Scout Hill, Lupton, South Cumbria

Scout Hill (also known locally as bog mountain) is dry enough to ride! This ride should only be done after a spell of very dry weather as the bridleway over Scout Hill can be very treacherous having a number of bogs to cross. If we have a wet year where the window of opportunity is missed another year will pass by before I get another chance to ride this route.

This is one of my favourite bridleways that transport you into a wild and ancient landscape with Scots pine trees and Cotton grass and in spring and early summer Cuckoos can be heard. Drovers and packhorse trains from Scotland use to carry Scots pine seeds in the their pockets and would plant the pinecones to mark the route especially in remote places. I have not looked into the history of this route, but as there are Scots pines, which are located in the 'middle of know where' close to a bridleway I like to think this could of been a drovers route from Scotland!

Starting from the parking by the canal at Farleton, cross the road and ride through Farleton village and along Puddlemire Lane toward to A65. Here care should be taken to cross the road to take the bridleway past Foulstone Farm (marked on the OS map as Fowlstone). The bridleway then heads up the hill to Lupton High and you will come to a crossroads of bridleways. If the weather is dry enough take the route over Scout Hill. By keeping the drystone wall on your left you cannot get lost! Here you need to pick your way through the wet areas and as this route is not that well used the path is quite narrow on the ground (more like a sheep path!). Go over the hill with the Scots pines and then you will come out on a lane. Once on the lane turn left and work you way through the lanes down to the canal. Go to the end of the dead end road at Longcroft and take the path onto the canal, if you have a tall horse you may need to lead through the subway tunnel. Once through the tunnel ride along the canal and re-join lane to Farleton and return to the parking area.

Despite the things to note below this is a fantastic ride with view towards the Dales, Howgills and the Lakes.

Parking

At the dead end road at Millness or by the canal at Farleton near J36 of M6.

Things to note

Length of Ride - 9.21 miles (can be made shorter or longer.)

In addition to having to ride this in dry weather, you have to cross the A65, there is a subway under the A65 on the canal to get to and from Farleton.

Would recommend riding this anti clockwise. some of the gates you need to get off to open.

There is a donkey (behind a fence) that lives at Lupton High, some fields have sheep and cows in them and some low branches and gorse bushes to go around.

Ride can be made shorter by not going on the Scout Hill bridleway and thereby avoiding the boggy areas, other routes can be taken too as lots of bridleways in this area.

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