Skip to main content

Muncaster Castle, West Lakes

 

The weather did not disappoint and I think I spent most of the night listening to the rain, muttering to myself I hope those ponios are ok. Of course they were, they were in a lovely field with lots of grass. A real luxury for Ryan practically as his diet is normally restrict to keep him trim! Feeding horses is an art and it does not take a lot to send the balance the wrong way!

We were going to ride high up to Burnmoor Tarn, but the weather was most defiantly against us so we decide to ride on a loop around and over Muncaster Fell. Most of this route is promoted as the Eskdale Trail from Muncaster Castle so hopefully it should be straight forward for a rainy day. With a lot of the route under trees we hoped that this would provide some shelter from the weather!

 



From the Woolpack we turned right down the lane past Dalegarth Station and then took the lane that leads to the bridleway past Dalegarth Hall. You will then pass through Low Wood and continue onto Forge Bridge. Here the bridleway comes out on the lane, where you have a short section on road before joining the bridleway again to Muncaster Head. This is a lovely track though forestry, which takes you through to High Eskholme. Here take the bridleway up the hill towards Muncaster Tarn. This is a steep climb, but you are rewarded with great views through the trees of the valley below. The route then takes you along Fell Lane and down to Muncastler Castle. On a clear day you can see the Isle of Man, which we could just about make out even on a very rainy day.


Officially very wet! 


Riding next to the Ratty Railway Line 

 

Once at the end on Fell Lane, you follow a track that takes you away from the main road and then turn right though the woods towards Muncaster Mill. Look out for the unusual Rhododendron plants. They are huge and reminded me of something from the Jurassic period! The bridleway then loops down to the Ratty railway line. If your not sure how your horse will react to a small steam train, it may be wise to check the time table to plan to go through this bit without a stream train going past. The route runs directly adjacent to the railway track. Ryan and Hope are very use to the West Coast Main Line trains, but we were not sure how they would react to smoke breathing trains! We did not have to worry about that though on the day we did the route we learnt later that there had been a landslip on the line due to all the bad weather and trains were therefore not running.  

 The route crossed the track and then you pass through a few fields. The route here is not well used and you may like to check your map so you do not take a wrong turn and you need to be prepared for a few difficult gates. You then come out on a track that leads up to the road. From here you turn right and work you way along the road all the way back to the Woolpack. Even though we had only been in the valley 24 hours Ryan started to recognise the route and as we got to Dalegarth Station Ryan’s hear pricked up and our pace went up a gear. After being out for nearly six hours my hands and water proofs were starting to fail with the wet and cold! It was a fantastic day despite the weather and it was great to do a long ride where we clocked up 15 miles.

You can also do this ride from Muncaster Castle car park. Best to ring the Castle before you visit to check there are no events on and their happy for you to park.

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

Route Map showing Day 1 and Day 2 rides combined


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Case to included Equestrians in all Active Travel Policy and Projects

  In my spare time I do quite a lot of voluntary outdoor access work. Here is my response for a call for evidence from the government's All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking on Active Travel and Social justice (  https://appgcw.org/2024/11/12/active-travel-and-social-justice-inquiry/  ) New riding routes coming soon, but thought I would post by my paper here for future reference.   The All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling & Walking (APPGCW) Active Travel and Social Justice Inquiry The Case to included Equestrians in all Active Travel policy and Projects Active travel is a growing focus in urban planning, as governments aim to promote healthier lifestyles, reduce congestion, and decrease environmental impact. Policies often emphasize the use of bicycles as a primary mode of active transport, with campaigns targeting cyclists for infrastructure development, safety, and accessibility. While much of this fo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Equestrians need to Think Like Cyclists and Just Ride it! - Keswick to Threkeld Railway Trail

I am normally a person who does everything by the book, but I do develop strong views if I believe something is not quite right. If your an equestrian the Keswick to Threlkeld Railway Trail (K2T) is one of these places as horses are not allowed on the trail. On 22 March 2024 we decided to ride the Keswick to Threkeld Railway Trail after discussing the matter with other rights of way experts and decided that this is the only way forward to get equestrians access. A few of us from Cumbria Bridleway Society have been campaigning for over 5 years to get equestrians access to K2T. After many letters, emails, meetings, reports (on both sides) we still do not have a genuine reason from the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) as to why equestrians cannot be included on K2T. The LDNPA is the principal landowner of K2T and therefore in my mind this is public land. The upgraded trail cost nearly £8 million pounds of public money and the aim of the grant money was to get Vulnerable Road ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Loughrigg Fell, Ambleside, Central Lakes

  The Lake District is good at any time of year and often your can get four seasons in a day! Spring though has the added benefit of it being a bit quieter and a good time to go on a bluebell ride. After spending several years working in Grasmere I have become very fond of Loughrigg Fell and in a past work life this was my morning dog walk before work. I remember the bluebells being good, but the day of this ride they really were spectacular! There are a couple of car parks in Elterwater, but this time we tried Silverthwaite Car Park between Elterwater and Skelwith Bridge. Once you have worked out how the machine works this is a great car park to start a ride. From Silverthwaite car park cross the road and take the path directly opposite the car park entrance. This leads you through a small wood and links onto the bridleway. Some people may like to dismount and lead their horse along this path. Once you have done this, the bridleways around here are well signed, but you still need...
Post a Comment
Read more