June 27, 2012
Keswick, Derwent Water, Thirlmere & Grasmere
back to Ambleside
Rain is hitting the window in the morning so we take our time over breakfast and are the last to leave the dinning room. It’s eased off when we finally set off at around 10:00.
Keswick isn’t too far away.
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Borrowdale hugs the bank of Derwent Water and the lake is calm and the same drab colour as the sky with mist enveloping the nearby slopes.
We eventually find the turnoff for Ashness Bridge and ride up the steep incline in our granny gears. It's just a kilometer or so and it gets us warm.
Patterson did a couple of drawings of the cute stone bridge and the scene hasn’t changed, although the distant view isn’t clear due to the low clouds, which block out the far slopes. We hang around for 30 minutes and as the little road is a cul-de-sac, there's no choice but to drop back down.
Keswick is buzzing when we cruise into town and we ride around its confusing one-way system and stop at a fish and chip shop for lunch. It seems easy enough to make our way south, but after going around in circles, we end up on the wrong route, eventually coming out on the far side of the turnoff for Ashness Bridge. We’ve wasted a hour so, although it’s been a pleasant ride.
The correct road out of town – we assume it's the correct one – takes us around the houses and we end up on a busy stretch of highway, going gradually uphill and get pissed off and confused. It's horrible.
Once on the A 591, it leads us away from Keswick and after a handful of miles find the small, deserted side road that veers around the eastern bank of Thirlmere, a long man-made lake.
This is more like it. It's pretty flat and the views are great, even if the weather could be better, then all too soon we're back on the A591.
When Patterson sketched the part at the top of a climb towards Grasmere, it was a winding lane, but road widening in the post-war years has transformed it into a race track and it's hard to recreate his simple drawing, what with cars whizzing by every few seconds.
By the time we get back to the car it's 6:00 and the Youth Hostel don't make an issue of it being parked there for a couple of extra nights. We strap the bikes on to the rack and head for Lincoln, wondering where to go next.
Today's ride: 41 km (25 miles)
Total: 3,785 km (2,350 miles)
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I have first-hand expeerience of the climb out of Langdale towards Blea Tarn and also of the road up the Wrynose Pass, albeit walking rather than cycling. They're both steep. As for Stickle Tarn and Styhead Tarn, I have camped at both of these and would not have considered either of them as places for touring cyclists to visit, especially in SPD sandals. Frank Patterson must either have had a wild imagination or else a good sense of humour.
3 years ago
I reckon Patterson used postcards (or photos) and drew cyclists into the scenes.
As you say, they're not really cycle tracks up or down from Styhead Tarn and Stickle Tarn... maybe full-suspension bikes would be OK.
But , hey... it was an experience!
Debbie is a tough cookie and didn't complain.
3 years ago