Anyone familiar with the area around Cartmel?

[Spinney]

Hive mind help, please.
Looking to move oop north again, and interested in a house just outside Cartmel. But would like to know how busy the road outside it is. It's the road east out of the villages that goes up over High Fell Gate and then down to Grange. We'd have to walk on it regularly to walk on Hampsfell.

'How busy' is difficult to define, but something like 'happy to ride up it, no nutters doing stupid overtakes' would be a good verdict.

Ta

Spinney

 

[Spinney]

Thanks Darius, that's helpful.
I used to live in Carnforth, and since then have spent some holiday time in Levens, so I know the area a little (mild and damp!).
Farm traffic I can cope with - plenty of that where I live at the moment.
There aren't verges or footpaths, hence the enquiry - sounds like not too bad. I suppose 'busy' would be a road I would be uncomfortable cycling along - although that threshold is different for everyone!

We're on the verge of becoming coffin-dodgers ourselves!

 

[Spinney]

Yeah, the hills will make me get fit.
Soon, I'll be old enough to justify getting an electric bike to help with that!

 

[T4tomo]

If i'm route planning in an unfamiliar area, a scoot only the road in google maps street view can give you an indication of how busy a road is. granted you don't know the time of day, but if you flick though the "history view" you get a decent impression / sample of different times.

 

[Spinney]

If i'm route planning in an unfamiliar area, a scoot only the road in google maps street view can give you an indication of how busy a road is. granted you don't know the time of day, but if you flick though the "history view" you get a decent impression / sample of different times.

I never thought of the history view - thanks! I'll try that.

 

[Domus]

I have a caravan on Low Fell Gate, cycle on that road a lot. Mrs Domus walks up and down all the time. I would class it as quiet except when the races are on. Nice houses on that stretch between the Doctor's and the post box.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

All the roads around Cartmel can be a tad whizzy on the car front once cars get out of the village and as you have surmised it is a primary route to GoS.

Not a road I would particularly want to walk on tbh. Fine for cycling and I have used that road. Can be busy with SUV's at school times.

But of a, manageable, climb of a few hundred feet out of Cartmel and a corresponding drop where the road forks into GoS.

Welcome back to Cumbria in advance! 😁

 

[Spinney]

Thanks @Domus and @SpokeyDokey - although for opposite verdicts! It'll be good to be back up north again once all the house moving faff is over! 6 months in, so far (one failed sale, then ages to find a new buyer. )

The one we're looking at is outside the village itself. I think if it's a road I'd be happy to cycle on, I'd be OK walking on it, too - it's not far to the public footpath up the hill or into the village the other way.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Thanks @Domus and @SpokeyDokey - although for opposite verdicts! It'll be good to be back up north again once all the house moving faff is over! 6 months in, so far (one failed sale, then ages to find a new buyer. )

The one we're looking at is outside the village itself. I think if it's a road I'd be happy to cycle on, I'd be OK walking on it, too - it's not far to the public footpath up the hill or into the village the other way.

I didn't know there was a Low Fell Gate, I know of High F G & Middle FG.

If Domus's caravan is near Middle F G then a fair bit of traffic from Cartmel will be using the left hand road fork into GoS thus reducing traffic on the right hand fork.

Are you able to get up for a few days and take a look - especially ar school times. There are two in Cartmel that I know of - one quite large and busy.

Nice part of the world around there but you know that already.

 

[Spinney]

We're going to look at a house on Friday on the Cartmel side of High Fell Gate, outside the village but not far from it - so the traffic splitting at HIgh Fell Gate won't be any advantage. I'm not sure we'd be too bothered about traffic if it's mainly school runs.

The other places we're looking at are much quieter (Slackhead, just west of Beetham off the A6, and Crosthwaite in the Lyth Valley). There were a few I liked in the Arnside/Silverdale patch, but they sold quickly.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

We're going to look at a house on Friday on the Cartmel side of High Fell Gate, outside the village but not far from it - so the traffic splitting at HIgh Fell Gate won't be any advantage. I'm not sure we'd be too bothered about traffic if it's mainly school runs.

The other places we're looking at are much quieter (Slackhead, just west of Beetham off the A6, and Crosthwaite in the Lyth Valley). There were a few I liked in the Arnside/Silverdale patch, but they sold quickly.

Both Beetham and Crossthwaite are nice - you'll be familiar with both for sure.

We have a meal booked at the Punch Bowl in Crossthwaite later in the year and that has gotten very expensive. But not as expensive as the fancy place in Cartmel!

Beetham is lovely and we often walk from there usually including the Deer Park. Wheatsheaf is a decent pub too.

Sorry, I digress; happy home hunting!

 

[Domus]

If you look at your map, Low Fell Gate has a red footpath at the 60 metre contour. The footpath runs through to Grange Fell Road.

 

[lazybloke]

Yeah, the hills will make me get fit.
Soon, I'll be old enough to justify getting an electric bike to help with that!

Yeah, I remember some fairly sharp hills when I got lost near Cartmel on my first ever bike ride in the Lakes. Lovely bit of the country.
A bit alarming being lost at night with no phone.

 

[Spinney]

It's actually this bit of road I'm really interested in- the place I'm interested in is a short walk from the footpath that goes across the end of Fell End, but also OH hates having to hear boy racers on the road outside (we're on a B road at the moment that is very busy at times).
No substitute for going to listen, though!

Having said that, if we do end up there, it sounds like I should use the road past Middle Fell Gate to struggle over the hill on my bike rather than the one that leaves from the centre of Grange! Traffic-wise, at least.

 

[geocycle]

Great locations and all on my cycling routes. Id say the routes into Cartmel have always been fine on the bike. The issue with walking on rural roads is lack of verge and lines of sight. Best to go and check.

I like the pub in Beetham and the old post office cafe, although steep hill back to Slackhead after a few pints. Arnside and Silverdale are special places. The pub in Brigsteer near Crossthwaite is also good. I’ve not ventured into L’Enclume in Cartmel, I’m more a sticky toffee pudding chap.