A bright and sunny start this morning, which began with a quick ride west along the A85 to the edge of Kirkby Lonsdale. I then followed a mixture of narrow, quiet A- and B-roads and country lanes. This took me north along the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales, with some stunning scenery to be admired. After a while, the road neared the M6, passing directly under it and then rising steeply to a height of over 300m, well above the motorway which soon disappeared behind the landscape. There were some great views from here, as the road continued for a while along the top before plunging quickly back down again, eventually re-crossing the M6, this time above it.
The route then left the Dales behind, continuing north through a succession of small villages. This was an extremely quiet part, and generally pretty flat as well. Shortly after lunch I passed under the busy A66, which curiously was not shown on the GPS map, leading me to worry at one point whether the left turn I was due to take was actually going to be the A66 itself!
Whilst descending the final big hill of the day, I had to come to a stop just outside the village of Croglin, where a large flock of sheep was being shepherded down the road to new pasture. Unlike the herds of rather docile cows I've often seen wandering the lanes of Wiltshire on their way to be milked, the sheep were extremely noisy and excited, obviously in a rush to find the best grass!
The last section of the route leading to the bustling Cumbrian town of Brampton was a little busier, but easy to cycle. I found my accommodation on the way out of the town, a large imposing Victorian house in huge grounds (complete with its own sheep and other livestock) and with a suitably long and winding drive. After an excellent meal, I'm now getting ready for my final night in England before crossing the border tomorrow morning.
Distance: 66.8 miles
Total ascent: 1372m
Cumulative distance: 597.2 miles
Interactive route map and profile: http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1909
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