NCN 6 Preston to Kendal
Yealand Conyers, Looking across to Bowland Forest
Stage 8
Preston to Kendal
The next stage is wonderfully scenic. You ride on very quiet country roads which criss-cross the M6 all the way up north through grand pasture country. Dry stone walls, woods and dairy country pass by in a bucolic haze. Scenic often means riding up hills which afford the views and this is certainly the case here. After Galgate, it’s downhill to the sea and what follows is wonderfully flat cruise on the traffic-free Bay Cycle Way through the creeks and across the marshes of the Bay. The ancient city of Lancaster with its castle (which is still used as a prison) and unspoilt centre is a great half-way stop. Pedalling on, its back to undulating over carpets of green and the Lake District mouintains loom purple in the distance. Just outside Kendal and a mile off the route is Levens Hall, home to perhaps the oldest existing topiary garden in the UK, possibly even in Europe. The hills around here are punchy, and you’ll be pleased to put the brakes on the day when you reach the market town of Kendal.
Ride details
Distance: 98km
Start: Preston Town Hall and Harris Museum
Finish: Kendal Market Place
Nearest Mainline station: Preston
Nearest Mainline to the finish: Oxenholme
Time needed: 1 day. (riding time approx. 5 hours) Lancaster, Levens Hall and'/or Sizergh Castle south of Kendal make good stops.
Difficulty: Moderate/Hard. The riding is over punchy hills and with a laden touring bike these can be quite testing.
Traffic and Surfaces: Shared paths, quiet country lanes, canal and railways paths. Some of the roads can have a lot of loose gravel. Care needed on corners and descents.
Cycle Paths: NCN 6, NCN 622 (The Guild Wheel, a 21 mile circular ring of Preston), NCN 69 (The Way of the Roses)
Recommended Bike shop; Lancaster; The Edge Cycle works, 2 Chapel St, Lancaster LA1 1NZ (a super bike shop who provide excellent service for bikes which are beginning to tire after the long ride up from London)
Recommended café/restaurant stops; Kendal; The Restaurant - a teaching restaurant, where chefs and waiting staff are learning their skills. It is only open in term times.
Recommended Stay;
What to see: Mrs Kirkham’s Dairy and farm shop, wonderful views, Dallam Tower
What to visit (£): Kendal; Sizergh Castle, Levens Hall, Castle
Caterall's grassmeadows
Preston to Galgate
A beautiful route along narrow country lanes which are about as traffic-free as any lane could be. Cows graze in fields, jackdaws kraw in trees. The hills of Bowland rise to the East and the sea glints in the West. It is wonderful riding. Among the many farms you pass is Mrs Kirkham’s - famous for its prize-winning Lancashire cheese, where there iss an excellent farm shop.
M6, which is crossed several times
The Bay Cycle Way
Soon you are riding on the old railway, which forms the Bay Cycle Way, through the flat marshlands. This is another variation to the incredible variety of scenery which the route passes through on its journey north. There are creeks and boats, pubs and huge skies to enjoy. Soon you are into Lancaster, a city of grandeur and great history, topped by its castle, which is owned by the Queen and still serves as a prison.
The creeks of Morecambe Bay
North Lancashire
From Lancaster the Bay Cycle route continues as a traffic free and well signed route, alongside the Lancaster canal. After Carnforth, the hills of the north begin to rejoice and the cycling becomes more taxing. You pass through he pretty village of Milnthorpe and on through the stately grounds of Dallam Tower, a grand Grade 1 listed country house and an even more lovely deer park. The hilly route continues along tiny country lanes, bordered by dry stone walls and the views up towards the Lake District become ever more spectacular.
Bay Cycle Way
Sizergh Castle and Levens Hall
Just to the south of the town are Sizergh Castle and Levens Hall, both spectacular houses and gardens to visit. The topiary at Levens Hall is said to be the oldest and largest in the country.
Levens Hall
Kendal
Kendal, the self-styled ‘Gateway to the Lakes’ is a lovely market town, filled with cobbled streets and wynds, a brewery, a very ancient castle and many independent bars, and restaurants.
