Ambleside to Clappersgate

From the tourist information office at the junction of the A591 with North Road, follow the one-way system until the shops give way to Bed and Breakfast establishments and you have passed the 'Homes of football'. Take the right-hand lane (it's one way here) and turn right into Wansfell Road. This drops down to Rothay Road. Get into the left-hand lane and turn left at the bottom of the hill. It's two-way traffic here, so be careful. After a few hundred metres, turn right into the road indicating the A593 for Coniston, Hawkshead, and Langdale.

This road goes past the rugby field on the left. Keep to the left and go over the bridge that crosses the River Rothay. Just over the bridge is the turning on the right to Under Loughrigg and Rydal Steps. If your journey is to Clappersgate, keep straight on along the A593 for less than a kilometre. The Boat House is on the left and The Croft on the right and then you have reached Clappersgate. Straight on takes you to Coniston and Langdale, via Skelwith Bridge. Left, on the B5286 goes to Hawkshead, Skelwith Fold, and Tarn Hows.

Clappersgate to Holy Trinity

From Clappersgate, turn on to the B5286, which immediately crosses the River Brathay and winds past Brathay Hall, where I once spent a week on a geological field-trip with Lancaster University as an undergraduate in Environmental Sciences. After a few hundred metres, a narrow lane signed for Skelwith Fold runs alongside the river. Take this turning. There's a footbridge over the river near the parish church of Holy Trinity.

Holy Trinity to The Drunken Duck Inn

This quiet lane follows the river a little longer, but then climbs steadily towards Skelwith Fold. There are some good views, framed by trees, over towards the Langdale Pikes. At Skelwith Fold, turn left in the direction of Hawkshead. This road climbs past the caravan park then levels out somewhat. You come to a triangle of roads, with two junctions dropping away towards Skelwith Bridge. Stay on the level and keep straight ahead.

Now, make the most of the long downhill section because before long you make the climb to the Drunken Duck. Views off the left are dominated by Wansfell Pike, the other side of Ambleside. Look out elsewhere on this site for 'Trike, Wyke, and Pike' featuring Windcheetah 749, Pull Wyke, and Wansfell Pike.

Drunken Duck Inn

The Drunken Duck Inn sits at a cross-roads, with the roads trending roughly NW-SE and NE-SW. To the north-west, the road leads to Skelwith Fold and Skelwith Bridge. North-east falls away steeply to the B5286 with a left turn at the bottom for Clappersgate and Ambleside. The south-east direction (actually closer to south) goes to Outgate, while the south-westerly road takes you to Tarn Hows, Coniston, and Hawkshead.

Drunken Duck Inn to Outgate

Take the road that leads just east of south away from the Drunken Duck Inn. This road undulates gently at first, but eventually begins a steady descent to Outgate. Travel with views to the left towards Claife Heights. You'll have to look over your shoulder to see the bigger hills. On the right for much of the journey is a screen of Oak trees with a Hazel understorey. The road meets the B5286 at the Outgate Inn, where left is to Ambleside and right is to Hawkshead.

The Outgate Inn hosts live jazz on Friday evenings.

Outgate to Hawkshead

Head south out of Outgate, climbing for just a few hundred metres, then glide most of the way to Hawkshead. When I made this journey in early September there was the sweet aroma of freshly mown hay in the air.

On an earlier visit to Hawkshead, I was lucky enough to arrive on a day when there was Morris dancing in the village square.

Hawkshead to Grizedale

Before you leave Hawkshead, eat a banana. Head south out of the village on the Lakeside/Newby Bridge Road. After 300m, there's a turning to the right, sign-posted for Grizedale. This road leads through the area known as Roger Ground, and climbs steeply on to Hawkshead Moor. The first 500m is the hardest, then the road climbs steadily until you are about 130m above Hawkshead at Moor Top. From this watershed it's mostly downhill to the Grizedale Forest Park Visitor Centre.

Grizedale to Satterthwaite

The 2km between Grizedale and Satterthwaite are fairly gentle. You end up only about 15m lower than you started. The views are not spectacular, but still attractive. The road doesn't go near Breasty Haw, which is just what my mother told me to do.

Satterthwaite to Rusland

Another 1.5km takes you from Satterthwaite to Force Mills. After a little gentle climbing, the road drops more sharply down past Force Falls, where the sound of the rushing water grabs your attention on the right-hand side of the road. At the junction, turn right.

For the next kilometre, run alongside Force Beck, keeping left and turning south just after Force Forge Farm. After another 750m, take the left that sign-posted for Rusland and after another 50m turn left again. At the next fork, in about 500m there's a sign reading 'Rusland Church' to the left. Take the right fork instead indicating 'Rusland Cross'. This leads to a point where the main road turns right and crosses Lin Bridge over Ashes Beck, and up to the left is a dramatic view of Rusland Church.

Ashes Beck from Lin Bridge

Hall at Rusland

Cross Lin Bridge and stay on the main road until you pass the hall shown here, which is on a sharp left-hand bend. At the next junction, turn left for the Dale Park Beck valley and Esthwaite.

Rusland to Esthwaite Water

This run is about 7km, with the first 6km climbing from about 18m above mean sea level at Crosslands to about 163m at the watershed between Dale Park Beck and Esthwaite Water. It's gentle most of the way as you pass Low Dale Park, Middle Dale Park, and High Dale Park, but the slope gets a bit more serious for the last kilometre or so.

Once over the watershed the road drops quickly down to the Hawkshead-Torver road just north of the trout fishery. The view over Esthwaite water to the Fairfield Horseshoe and Red Screes is just reward for the effort you put in from Rusland. The tree stumps in the foreground of this photograph still bear witness to the violent storm that hit this area in the winter of 2004/5.

At the junction, turn left for Hawkshead and rignt for Torver and Far Sawrey.

Esthwaite to Near Sawrey

Travelling down the west side of Esthwaite Water, pass the trout fishery and the car park on the left. Take the next left, sign-posted for Sawrey. This lane climbs a little at first then drops down to Ees Bridge, where Cunsey Beck starts its short journey between Esthwaite Water and Windermere. From the bridge it's a distance of 600m, all uphill, to the B5285 at Near Sawrey.

Turn right, and you're within a 100m of Hill Top cottage, one of the former homes of Beatrix Potter.

Near Sawrey to Bowness

It's about 1km between Near Sawrey and Far Sawrey, and another 2km to the ferry. If you want to see the Sawrey scenery, look out to the right, down to the church at Town End.

The drop down to the lake is steep and fast, and at this point you can tell that the ferry has arrived if there's a stream of cars coming up the hill.

Bowness to A591 roundabout

Cycle away from the ferry, and turn left at the junction with the A592. It's about 1km from here to the promenade at Bowness. Climb away from the promenade until you reach a mini-roundabout where you turn left. This road runs parallel to the lake, but it's out of sight for the most part. After about 2km, prepare for the steep climb to the car park and viewpoint, from which it's only a few hundred metres to the mini-roundabout where the A592 crosses the A591.

A591 roundabout to Ambleside

Turn north along the A591 and drop down to Troutbeck Bridge. After you've climbed a little from the bridge, get on the cycle track that takes you safely along this road past White Cross Bay and Brockhole and on to the Langdale Chase Hotel.

From the Langdale Chase Hotel, pass the water sports centre and the Low Wood Hotel. The road winds close to the lake now until you come into Waterhead. Straight on at the traffic lights takes you into Ambleside.