The 2024 Cycling Tour - A Rough Sketch

It's been in the pipeline for some time now, but the 2024 cycle tour is on. The plan: a three day cycling trip taking in two national parks, two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and three counties. I'm starting from my home in Langho, a small village in the Ribble Valley. Day 1 will see me heading over the Cumbrian boarder up to Kendal. Day 2 will make a detour into the Lake District National Park to visit Windermere. Then I will head eastward into the Yorkshire Dales before setting up camp in Ingleton. On the third day, I make my way south through the Forest of Bowland AONB on route home. Below I have sketched my route out. It may change at some point, but not drastically. It is not easy reading. It wasn't written with aesthetic reasons in mind but purely for the practical purpose of formulating a decent cycle route; but it took me a while to plan so I thought I'd share it here. 

Day 1: From Langho to Kendal

Counties: Lancashire, Cumbria

AONBs: Forest of Bowland, Arnside and Silverdale

National Park: The Lake District

Distance: Approx. 70 miles

Ascent: 5267 ft

Descent: 5443ft

Overview: I expect this section to be the most challenging. It will take in the high ground of the Forest of Bowland. Bowland is not a forest in the common sense of being an expanse of woodland. It is an ancient hunting park, comprised of a collection of hills and moorland. It hosts aristocratic estates, such as the Duke of Westminster's Abbeystead. Bowland has some very difficult inclines, such as the road between Bentham and Slaidburn leading to the Cross of Greet, which I will be summiting on day 3. But Bowland is also prime cycling territory. The roads, whilst narrow, are relatively quiet and the views can be quite brilliant. The aforementioned cross of greet offers a wonderful panorama reaching over to the Yorkshire Dales. 

Once out of Bowland, the ground levels off. I visit my old home of Lancaster. This will be a very pleasant and relatively relaxing part of the ride. I aim to come off road to follow the course of Lancaster canal towpath to Carnforth. This is a wonderful route and takes in the marvelous Lune Aqueduct, which carries the canal over the river Lune. From Carnforth, I head for the Arnside and Silverdale AONB. This contrasts with Bowland in that it incorporates a strip of coastline in southern Cumbria, but it is also known for its Limestone fells such as Warton Crag, Farleton Knott and Hutton Roof Crags.

My end destination is Kendal. Whilst being a very popular town and a good base from which to access the Lake District, it does not sit within the National Park boundary. My original plan, was to make a swift diversion into the National Park to Underbarrow, before camping at Kendal. But I considered this to be a bit of a cop out. Yes, I could say that I had technically ridden within the national park but it seemed to be quite a hollow way of doing it. One way to say I'd properly visited the Lakes would be to visit a Lake and why not the biggest one? But this would be too much to do on day 1. At the time of writing, my longest ride is 50 miles and the route I'd already formulated to Kendal would be 75. So I decided to make a revision. Instead of crossing into the Lakes on the first day, I would do this on day 2, meaning that I could cut out the Underbarrow section of day 1's ride, meaning I take a more direct route from Arnside and Silverdale to Kendal. 

Detailed Day 1 Route: 

Starting at Langho. Take the road down Whitehalgh lane under the railway bridge, cross the A59 into Old Langho, bear left to ride through Dinkley crossing the Ribble at Ribchester Bridge, then ride into Ribchester. 

Bowland Section

At Ribchester turn right to come off the Lancashire Cycleway up to Jeffrey Hill. Turn right here up a steep road which bends to the left. The next stage heads through the Forest of Bowland toward Lancaster. At the next junction take a left then a sharp right. At the next junction turn left to Gibbon Bridge which crosses the river loud for a brief detour to visit the river. Then turn back on yourself, continue following the road, you will cross the river Hodder at Doeford Bridge. The road then follows the river Hodder passing the Wild boar park on your left. This leads to Dunsop Bridge. Langden Brook and the River Dunsop pass through this village. At Dunsop Bridge, head west through Sykes, then at the junction at Abbeystead turn left just before Lee Bridge. You cross the Wyre near Abbeystead Reservoir. At Dolphinholme bear right on the junction leading past the Fleece Inn and then to Bay Horse Inn. 

Lancaster and Morecambe Bay Section

Join the A6 and ride into Galgate. Cross the river Conder in Galgate, either via the A6 or coming off right through the quiet part of the village which comes out on Hazelrigg Lane. Head into Lancaster via the A6. Maybe worth a visit to the Ashton Memorial, Lancaster Castle, the Roman Fort behind the Castle. Stop at the Water Witch for a pint and to visit Lancaster Canal. Take the canal towpath to Carnforth. Come off the canal, follow the A6 briefly then bear north west under the railway bridge crossing the river Keer. Follow the road as it bends right into Warton near the Rectory then turn left onto the road that skirts around the western side of Warton Crag. 

Continue following the road as it crosses the sands/marsh land. At the next junction bear left and keep left before the road bends right following the coast to Silverdale. Keep following the coast to Arnside. Perhaps worth a visit to Arnside Tower. Join the B5282 which follows the Kent estuary and take this to Milnthope. Take the road heading north east from here. The road crosses the top of the navigable part of the Lancaster canal. The road goes through Natland then up north into Kendal. 

Day 2: From Kendal to Ingleton

Counties: Cumbria, Yorkshire

National Parks: Lake District, Yorkshire Dales

AONBs: None

Distance: 60 miles

Ascent: 6047 ft

Descent: 5873ft

Overview: 

This section is not quite as linear. My decision to visit Windermere meant I had little choice but to make a detour from Kendal meaning having visited the Lake, I would need to come back on myself, though I varied the route somewhat to avoid repetition. The Lake District Section at the start is not overly taxing; this being a relatively low part of the national park. Windermere is the largest lake in England. I aim to visit it near Bowness. I anticipate it being very busy, as Bowness tends to be. Having made my way back to Kendal the plan is to head east, crossing the M6 then into the high ground of the Yorkshire Dales. The Yorkshire Dales includes area within the Cumbrian county border, including peaks such as the Howgill Fells. I will be travelling just south of the Howgills through Sedbergh then further east before heading south to Ingleton. 

One of the themes of the trip will be the watercourses I cover. It is interesting to see how the nature of a river changes over its course. To see the same river in different aspects at various points throughout the trip, sometimes over the course of two counties. This is the case for the two biggest rivers of Lancashire: the Ribble and the Lune. The Ribble runs just a few miles from where I live. I will be crossing it first when I cross Ribchester bridge. I will revisit it near its source at Ribblehead in Yorkshire. I will be riding near the Lune estuary in Lancaster then crossing it at the Lune Aqueduct. I will cross it again in Cumbria on day 2. 

Detailed Day 2 Route: 

From Kendal, take the road heading north west to Burnside. Keep following the road toward Staveley. After going through Staveley follow the main A591 road. Looking at the map, it looks as though there is a cycle path running alongside the road. The road passes through the small village of Ings. Then, at Windermere village, bear left and ride through the main part of the village. Continue along this road until you end up at Bowness-on-Windermere. 

Having visited Bowness, head south on the same road, before turning left after Ferney Green. From here follow the B5284 heading east. At Bonning Gate, turn left and the road will take you back to Burnside. From here, take the road into Kendal. Head east on the A684 or take the road that runs parallel to the north of it - the latter should involve a quicker descent and then it joins with the A684 anyway. This road then crosses the M6 just north of Killington Lake. Continue following this road over to Sedbergh, you will cross the Lune again in the process. At the pub turn right to head south. After crossing the river Rothay the road bends west. Keep west to cross the River Dee. Then there is a sharp bend left to follow the course of the Dee. This also follows the course of the Pennine Journey and Dales Way. The road then joins another road and leads into Dent. Continue following the road as it goes along the course of the Dales Way linking with another road at Cow Gill. The road follows the bend in the river Dee and follows it as it travels south. Pass through the village of Stone House down toward a viaduct which the road passes under and is near a waterfall. Bear in mind that all of this has followed the Dales Way. 

You then hit a junction, at which you should turn right. The road proceeds south following Gayle Beck. Road passes several caves on route to Ribblehead. Continue under the railway line at Ribble Head viaduct. At Chapel-le-Dale take the road on the right alongside the River Doe by its source which leads into Ingleton. 

Day 3: Ingleton to Langho

Counties: Yorkshire, Lancashire

AONBs: Forest of Bowland

Distance: 33 miles

Ascent: 3882ft

Descent: 3937ft

Overview: 

The final day is much easier in terms of mileage. But it does start with the challenge of ascending the Cross of Greet on route from Bentham to Slaidburn. I have ascended Greet on two occasions, one south bound the other north bound. The north bound route from Slaidburn, from memory, was the easiest of the two. At least, I was able to do this without stopping unlike the other way which required walking the last bit. It has to be noted, though, that I tried the south bound route on a mountain bike which had seen better days. On day 3, I am hitting it south bound, heaving plenty of camping gear along with me; it will be a challenge to get over it without stopping. After another steep incline on the road that runs between Waddington and Easington fell it is fairly straightforward back. 

Detailed Route: 

From Ingleton follow the road south which runs alongside the River Greta. At Fourlands Hill take a left turn to High Bentham. Continue on the road over the railway then over the River Wenning. This road runs through the Tatham Fells passing the Great Stone of Fourstones, then a steep up hill incline to the Cross of Greet. Then the road proceeds to Slaidburn. At Slaidburn head south east to Newton, then turn left crossing the River Hodder. The road then bends up between Easington and Waddington Fell. There is a car park here if a rest is needed. The road then goes steeply down to Waddington. From Waddington head south west past Barshall Hall then take the next left after passing a reservoir. This road will take you into Great Mitton where you cross the Ribble again. Continue following the road into Whalley. Cross the River Calder then take the road through Billington and into Langho.