The Lake District is a magical place to ride a motorcycle – in any weather, at any time of the year. Mikko Nieminen reports…
I have never had a bad ride in the Lake District. Not even when the weather has been poor, which could easily take the shine off many rides. In the Lakes, bad weather somehow fits the scenery better, making it moody and dramatic rather than dull and diluted. And many of the roads here are fairly small and slow, so it doesn’t really seem to matter that much, because the views are still spectacular, and the riding good.
So, when Martin from Riding Edge Motorcycle Adventures suggested including a route in the Lakes in our Great Winter Rides, I didn’t take much convincing. The only question was which route to pick? We needed something that would highlight the majestic scenery of the Lakes but avoid the bits that were most likely to close in bad winter weather. Luckily, Martin has decades (I’m being kind and won’t say exactly how many decades) of local knowledge, so I could safely leave the planning to him. All I had to do was check the bike over, wire in the heated kit (because, let’s face it, it could get a bit chilly), and be there on time. It really pays to be friends with a tour guide!
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Where’s the rain?
We started our ride in Coniston, pretty much at the heart of the Lake District, but that was mostly just because I had found a ridiculously cheap place to stay there (the YHA hostel, highly recommended). The route that Martin had planned was a circular 100-mile ride, so you could really start anywhere along it. As I studied the route prior to the ride, what I liked about it was that it took in some bits that I had not ridden before, despite spending plenty of time riding around here. There were some old favourites, too, so I knew I was in for a good ride.
The first thing to do was to fill the bikes’ tanks, and since I was on the BMW K1600GTL, with a tank the size of a paddling pool, and the route was ‘only’ 100 miles, I could have easily done it twice without having to worry about refuelling. Our riding group consisted of Martin at the front, then me, Dave and Ross from work (they were working on a different article), and Martin’s other half and co-tour guide Maddie at the rear.
The morning was bright and sunny, and the road out of Coniston towards Torver was the perfect start to the ride: nice and easy country riding, just to get into the swing of things. From Torver we carried on to Broughton-in-Furness and Duddon Bridge, with nice views to the left over Morecambe Bay.
From Duddon Bridge we took a single-lane track north towards Ulpha, and this is where the hills started to change from gentle and rolling to rocky and rugged, the forest grew thinner, the fields fewer, and it felt like we were slowly heading into the wild.
Past Ulpha, still heading north over Birker Fell towards Eskdale and Santon Bridge, the scenery got even more barren and wild as we rode over the tops of the fells. This was one of the roads I had not ridden before, mostly because on previous visits I had headed from Eskdale to Cockley Bridge for the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes. It was clear I had missed out on a great road doing that, and I was glad that Martin had included this on our route, no doubt knowing that many will miss it for the same reason.
From lake to lake
Before stopping for a coffee at Santon Bridge, we took a little detour to the shores of Wast Water. It’s only a little off the route, and well worth taking a few minutes to go and have a look. There were people swimming in the lake, making me feel like a bit of a wuss with all my heated and waterproof kit, but I wasn’t going to swap places with them.
With the obligatory photos of bikes by the lake, it was time to stop for a coffee and cake at the Woodland’s Tea Rooms in Santon Bridge. As we sat outside tucking into our cakes, we were feeling pretty smug about the weather – it was fairly cool, but sunny and dry, perfect for riding (and for stuffing your face with cake, of course).
A little fatter, and a lot happier, we continued our ride through Gosforth, with a short hop on the A595 to Calder Bridge, then back on the single-track road to Ennerdale Bridge, past the Blakeney Raise Stone Circle. This is another stretch of the route where you are riding on top of the fells, with nothing but the odd sheep reminding you that civilisation is not really that far.
This was when the gods of rain finally had enough of our smugness of having picked such a lovely sunny day for our ride, and they soaked us good and proper. Luckily, their anger was short-lived, and in another quarter-of-an-hour the sun was out again.
We then rode through Kirkland and Mockerkin to Loweswater, then continued to Crummock Water, where the road follows the waterline with tight, blind bends hiding anything from tourists in campervans to farmers in big old tractors. The views are great, but best keep your eyes peeled on the road. Luckily, there are places to stop to admire your surroundings.
Another pleasant surprise
In Buttermere village, before getting to Buttermere, the lake, we swung a left. This was another road I had not ridden before. I have been through Buttermere many times, but always carried straight on towards Honister Pass.
That left turn took us to Newlands Pass, a narrow, but wonderfully scenic pass that takes you roughly speaking in the direction of Keswick.
There’s a place for stopping at the top that lends itself for some good pictures of your bike, and the impressive Moss Force waterfall.
Again, I was pleased that Martin had picked this road instead of the busier Honister Pass. It was the first time I rode it, but it won’t be the last.
From Newlands Pass it’s only a short blast on the A66 to Keswick, and time for another coffee and cake. The earlier cake had set the precedent, and so it was: no lunch today, just lots of cake – and why not!
Home straight is not straight
Ever fatter, and ever happier, we heaved ourselves back on to the bikes and started the final stretch back to Coniston. The A591 down past Thirlmere seemed like the fastest road ever after all the slow, narrow and nadgery little tracks that we had been on for most of the day.
We left the A road at Grasmere, picking up the smaller track running on the west side of the lake over Red Bank, and twisting and turning our way to Skelwith Bridge. From there it was the A593 straight to Coniston. This is not just any old A road, it’s one of the most fun and windy ones, but beware of the multitude of manhole covers in the corners, most of them right on the ideal motorcycle line through the corner.
With the last stretch dispatched, we arrived back at Coniston. The route had been well put together: a nice mix of different types of roads; nothing too technical, but interesting enough to keep you on your toes; and the scenery had been exquisite all the way. It had been a full day with stops for photos, coffees and cakes, but it’s not a route that you want to rush.
With the new roads that I had discovered, I realised how many routes there must be in the area that I have absolutely no idea about. I must talk Martin into taking me out again to sample some more. Here’s to the next time.
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