yorkshire dales & forest of bowland

[strofiwimple]

I have some time off at the end of next month and will be cycling to see friends on the wirral, in the past i have used sustrans wear to walney route as far as kirkby stephen then down through kirkby lonsdale. For a change i am thinking of staying at hawes then down through the yorkshire dales and forest of bowland towards preston.

It would appear (on a map) to be a nice scenic route- if anyone cycles round the area any advice on places to see or avoid would be appreciated.
It will be a leisurely six day round trip so please dont be afraid to advise of any good cafes or pubs en route

 

[User482]

The northern loop of the Lancashire cycleway goes round that way - haven't done it for many years but I remember it was a very scenic ride on quiet roads. Hilly though!

 

[strofiwimple]

Thanks for that User482, looking at a map of the lancashire cycleway the route i was looking to take actually uses a big part of the northern loop without me realising it! Similarly when i went via kirkby lonsdale last year i picked up the western side of the northen loop (if that makes sense) quite by accident and really enjoyed the quiet lanes.

I will be doing 65/70 miles a day tops so i dont mind the hills (he says from the comfort of his computer chair)

 

[Tynan]

the Forest of Bowland sounds dangerous

orcs and stuff

 

[GilesM]

For great scenery and very little traffic, the small unclassified road from Barnard Castle to Arkengarthdale is perfect (CB Inn at Arkengarthdale is good for beer and food http://www.cbinn.co.uk/) , continue to Low Row across the hills on more unclassified roads, the punch bowl at Low Row is the also very good. For the route onto Hawes there are several good unclassified roads, I like the Buttertub pass from Thwaite. The A684 can be a little busy sometimes, but it's never exactly grid locked and outside the main tourist season it is usually quiet. Hawes is full of good pubs and tea rooms etc., and also a good bike shop if needed. From Hawes the B6255 would take you to the edge of the Dales and into the forest of Bowland.

Hawes to Horton in Ribblesdale off road, mainly via the pennie way is good, but not if you're on a road bike with bags, and not if you want to do 70 miles a day.

Have fun

Giles

PS. It is hilly.

 

[User482]

Thanks for that User482, looking at a map of the lancashire cycleway the route i was looking to take actually uses a big part of the northern loop without me realising it! Similarly when i went via kirkby lonsdale last year i picked up the western side of the northen loop (if that makes sense) quite by accident and really enjoyed the quiet lanes.

I will be doing 65/70 miles a day tops so i dont mind the hills (he says from the comfort of his computer chair)

No problem. As I recall, the main climb was from High Bentham over the Cross of Greet, but as compensation there's a nice descent into Slaidburn afterwards for a well earned brew. That was heading out from Lancaster though so I guess you'd do it in reverse? If you're doing the full northern loop, it's about 140 miles but there's a bale out option that heads north up the A6 towards Garstang, which cuts out the section towards Blackpool. I think the total mileage I clocked was 110, and due to some of the terrain was definitely the hardest day's cycling I've ever done. Not helped by doing it on an MTB!

 

[strofiwimple]

Thanks v much for that info Giles, your suggestion for getting from barney castle to hawes was more or less how i had planned but i will include buttertubs pass.

As i will be using a tourer with panniers then the B6255 to join up with the lancashire cycleway seems the best bet- thanks again.

Thanks for spooking me Tynan, i had better get onto wiggle to see if they sell an orc repelling helmet .

 

[strofiwimple]

Thanks again User482- i was typing as your reply came in so missed it- I am staying at a mates near Leyland on the second night so i wont be doing the whole northern loop, from slaidburn i was thinking of continuing south towards longridge and then cutting across onto the sourthern loop near wilpshire as the the southern loop goes right past Leyland.

That distance you did over that terrain on a mountain bike sounds like very savage amusement- hope it didnt have suspension too

 

[User482]

Sounds like a plan. The route cuts down from Slaidburn towards Whalley, so you could stay on it as far as Longridge like you say, before turning off for Leyland. Looking at the route on the map, it was just past Longridge that I turned off the route onto the A6 to head home at Lancaster - I was seriously flagging by that point!

And yes, it was on an MTB with front suspension, although I did fit slick tyres. I was a student at the time so it was the only bike I had. I seem to recall it took me about 10 hours, compare that with the 6-7 hours I can cycle the same distance from Bristol - London

 

[shinamo]

If you pick up the A59 , you can drop down to Kirkby / Maghull then into Liverpool then get the ferry across to the Wirral (don't know what time they run though) . Trough of Bowland is a scenic route . Not looked at the map but will do so .

 

[GilesM]

Have fun strofiwimple, the yorkshire dales really are a great place to cycle, yesterday my better half booked us a week in a cottage close to Appletreewick for mid June, it'll have to be the mountain bikes for the week.

Giles