Lake District Roads?

[TTwiggy]

martinmac said:

Cant see Honister pass mentioned here, it can be quite a challenge.

i've just come back from driving it - it's not a challenge exactly, but like all those roads you never know if there's a tourist doing 5mph round the next bend (or a walker, or a sheep) so you can't commit

Good fun in the Elise though...

[*Kosta*]

Go up Kirkstone Pass to the pub at the top then turn left. It's only short, but i love it....

'The Struggle'

[dcb]

*Kosta* said:

Go up Kirkstone Pass to the pub at the top then turn left. It's only short, but i love it....

'The Struggle'

I was up it a few weeks ago - more snow then.

Plenty of kids playing on the local slopes.
Plenty of cars in the pub car park.
Very few folks in the pub.

PS. Why do folks call it the Struggle ? Ok it might have been
a bit tricky half a century ago, with cross ply tyres and
drum brakes, but it's pretty trivial these days.

[clarkmagpie]

its a bit narrow in places but a superb little road with breath taking views.
every time i use it i have my fingers crossed that i dont meet anything coming the other way.

[*Kosta*]

dcb said:

*Kosta* said:

Go up Kirkstone Pass to the pub at the top then turn left. It's only short, but i love it....

'The Struggle'

I was up it a few weeks ago - more snow then.

Plenty of kids playing on the local slopes.
Plenty of cars in the pub car park.
Very few folks in the pub.

PS. Why do folks call it the Struggle ? Ok it might have been
a bit tricky half a century ago, with cross ply tyres and
drum brakes, but it's pretty trivial these days.

Not sure why people call it the Struggle to be honest mate. Its a nice road though.

[10 Pence Short]

dcb said:

*Kosta* said:

Go up Kirkstone Pass to the pub at the top then turn left. It's only short, but i love it....

'The Struggle'

I was up it a few weeks ago - more snow then.

Plenty of kids playing on the local slopes.
Plenty of cars in the pub car park.
Very few folks in the pub.

PS. Why do folks call it the Struggle ? Ok it might have been
a bit tricky half a century ago, with cross ply tyres and
drum brakes, but it's pretty trivial these days.

I would imagine it stems back to the time well before cars existed.

[Jamz]

Kirkstone Pass:
http://www.drivingroads.co.uk/product_info.php?cPa...

Wrynose & Hardknott Pass
http://www.drivingroads.co.uk/product_info.php?cPa...

[dcb]

Jamz said:

Kirkstone Pass:
http://www.drivingroads.co.uk/product_info.php?cPa...

I spotted three spoling mistoks in the first paragraph.
Do I win a prize ?

I didn't bother with the rest of the text.

2/10 must try harder.

[Futuo]

Some of the best roads in Britain

Any of these will do, grid refs given also

Barbondale SD 651 825
Kingsdale SD 715 808
Lyth Fell SD 677 622
Hardknott NY 238 016
Wrynose NY 275 026
Jackson Ground SD 232 929
Birker Fell SD 170 977
Wallenrigg SD 229 899
Tow Topps SD 412 836
Blea Tarn NY 295 041

[ad551]

*Kosta* said:

dcb said:

*Kosta* said:

Go up Kirkstone Pass to the pub at the top then turn left. It's only short, but i love it....

'The Struggle'

I was up it a few weeks ago - more snow then.

Plenty of kids playing on the local slopes.
Plenty of cars in the pub car park.
Very few folks in the pub.

PS. Why do folks call it the Struggle ? Ok it might have been
a bit tricky half a century ago, with cross ply tyres and
drum brakes, but it's pretty trivial these days.

Not sure why people call it the Struggle to be honest mate. Its a nice road though.

In the 19th Century people would have to get out of their carts and walk to give the horse any chance of making it to the top - there are some very steep gradients on that piece of road!

To be honest though, it wouldn't be anywhere near my top list of driving roads - too narrow, too slow, too hilly, too busy. In fact, most of the roads in the Lakes are the same - epic scenery but not really fast or flowing - the topography doesn't suit. Much better to get the other side of the M6 - some great roads in/on the Pennines and Dales.

[Futuo]

Pwig said:

Rallied over the hardknott pass last year... great fun

A true classic rally road



Shame the MSA didn't see it that way

[bluetone]

Nice little run in South Lakes (I used to like to take to Windermere when I lived nearby) = Lyth Valley road A5074 from the A590 near Levens up to Hawkshead/Bowness. Bit of a pain if you get stuck behind a bus or something similarly slow but a great bit of tarmac nontheless and fabulous scenery to boot

[ewenm]

bluetone said:

Nice little run in South Lakes (I used to like to take to Windermere when I lived nearby) = Lyth Valley road A5074 from the A590 near Levens up to Hawkshead/Bowness. Bit of a pain if you get stuck behind a bus or something similarly slow but a great bit of tarmac nontheless and fabulous scenery to boot

Just watch out for the right-angle bends - there's one in particular that has a minor road going straight on if you're heading South on the Lyth Valley road. I've seen a number of people reversing out of that one. If you're heading North it's a wall

[Mr Green]

Theres a left hander when your heading south with a boulder the size of a beach ball sat right on the apex(Lyth Valley road), if you twitch the wheel right to miss it just has someone appears coming the other way there could be bother.

[bluetone]

This is one of my favourite sections, heading north as you come up off the flood plain and start into the hills; there is quite a bit of gradient on this bend, similar in style (if not degree) to the corkscrew @ Laguna Seca. The gradient doesn't show-up on Google Earth unfortunately. Shame about the side roads...then again maybe they're a good thing, otherwise you could be tempted to spank it around here...

Edited by bluetone on Tuesday 24th February 16:18

[bluetone]

ewenm said:

Just watch out for the right-angle bends - there's one in particular that has a minor road going straight on if you're heading South on the Lyth Valley road. I've seen a number of people reversing out of that one. If you're heading North it's a wall

Yup; done that and had to turn-around to regain the carriageway LOL! It's physically dead straight but half way along there is road going off to the right which is actually yhe route of the A road. You only do it once I guess

Edited by bluetone on Tuesday 24th February 16:21

[sider]

Bluestone - where is that place?

I'll tell you one good road not really specifically mentioned as yet.

I used to work in Hawkshead a few days a week, and the road from Newby Bridge to Hawkshead was particularly interesting, especially at 7.30am (in summer), in a trigger-happy 106!

[bluetone]

sider said:

Bluestone - where is that place?

I'll tell you one good road not really specifically mentioned as yet.

I used to work in Hawkshead a few days a week, and the road from Newby Bridge to Hawkshead was particularly interesting, especially at 7.30am (in summer), in a trigger-happy 106!

Lyth Valley road A5074 from the A590 near Levens up to Hawkshead/Bowness; search for 'The Howe' on Google Maps etc. The brow of the hill is pretty-much bang in the apex of the right hander (going north) so please treat with respect; there are also driveways as you can see...

Edited by bluetone on Sunday 1st March 18:36

[The Highway Man]

That's the best thing about living in Cumbria, I get to sample all these glorious roads on a regular basis. I must admit Hardknott cost me a lot of money. I went over in Mondeo not realising my clutch was near the end of its life. Cue being recovered home and a hefty repair bill as those mondeo owners amongst us will be able to confirm.

[lazyitus]