September 2005 Club Members visit Cumbria and The Lake District.
We stayed at The Ravensworth Hotel Ambleside Road, Windermere, Lake District, Cumbria LA23 1BA Tel:015394 43747 Email: [email protected] www.theravensworth.com

Quotes from the official Website www.lake-district.gov.uk

‘Savour the peace and tranquillity’
The tranquillity of the fells, valleys and lakes gives a sense of space and freedom. There is an opportunity for spiritual refreshment: a release from the pressures of modern-day life.

‘Open nature of the fells’
The relatively open character of the uplands, and the lack of modern development, is especially important. To walk freely across the fells, or climb their crags, is liberating and gives a feeling of wildness. To many the Lake District is a place where it is possible to feel remote, yet know the nearest settlement is never far away.

‘Complex geology’
The Lake District’s rocks provide a dramatic record of nearly 500 million years, with evidence of colliding continents, deep oceans, tropical seas, and kilometre-thick ice sheets. The area has the largest and deepest lakes and highest peaks in England. Its rock sequence contributes to our understanding of past climates.
Daily pictures can be seem at www.keswick.u-net.com

Five Club members including Angie and I had the most wonderful 5 days in the Lake District, we have decided this will be a regular trip for us each year.
Although the seven hour 330 mile ride, all motorway (with comfort stops) was rather daunting, it passed in no time, and far from taking it easy on the first day, after a hearty breakfast off we went again, and again, and again, totalling 1,100 miles by the time we returned to the Island.

The Lake District can be quite wet, we were fortunate as it rained for just part of one day, the scenery is spectacular to say the least, and as we had prepared rides for each day before the trip, we were able to use roads which most visitors would be unaware of. Bikes, of course, are idea for smaller twisting roads, off the beaten track, so to speak. To give some idea of the size of the lakes, Windermere for example, is the distance from Cowes to Ventnor 12 - 14 miles in length.

Although it is hard to single out one of our days, for me it was Day 2 which was across Alston Moor between The Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park. Leaving Ambleside taking the A592 the Famous Kirkstone Pass to Penrith, and then the A686 which is 48 miles, (which is noted as one of the UK’s top 10 Biker Rides) over Alston Moor to Haydon Bridge, which is just a short ride to Hadrian’s Wall.
The road rises to about 1,000ft with many hairpins as well as flowing corners.
At the highest point there is a cafe with a 360 degree view, which is simply stunning, although it was very windy. Returning from Haydon Bridge using the B6303 which brought us back to Alston, retracing our route over Kirkstone Pass to Ambleside and Windermere, what a fantastic day.