Two years in a row I have had the pleasure of staying at Scales Farm, Helton for a few days of amazing riding. Last year we did a multi day trek to get there (see past blog), but this time we took it easy and drove there! This gave us the opportunity to explore new areas and rediscover old. When I first got Ryan my orange horse a friend kindly gave me the opportunity to join her on one of Rawfoot Farm Rides and this really gave me the spark to want to explore the fells more on horseback. With this ride fixed in my mind we all set off from Scale Farm to find the bridleway and fell from this amazing ride I had done some years ago. This ride can also be done from Askham village (parking in the free village car park) or ride in from Shap, Helton or Bampton. From Scales Farm go out the back and follow the bridleway through the fields to the fell gate. Once you have winded your way up the hill go across the common and head toward the gated road down to Bampton village. This...
After as massive campaign lead by fellow cyclists, the West road of Thirlmere Reservoir is open again meaning we can all once more enjoy the 10 mile circler ride around the shore! It is quite astonishing to think now that the road was closed for over two years after a rock fall at Rough Crag. It got a little bit ridiculous as legally horses could not be excluded from the road closure (Traffic Regulation Order) and cyclists started to still ride the route, but openly said they were riding the route as their bike identified as a horse! Myself and my friend Bridget were invited to ride the road when it was still closed to test it out and to show how silly the situation had become. Of course we were more than happy to help and were featured in the local press! The Cumberland New 2 February 2024 There are lots of car parks around Thirlmere, but for this ride I will start it from the Swirls Car Park off the A591 and would recommend doing the ride anti-clockwise. This route takes ...