Spinney
Bimbleur extraordinaire
- Location
- Back up north
I suppose it depends if the OP wants to go through the Lake District or not. The Shap route is scenic, but not quite as scenic as going through the middle!The A6 up through the lakes and Shap really isn't too bad - Shap is a tough long hill, but i didn't find the road too busy and there are plenty of crawler lanes for you to be overtaken. I would go this way if i did it again.
As for A roads versus canal paths etc. I agree with most of the others - most of the a roads are generally ok, but do check beforehand, some can be terrible. The "local" advice you get from these forums will be invaluable.