RSF ride to Grizedale

A fantastically clear day greeted me as I drove over to park at Chapel House Wood. I wondered if anyone else would take advantage of the super day, Norman arrived just before 10am, so I wouldn't be riding alone. After a bit of a chat we decided on the first leg of our route, and set off down the old road below the car park, crossing the busy A590 and riding along the quiet lane into Canny Hill.

Looking back to Canny Hill from the Bishops Allotment track

We doubled back onto the bridleway which leads over Bishops Allotment and eventually to Low Brow Edge. This was a great ride, neither of us had ridden this before (although I had walked part of it many years ago).

Entering Bishops Allotment?

At the end of the track we dropped down the road for a couple of hundred yards, before turning left to ride the bridleway which descends gently to Low Wood.

On the bridleway to Low Wood

Crossing the road we followed the cycle route which leads over the Roudsea Marsh and eventually crosses the Leven as it meets the sea.

Crossing the River Leven at Greenodd

We entered Greenodd under the A590, and then rode up the Crake valley, the Coniston Fells looking alpine with their covering of snow. The minor road on the eastern side of the valley made for easy progress, once at the hamlet of High Nibthwaite we were offroad again. 

Norman admiring the Coniston Fells on the Parkamoor track

The Parkamoor track climbs gradually in the main, although the couple of steep bits have been ravaged by offroad vehicles, a shame. 

Yours truly at Parkamoor

After a short discussion on the route we decided to ride North from Parkamoor, following bridleways all the way round the North end of the Grizedale valley. A found sheltered spot just before Moor Top for lunch, our route then crossed the tarmac and following forestry roads we made good time until just after Grizedale Tarn we took the bridleway which dropped steeply down towards High Dale Park.

Norman starting the descent into Dale Park

Only a few metres down the road, then a sharp left turn to take the bridleway over to the Cunsey valley, this track has suffered recently at the hands of the lumberjacks! Still mainly rideable though. The pleasent bridleway beside Cunsey Beck brought us onto the road beside Windermere. South now and after an easy section we had to climb the vicious hill of Baswicks over to Graythwaite. The "main" road towards Lakeside is almost all downhill, great!, Then off to the right into the village of Finsthwaite and after a gentle climb we turned onto the bridleway adjacent to Finsthwaite Hall. This was another track I'd never been on, it was another good track, through mature decidious wooodland.

On the "Finsthwaite Hall" bridleway

The bridleway brings you out just a couple of hundred metres South of Newby Bridge, all that remained was for us to ride back to the cars through Staveley-in-Cartmel. Norman thought we'd done about 31miles, we both agreed it had been a good ride.