Cycling from Ambleside.

Tuesday 10^th December 2024

The long-range weather forecast was spot on last week.  I don’t usually pay much attention to such forecasts since they’re rarely accurate enough to plan by, but last week I made an exception.  I was hoping to take advantage of a YHA special offer which required making a booking prior to 6th December, but storm Darragh was scheduled to visit over the weekend so I was nervous.  The Met Office suggested that once the storm had passed, a few calm and sunny few days would follow, and on the strength of this, I booked a night at Ambleside which was a perfect starting location to visit some new locations in the region.  

As forecast, Tuesday morning was very cold, but bright sunshine made it feel better.  My first ride started in Bowness where I’d parked the car and was only five miles but it picked up a stray Veloviewer tile near Storrs Hall beside the lake.   The roads in that area are a bit too busy and narrow for me, so I didn’t try to incorporate this trip into the proper ride of the day.  I then drove up to the hostel and parked up.  Even though I arrived at noon, they allowed me to check in early, so I nabbed myself a bottom bunk before heading out on the bike into the sun, down the eastern edge of Coniston Water. 

The sun was very low in the sky making me wish I’d worn a peaked cap rather than a skull cap.  I had to go very slowly for the first 18 miles or so since although I was being dazzled I could just make out that many of the roads were covered with small stones and bits of tree following the recent storm.  This didn’t make for relaxed and carefree riding.  There were also a few small floods which I had to negotiate.

Just before I turned round and headed back, a car approaching me slowed and then stopped, and although the road was quite wide, I assumed that he was being courteous and letting me pass.  As I got closer, I waved a thanks only to realise that he had a camera pointing out of the window: he was actually stopping to capture the beautiful mountain scenery behind me.  I hope I didn’t spoil his shot.

Once I began to head north, the dazzling sun was no longer a problem but the wind was.  It wasn’t very strong but it was certainly cold.

As always, I was looking to collect a couple of stray tiles and one of these was a short distance along a dirt track.  It was too steep and rocky to ride so I abandoned the bike and began to hike up to a field to reach it.  I achieved my objective but it was at the expense of my average speed which took yet another hit.

I started the ride a bit later than planned and with the slower pace, it was approaching 4pm by the time I finished.  That’s getting on for dark up here in mid-December, even on a sunny day, but I encountered very little traffic.  

After freshening up and enjoying a coffee and a toasted tea-cake at the hostel, I had a lovely couple of hours reading in the lounge before tea time.  The kitchen was surprisingly busy, but I managed to nab a cooker and warmed up a delicious chicken stew (previously prepared by Geraldine) with a piece of olive focaccia bread.  The Black Sheep brewery provided liquid refreshment in the form of Blitzen, a festive ruby ale which seemed very appropriate.

Tomorrow I intend to drive down to Barrow-in-Furness to complete a tile-gathering ride around the Furness peninsula.  The weather is set to be warmer but cloudier than today, and the wind to be similar but from the east.

Wednesday 11^th December 2024

There were two Americans in my four-bed dorm last night, but they were very quiet and I was down for breakfast before they got up.  I could have self-catered for this meal too, but the unlimited breakfasts offered by the YHA are too good to miss.  After I’d had my fill, I went for a short walk around Ambleside.  I’ve not been here for years so it was nice to see the town again; I’m usually put off by the traffic.

At ten o’ clock I drove down to a village called Aldingham near Barrow-in-Furness which I knew had a little car park tucked away off the road.  From here, I meandered all around the peninsula, managing to visit five places with ‘in-Furness’ in their official titles.  Although the peninsula isn’t particularly hilly, I managed to find the only one of note over Bank House Moor.  Once that was out of the way, the rest of the day was virtually flat, although I still managed to achieve my second consecutive day climbing over a kilometre of vertical height.

Although I didn’t stop in Dalton, I was very struck by the work of the townsfolk to make the centre more attractive.  Rather than just the ubiquitous Christmas lights, every traffic bollard sported a lovely woolly Christmas-themed jacket!   

When I was last in this region, I wanted to see Roa Island, a tiny spit of land near Walney Island, but I didn’t manage to reach that part of the town on that visit.  To correct things, today I planned a route which incorporated the landmark and I rode along a lovely cycle track around the docks in Barrow (which forms the start of the Bay Cycle way).  Beside the Cavendish Dock (now actually a reservoir rather than a dock), I saw some very odd structures which I took to be shelters.  They were made out of steel and were shaped like large umbrellas.  I haven’t been able to find out anything about them.

Along the route, I passed three identical ships, which I later found were nuclear transport vessels and claimed to be the safest ships afloat.  They transport nuclear material between UK and Japan and are very heavily armed.

The cycle tracks once formed part of the extensive railway network around Barrow and the road to Roa Island is along a causeway which was specifically built to carry the railway.  Although the ferry to Piel Island only runs in summer, I was delighted to discover that if I stood within three feet of the end of the jetty I could manage to gather a tile that would otherwise have required a ferry trip.  It’s these little things that make me happy.

Whilst there, I met a chap who, in the warmer months, offers guided walks across the sands from Walney to Piel Island.  I stood chatting to him for much longer that I should because I began to get cold.  He was insistent that I returned in the summer.

Two architectural oddities caught my eye at Rampside on the way back to the car.  Rampside Hall is a grade 1 listed building dating from the 17^th century and is a striking three-storey hall with twelve large chimneys.  Just opposite is Rampside Leading Light which is a navigation beacon built to aid vessels entering the port.  I found both of these structures fascinating and I would have liked to spend more time here.  I maybe need to plan another visit before too long.

I only rode 83 miles in the two days but climbed well over 7,000 feet.  I’ve no more trips planned until 2025 now, and these are only ideas at the moment.  Nothing is fixed yet, apart from a trip to Mallorca in May.