I'm looking at a route that goes from Devoke Water to the north of Birkby Fell to Barnscar. There is a bridleway shown on the map, but I just get a feeling in my water that it will be a bit unpleasant over there. Has anyone here been on that track? Does it exist, and if so is it rideable?
Yes it's there. Starting from Dyke (the way we usually do it) it's a wide farm track, then a walled lane much subject to cattle trod when wet, then a very rutted boggy field where the original BW has been abandoned as it's over a peat layer above a sunken lake so you take a squelchy FP instead. Once across that it's grassy through thick bracken for a km or so, becoming rockier as you near the lake, but with very boggy spots where tributaries flow in along the shore. Just by the little stone house the ground has a strange hollow sound, and then you meet a gravel track to the road.
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It's a good place with great views of the fells and the sea. Not done it for a while and recall it being a bit wet. Look out for the iron age village remains just past the lake.
shore track:
[url= http://148.88.53.14/rides/2004/31oct/margin.jp g" target="_blank">http://148.88.53.14/rides/2004/31oct/margin.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Devoke:
[url= http://148.88.53.14/rides/2004/31oct/devokewater.jp g" target="_blank">http://148.88.53.14/rides/2004/31oct/devokewater.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Birkby Fell:
[url= http://148.88.53.14/rides/2004/31oct/birkby.jp g" target="_blank">http://148.88.53.14/rides/2004/31oct/birkby.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
detail:
[url= http://148.88.53.14/rides/2004/31oct/sinking.jp g" target="_blank">http://148.88.53.14/rides/2004/31oct/sinking.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
the drier way:
[url= http://148.88.53.14/rides/2004/31oct/antony.jp g" target="_blank">http://148.88.53.14/rides/2004/31oct/antony.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
SFB, is one of you routes/gpx thingies available?
SFB, is one of you routes/gpx thingies available?
I don't think so, as I've not been there for yonks! I'd advise against going over Waberthwaite Fell, which is fairly ghastly up and down. There's a nice BW from Muncaster Head, with the additional bonus of riding across a golf course 🙂 [or an interesting FP on the fell above]
Route goes from High Eskholme, over Muncaster Fell. That looks cheeky. Presume that's what you mean.
That looks cheeky.
it's up to you, there's also a bridleway running along the valley if you prefer 🙂