starting up this website cycling touring group again, I did not think there much interest in starting another cycling touring group in the area, so agree lead ride starting from Bridge House Farm Tearooms in Wray, towards Feizor. So I don’t what happen but once got to the Tearoom at around 10am, I was the only cyclist’s who was there which did not bother me, has I am quite happy taking my time on rides and taking photos of the ride but I try to make it clean in these photo ride reports when the ride starts from a tearoom or cafe, that mean inside the tearoom for coffee, cake and chat before heading out on the ride. The reason for this is the population of North Lancashire, South Cumbria once get pass Lancaster live in small towns or villages and distances between places gets longer, has you nearer the Scottish border it fact of live, I thing you get use to living with but only large towns like Lancaster or Kendal or Barrow or large village can support cycling club starting a ride from same place each weekend. I had a lot experience in running local cycling groups and manage keep the local Rough-Stuff Fellowship Group going for over 20 years and thing that I have learn from this, is lead a ride you enjoy doing by your self, then you will not be disappointed when no one else turns up at start of the ride, try start ride inside tearoom or call at tearoom in the few miles of the ride this give folk on ride opportunity to get know each other, try start the ride from different place each weekend because everyone can not ride 50 to 70 miles on day ride. Its not rocket science but its work. I did not think anyone was till interest in come out on my rides but I found when started this website up into 2004, folk enjoy looking at the photos that I took on rides and reading the ride reports and usually after six months of looking at the ride photos, I would get phone call or e-mail asking for more information about the rides then they maybe brave enough to come out on a ride, then few folk started come out on rides each week and that how cycling group get form. In the age of social media with Facebook groups etc. running cycling touring website is a bit old fashion but I enjoy doing its shop window for showing off my ride photos to the world, I learn several years ago you not going get rich from running a website about off-road cycle touring but its format for starting things a lot folk in past found out about the Rough-Stuff Fellowship which world oldest off-road cycle touring club by reading the ride reports and looking at photos on this website and then join the national club, in the North West of England three other local RSF groups were restarted from folk reading and looking at the photos on this website and thinking I can do that! It does take several hours to get these photo ride reports ready for you look at and one old cyclist who lives in Halton came up to me to say how he enjoy looking these reports of my adventures on two wheels, I going continue writing and taking photos of my adventures on my bike, if you interest in coming on ride with me sign up for the weekly e-newsletter or look at the forthcoming events page on the Where’s the Brew Stop? Cycle touring group. Yes with these ride reports I can go off topic and have moan about something other than writing report on what I did on the ride. Anyway after sitting around for half hour enjoying my brew and coming to conclusion that no else was coming out on ride, I followed the tarmac up the Hindburn Valley to Mill Houses, then headed up Russells Lane, then after about mile I turn on The Old Moor Road, there always some good views of Ingleborough from this road and believe or not there bridleway up Ingleborough which did with Peter Kenner in 2007 and its one those tracks you only do once and don’t repeat again. The Old Moor Road, is a bit of up and down but I was soon heading up Cross Road which its only claim to fame at the junction of Mewith Lane there signpost say its half way point between Lancaster and Settle, has it will take you 12 mile to get either place. For those of you who not local to the South Lakes area, Mewith Lane is sort of cycling superhighway between North Lancashire and North Yorkshire, which the Way of Roses follows to get it self into North Yorkshire. The lane as several names on the map but local cyclist’s call the hold length of lane (From its start in Lancashire near the hamlet of Green and to end in North Yorkshire near Keasden) ‘Mewith Lane’. On today ride, I was following full length of the lane to Dubgarth Hill, I stop a few times take photos and one those times a motorist pull up to ask if I was okay has he through 1 had broken down, I just said that I was taking photo which can take a few minutes to do if its close up of flower. Once I got to Dubgarth Hill, it was fairly easy ride down to Clapham Station which about 2 miles or less from Clapham which I continue on to and where I stop for late lunch in the National Parks Car Park. I did note that the Reading Room Cafe had change its name to ‘Lake House’ and maybe its owners. After my lunch break, I was weighting up my options on which way I should go but decide to continue on Feizor. I had out of Clapham on the B6480 and on great things about the Way of Roses is the hardcore bridleway along side the A65 which does make life a lot easier than having cycle on the A65 to get Austwick. I did notice that there was cafe or tearoom that had open up in Austwick, I did stop my plan was to stop at Elaine’s Tearoom in Feizor. So I continue to follow the ‘Way of the Roses’ route out of the Austwick Valley for next few miles before turning on to Pennine Bridleway. The sign post at this part of the Pennine Bridleway said it was one and half mile crossing over to Feizor, it case following the bridleway pass Lower Bark House Farm and Higher Bark House before getting summit of the pass where there some good views look towards Ribblesdale before following the bridleway down into Feizor. Feizor is one of those secret places in the Yorkshire Dales which folk are starting to hear about due to delights of Elaine’s Tearoom and there only one way in my car but several ways on two wheels or two feet. I sat outside tearoom enjoying my coffee and cafe before getting back on the bike to follow the Pennine Bridleway and then Wood Lane back into Austwick. From Austwick, I followed the lane down to Harden Bridge where cross over the A65 to follow Orcaber Lane into the Forest of Bowland ANOB. This lane does change its name three times on the map before it get to Eldroth Lane which follow up to Dubgarth Hill and the start Mewith Lane which followed back towards Wray. I did stop for eat up on bench near Belle View Farm before following the lanes back to Wray, then riding back down the Lune Valley back to Halton. You can click here to see the photos of 19th June ride to Gawthrop in Dentdale or or you can click here to download the 30.30 mile route starting and finishing in Wray or you can checkout the What’s New Page to see what’s new on the site.