Lake District - Must Do Roads?

[AWG]

Heading to Lake Windermere in three weeks, any recommendations on top roads in terms of scenery to do?

Look forward to any suggestions

Thanks, Andy

[SmilerFTM]

Double post, sorry

Edited by SmilerFTM on Monday 15th October 14:47

[SmilerFTM]

Hardknott and Wynrose passes one after the other just above and to the west of Coniston.
The other pass you need to do is The Kirkstone Pass which is north of Windermere.
If empty then Kirkstone is a special bit of road heading south to north, great views and superb twisty tarmac. Hardknott is the steepest road in England and has some incredible views.

There are others but it depends how much time you have, and those two are the must do's in my opinion

Edited by SmilerFTM on Monday 15th October 14:45

Edited by SmilerFTM on Monday 15th October 17:46

[nosittap]

Kirkstone pass is very close to Windermere and is very good.

Another excellent road is the Honister pass from Keswick to Buttermere, a bit further away but excellent.

[AWG]

This Kirkstone pass sounds good, I am there for three days but will be exploring all day whilst i'm there!

[MagicalTrevor]

On your way there (or helmet) come off the M6 at Penrith and take the A66 to Keswick, then head south to Ambleside and then to Windermere. Reverse the instructions for the way back

[Red Devil]

nosittap said:

Another excellent road is the Honister pass from Keswick to Buttermere, a bit further away but excellent.

If you do Honister, turn right here to loop back to Keswick over the Newlands pass.
It's much less well known than the other passes so a lot of people are completely unaware of its existence.
Views from the top - looking west back to Buttermere and east towards Keswick.

[FisiP1]

Be aware that 70% of the roads are not your typical flowing driving roads, wrynose and hardknott are great experiences(scenery, as you request is great) but very narrow and often busy even in offseason.

Pretty much anywhere in the Western half of the lakes has great scenery, so go explore!

Edited by FisiP1 on Tuesday 16th October 11:53

[Chris77]

Did hardnott and wrynose on sunday, Had fun but it can be hard work in place's if you have hard/low suspension! also lots of very narrow sections with 2 way traffic and drystone walls means meeting oncoming traffic can be fun!

We went from the windamere end, good pub worth stopping at after hardnott is the woolpack inn (awesome stone backed duck pizza ) if you head left at the king george inn over Austhwaite brow, that to me was better than hardnott/wrynose, Stopped for a few pics





Edit: When I say 'better' as in the road more so than the views

Edited by Chris77 on Wednesday 17th October 10:37

[mattwhite709]

Hi PH,

We are off to the Lake District for the 1st time on Friday for a week. We've got a holiday cottage booked in Penrith.

I was wondering on the journey up there are there any roads you recommend to break up the motorway slog from Kent.

I was reading the recommendations for the different driving roads up there. Has anyone got anymore to add?


Cheers
Matt

[eldar]

Get off the M6 at J36, and take the west coast road. Plenty of diversions to take on the way, Cold Fell, Corney Fell for example.

[Mr Squarekins]

AWG said:

This Kirkstone pass sounds good, I am there for three days but will be exploring all day whilst i'm there!

If you go early, look out for deer. I had a really near miss a few years ago. Standing in the middle of the road on a bend.

[51mes]

eldar said:

Get off the M6 at J36, and take the west coast road. Plenty of diversions to take on the way, Cold Fell, Corney Fell for example.

As a slight detou with some great scenery Off the M6, but not too far to mess with your travel time, get of at j36 head to kendal, hop on the a6 and head for penrith that way. If you want to do some more scenery on the trip up, take j36 and past kendal, head through windermere taking a right rurn at the mini roundabout and up over the kirkstone to ullswater before heading up past dalemain house the a66 and into Penrith.

S.

[LayZ]

Come off M6 at 37 and head towards Sedbergh. Take the A683 up towards Kirkby Stephen, then turn left onto the A685 and head towards Orton. From there take the B6260 towards Appleby. From there take the A66 up to Penrtih.

On your way back head down come off the M6 just after Shap and take the A6 to Kendal. This was a major truck route before the M6 and was very treacherous in the winter, but now amazing as lightly trafficked. You can really enjoy a powerful car reasonably safely here.

I live near Junction 33 and have long searched for the best roads nearby and these are my top-tier choices.

[anonymous-user]

mattwhite709 said:

Hi PH,

We are off to the Lake District for the 1st time on Friday for a week. We've got a holiday cottage booked in Penrith.

I was wondering on the journey up there are there any roads you recommend to break up the motorway slog from Kent.

I was reading the recommendations for the different driving roads up there. Has anyone got anymore to add?


Cheers
Matt

Having driven from Kent to Cumbria and Herts to Scottish Borders countless times, I’d recommend just get there without detours. There are always hold ups , you may think 300 miles is going to take you 4 hours on the motorway, but double that is not unusual.
Last week when they shut the M6, it was over 9 hours.
Save the enjoyable roads until the next day.

[mythdat]

mattwhite709 said:

Hi PH,

We are off to the Lake District for the 1st time on Friday for a week. We've got a holiday cottage booked in Penrith.

I was wondering on the journey up there are there any roads you recommend to break up the motorway slog from Kent.

I was reading the recommendations for the different driving roads up there. Has anyone got anymore to add?


Cheers
Matt

Head up the A1M, get off at Scotch Corner and take the B6277 through the Pennines to Alston, then Hartside pass down to Penrith.

I grew up in the Lake District and and it's a great place for a holiday but to be honest it really isn't a great area for driving. Most of the roads are very narrow and full of sheep and tourists. The Pennines have some of the best driving roads in the country, though.

[magpies]

mythdat said:

Head up the A1M, get off at Scotch Corner and take the B6277 through the Pennines to Alston, then Hartside pass down to Penrith.

I grew up in the Lake District and and it's a great place for a holiday but to be honest it really isn't a great area for driving. Most of the roads are very narrow and full of sheep and tourists. The Pennines have some of the best driving roads in the country, though.

This is a good call

[LayZ]

magpies said:

mythdat said:

Head up the A1M, get off at Scotch Corner and take the B6277 through the Pennines to Alston, then Hartside pass down to Penrith.

I grew up in the Lake District and and it's a great place for a holiday but to be honest it really isn't a great area for driving. Most of the roads are very narrow and full of sheep and tourists. The Pennines have some of the best driving roads in the country, though.

This is a good call

Agree, there is almost no driving fun to be had inside the actual national park. Also agree with the poster above that by the time you get north of Preston to where there are any good roads to be had you will have had enough of driving.

[Mammasaid]

mattwhite709 said:

Hi PH,

We are off to the Lake District for the 1st time on Friday for a week. We've got a holiday cottage booked in Penrith.

I was wondering on the journey up there are there any roads you recommend to break up the motorway slog from Kent.

I was reading the recommendations for the different driving roads up there. Has anyone got anymore to add?


Cheers
Matt

FYI, The Lake District <> Cumbria. Penrith is in the Eden Valley and the best driving roads in Cumbria are in the Eden Valley.

The only exception is the A592 from Rheged to Windermere, and only if you're travelling early or off season, otherwise you're stuck behind Doris at 30 mph.

[Red Devil]

mythdat said:

mattwhite709 said:

Hi PH,

We are off to the Lake District for the 1st time on Friday for a week. We've got a holiday cottage booked in Penrith.

I was wondering on the journey up there are there any roads you recommend to break up the motorway slog from Kent.

I was reading the recommendations for the different driving roads up there. Has anyone got anymore to add?


Cheers
Matt

Head up the A1M, get off at Scotch Corner and take the B6277 through the Pennines to Alston, then Hartside pass down to Penrith.

I grew up in the Lake District and and it's a great place for a holiday but to be honest it really isn't a great area for driving. Most of the roads are very narrow and full of sheep and tourists. The Pennines have some of the best driving roads in the country, though.

^^This^^

I'm also in Kent. I usually go via M11/A14/A1(M). The new section of the A14, properly bypassing Huntingdon and avoiding the Brampton Hut r/about, has made a big difference. The only real downside is the Doncaster bypass which remains a PITA. Unless you have a reason for visiting Barnard Castle I recommend staying on the A1(M) at Scotch Corner and leaving at the next exit (J56 Barton Park Truckstop). Then these 3 excellent B roads (B6275/B6279/B6282) to Middleton-in-Teesdale - https://goo.gl/maps/AoNCH8gMkhwndMb4A