Cycling UK Forum

I’ll be heading into a part of the country I really don’t know once I’ve got past Preston. Most of the LEJOG routes seem to stay near the coastline for obvious reasons but that means missing the Forest of Bowland. Should I endeavour to route through it or will my tiring legs struggle?
Likewise the Lake District en route to Carlisle. Clearly I can’t see everything but a taster would be good if feasible.

Forest of bowland. My local training ground. You'd enjoy a few days touring this area if you've not been. Maybe do that as a seperate trip?

Joe Sprocket wrote:Forest of bowland. My local training ground. You'd enjoy a few days touring this area if you've not been. Maybe do that as a seperate trip?

And I just happen to know a local B&B

Head up the Old A6.
The majority of the traffic is on the M6 and the bypasses.

Reasonably fine all the way to Carlisle. Go in and out of the villages/towns/cities ...........
Garstang, Forton, Lancaster, Carnforth, Milnthorpe, Kendal, Shap, Penrith, Carlisle.

If I were to be cycling up that way again, I wouldn't think twice about it.

Two main options after Preston as mentioned above. Via Lancaster up the A6 if that’s your bag, or mix it up with parts of NCR 6. The easterly option via Slaidburn and forest of Bowland is hilly but excellent touring. I’d avoid the Lake District on a LEJOG which really involves Kirkstone pass and do Shap as Mick suggests. Shap is much easier. Come back and do the Lake District loop!

You don't really go INTO the Trough of Bowland, you sort of skirt the edges of it via the undulating but not really hilly, route up the back of Lancaster.

Depending on your route through / around Preston, you can come in onto the A6 somewhere just north of Barton, spend a few minuites on it and then duck into the little lanes that criss-cross over the M6 and run parallel to it.

The Barn at Scorton is highly recommended for a cafe stop - very bike friendly. And then just sort of follow northwards(ish) up through those lanes - Bay Horse Road to Quernmore, Postern Gate Road / Quernmore Road up to Caton, Halton, Nether Kellet, Carnforth and then up through the Yealands (Yealand Conyers, Yealand Redmayne) to Milnthorpe or you can carry on up the western side of the M6 through Over Kellet, Burton-in-Kendal, Holme and it still brings you out around Milnthorpe. Into Kendal then over Shap.

You really don't need to be on the A6 for more than a few minutes in a couple of places. It's doable - it's just very unpleasant considering the amazing scenery and quiet roads a few hundred metres off to each side of it.

geocycle wrote:Come back and do the Lake District loop!

Spot on.

Some folk want to "do" Dartmoor on their End2End, and I say to them, come back and do Dartmoor later.
Spend a weekend doing Dartmoor properly, but you don't need it on your way from End2End at all.

Mick F wrote:

geocycle wrote:Come back and do the Lake District loop!

Spot on.

Some folk want to "do" Dartmoor on their End2End, and I say to them, come back and do Dartmoor later.
Spend a weekend doing Dartmoor properly, but you don't need it on your way from End2End at all.

I do agree but when you’re getting on a bit you know there won’t be too many chances to see these places.
And I can’t expect to get too many holiday passes from Mrs B

There aren't that many roads through the Trough but it is hilly going through the middle. If you really want to do it then, (from Preston), head for Chipping, Whitewell,Dunsopp Bridge, Slaidburn, Bentham, Kirby Lonsdale, Sedburgh, Tebay, Orton and Shap. --- 70 miles with 5400 ft climbing. Misses out Shap climb.

A more direct route from Preston to Shap. --- 60 miles with 3300 ft climbing. Includes Shap climb.