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Riding Around Staveley & Kentmere, South Lakes



If your a mountain biker then your know this area well and as my eldest sons would say the trails around Staveley are 'sick' or otherwise known as amazing!  There is so much to go at in this area from going into Kentmere to going over to Troutbeck. This is an area I've wanted explore on horseback for ages, so after studying the OS map many times it was great to finally dip into the area with my friend Bridget and her horse Hope. 

We went prepared with our saddle bags packed with lunch and as neither of us had really done route it really had the potential for a great ride. This ride takes you straight through Staveley village and then over and around Spy Crag into the edge of Kentmere taking in some fantastic native bluebell woods, ancient tracks and ends with an option of cake at Wilf's Cafe! 





Starting at the layby adjacent to Rather Heath take the lane past the campsite and on Ashes Lane. Ashes Lane is a lovely gated track with fab views looking towards Kentmere. This track brings you out onto a lane, here you turn right down to Staveley. This lane can be busy with traffic so you need ride it in what I call 'red alert' mode and then its fine. The lane takes you over the bridge that crosses the A591, the traffic from the road below can be noisy. Horses have very good hearing and Ryan and Hope normally have worked out what's coming before we do, but if I am unsure about such bridges I will get off and lead at this point. The road then takes you down through Staveley and you end up by the bridge at the wear. Here you can make a decision on which way to go, either into Kentmere or as we did up around Spy Crag. 

Turning right onto a quite lane towards Burneside, you soon have lovely views of the rivers and native woodland. After about 1.5 miles you turn onto a white lane that turn into a bridleway. The bridleway takes you up through woodland. This is a stony track and probably easier to go up than down. Once at the top you have lovely views and the bridleway takes you down to a gated lane. Here the route takes on a more wild feel and you are starting to enter Kentmere. 





As the lane starts going down hill you can either keep to the lane (if your in a 4x4 wheel chair this may be a better option) or you can take the bridleway leading down to Low Elfhowe. There is one section of steep bridleway, which is riderable, but some may like to get off and lead. At the bottom by the beck is a good picnic spot. The route then takes you over a very old packhorse bridge and then up a walled track. To get back to Staveley you can take the bridleway that runs parallel to the road. 

At this point you can take a break at Wilf's Cafe before heading out of Staveley and retracing your  hoofs, wheels or steps back to parking area. A lovely ride that has a bit of everything. 




A GPX file of this ride can be downloaded from Ride Cumbria Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/367414084781168

Useful info 

9.5 Mile Ride

Starting point – Layby off A591 at Ashes Lane, Plantation Bridge, OS Map Ref - SD 48825 96158

OS map OL7

Route - suitable for walking, horse riding, 4x4 wheel chairs (may need to take an alternative route on one section), mountain biking

Trail type -  tracks and bridleways with some fields having livestock, one section of busy lane, one bridge over the A591 and you also travel through Staveley village that can be busy at times (about 50% off road). 



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