Suggestions for Southern Lake District please

[benjj]

My Citroen road rally car is going to be ready next week and I am planning on a decent full day blast to shake it out a bit and see if anything needs further work.

Can anyone suggest some decent roads in and around the southern lakes? Ideally I'm after a bit of a mixed bag from open sweeping As through to twisty hill climbs. The car will be being raced in Europe, especially in and around the Alps/Jura mountains so really after anything as close to that really.

Advice much appreciated.

Ben

[rasto]

Having just got back from the Lakes I can thoroughly recommend the A685 from Kendal to Brough. We found it by mistake (we were travelling from Windermere to Sunderland to visit some friends and this was the sat navs suggestion) and the warning to bikers as we joined the road gave me a clue as to what it was going to be like. Lots of national speed limits, sweeping bends and amazing views left me wishing I was in something other than a fully loaded up family Ford Focus with a gutless engine

[moribund]

Further round the south side starting at Ulpha is the Birker Fell road which is a gem and out of the way enough to be quiet. It leads to Hardknott Pass which although a good "test" would be very stop-start unless you're very early or late unfortunately, but would give you a circuit over challenging roads back to the start.

The Lakes in general is too busy to be fun unless its Winter and/or unsociable hours, which means a very early start from Yorkshire.

Birker Fell road: http://www.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&...

Me driving it south to Ulpha (best direction): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSQZ7UJozfk

[benjj]

Christ that biker nearly bought the farm in your vid Nice driving...

[moribund]

It wasn't anywhere near as close as it looks! The camera position is misleading in the way it represents the amount of visibility. It was enough to make us jump a bit though.

[benjj]

Yep, understood, I suppose everyone out at that hour is understanding of the fact that anyone else they come across is likely to be making the most of some quiet time!

[was8v]

If you're coming from Skipton take a little detour off the A65 from Ingleton up the B6255 to Hawes.

Just yesterday I drove down the A5074 from Bowness to A590 which was mildy entertaining.

I also enjoy the A6 from Kendal to Penrith, largely dead these days as all traffic is on the M6, nothing challenging but its a good surface with suicide lanes and everything.

If you get as far as North Lakes be sure to take the A686 East up Hartside from Penrith to Alston. From there the B6277 & B6276 will take you back to Brough

Edited by was8v on Monday 8th August 14:28