Lancaster Leanings

Day 3:

Armathwaite to Lancaster – 65 miles

Planned mileage: 65 miles

Actual mileage: 69.27 miles

Cycling time: 5hrs 2mins

Average speed: 13.7mph

Maximum speed: 40.8mph!!! Manic zoom down into Orton

Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/en/cycling/route_1371249.html

Accomodation: Staying with friend Nicky

Woke up with a bit of a headache – I blame being plied with beer then wine by Rob & Susan last night! Fortunately a customarily excellent breakfast of home made porridge, home made toast and (not yet home grown) boiled eggs soon cured that. Susan rushed off for her hair appointment and job interview leaving us with just Tilly to look after us, with Rob occasionally helping out.

We headed out into the cloudy but fairly bright conditions at 10, and soon hit Armathwaite's answer to the Alps, with a steady climb out of the valley. First stop, Langwathby (last there: 2003, on our coast to coast cycle) to buy provisions for lunch from the village shop.

Today's cycling was quite different to yesterday's – lots of hills up and down, rolling green hills with larger ones on all sides in the distance. Some pleasant villages with unusual names too: King's Meaburn, Maulds's Meaburn and Crosby Ravensworth, the last of which was having a new sewer built along the main road, so we had to wheel our bikes through the churchyard to get into the village without taking a long diversion.

These villages were pretty but none had a tearoom and I was getting quite peckish! So on we went, until after crossing a bleak moor emerged high above the village of Orton. A wide smooth road headed down, dropping hundreds of feet in the process. It was here that we reached an all-time high speed of over 40 mph, quite scary especially on loaded bikes, but we weren't letting that stop us from enjoying it. But the best thing about Orton was that it not only had an excellent cafe but the cafe was situated in a chocolate manufactury of excellent quality! We highly recommend Kennedy's Fine Chocolates, The Old School, Orton.

Feeling suitably refreshed, we continued on our way.

Have you heard of Tebay Services on the M6? Well, have you ever been to Tebay itself? We have, now – and its a very pleasant place. Onwards we went, following the motorway but high up above it, getting a great view across the valley. As we climbed away and upwards, we heard a sudden roar and turning round, saw a military jet flying up the valley – below us!

  Euan's still smiling at the top of that big hill!

The sun was now shining brightly and we stopped at a sunny green spot at Beck Foot for a picnic lunch by an impressive sandstone viaduct but now disused and standing forlorn. We followed lovely twisty undulating (read: hilly) roads through beautiful countryside towards, though not into, Sedbergh, then following the course of the River Lune. We came across a rather steep hill which carried on and on – and on. Eventually we reached the top and thought we should check the map – only to discover that we'd climbed about a mile further than we needed to! Our first map-reading error of the holiday (no Allie, it wasn't entirely my fault!) but we do enjoy a challenge!

Fortunately we then had some rapid descents into Kirkby Lonsdale, which it turned out was a bustling and prosperous town with at least one very well stocked bakery-cum-cafe, so we just had to make a stop in there. A large pot of tea and excellent caramel shortcakes later, we were ready to tackle the final 15 miles or so to Lancaster.

It may have been pure chance or it's possibly something about Lancashire drivers, but almost as soon as we left K-L we had a succession of really bad, aggressive and impatient drivers – mainly, but not only, van drivers. This was definitely an exception to the norm as our experience is that the vast majority of drivers are very courteous and give us plenty of space. However things did soon calm down a bit, though the twisty B road was significantly busier than anything we had been on before now.

We got to Lancaster and found Nicky's house (half way up another steep hill!) without problems, arriving about 5.45. Definitely our toughest day so far, but the sun shone again for large parts of it and we saw some really nice places.

As always Nicky gave us a great welcome and looked after us very well. Tea & cake in her nice garden, hot showers then an excellent meal followed, and now we're sitting in her comfortable living room starting to feel quite sleepy. Legs are pretty tired after today's hills, and we have 80 miles to look forward to tomorrow so no wild partying tonight!