Classic Ride 149 – Britain’s Newest Bridleway

James Vincent takes on the classic Borrowdale Bash, complete with new official off-road start.

Words & Photography James Vincent

If ever there was a route that showcased all there is about Lake District mountain biking in a neat, easily accessible, all-weather package, the Borrowdale Bash would have to be up there. It’s got plenty of rock, some slithery singletrack, janky techy climbs, awkward waterbars, river crossings, quaint tea shops and some of the most stunning vistas you’re likely to find on a mountain bike ride in this country. Sure, it’s lacking some obligatory hikeabike, but that’s really not such a bad thing at all.

The only genuine criticism that’s always been levelled at The Bash is the large amount of road work involved in completing the full loop. Until recently, the official fun didn’t start until several kilometres in at Watendlath, and by the time you’d reached Grange on the other side, it was all but over. In fact, you could argue the only reason to start in Keswick is so you don’t need to drive to Grange and risk getting stuck in traffic down the narrow lanes of Borrowdale. Of course, those in the know (or rather those with a scant disregard for the archaic distinction between bridleway and footpath) have been skipping the road and riding across the open access land and footpaths on Walla Crag for years, but officially it’s been off limits. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of local mountain bike guide Richard Gale, with a little help and guidance from Cycling UK, things are now somewhat different and England’s newest bridleway runs all the way from Rakefoot Farm to Ashness Bridge. The question is, is it still as good as it’s always been or has the excitement been dulled a little now the illicit thrill of riding a cheeky footpath has been taken away?

act one: walla crag

Setting out from Keswick early one February morning, barely weeks after the bridleway decision was finally ratified (with no objections I should add), we spin up Chestnut Hill towards Castlerigg Campsite. I’ve been here hundreds of times. OK, maybe not quite hundreds, but it’s gotta be getting close. It was the first proper mountain bike ride I did after moving to the Lakes back in 2008. At a rough guess I’d say I’ve ridden the full Borrowdale Bash at least twice a year for the last 15 years, and sections of it too frequently to count. Rich and fellow Lakes local Max are in the same boat, but for Amanda and Rhys it’s their first lap of The Bash.

The first climb never gets easier and is a short, sharp shock to our very asleep bodies. Regrouping by the first gate after Rakefoot Farm, Rich Gale regales us with how he took umbrage at the ‘No Cycling’ signs that popped up on Walla Crag and kick-started the whole process to get the path upgraded to a bridleway. A drawn-out, year-long endeavour, Rich first had to find out who owned the land, who was responsible for the complaints, and why they’d actually complained. Fortunately, there was no specific incident or conflict between walkers and riders, just a local resident grumbling. Following a shout out on social media, Guy Kesteven then put him in touch with Kieran Foster at Cycling UK, who suggested Rich get the National Park Authority involved, who in turn helped out with evidence gathering forms. Strava heatmaps and magazine articles provided yet more evidence, and Rich was finally ready to claim the bridleway. Notices of intent were posted on the route, and the inevitable objections trickled in. Fortunately, none of these held any weight and after several rounds of meetings and a final three-month period of waiting, the decision was ratified. If it all sounds rather long-winded and bureaucratic, that’s because it was. And yet, in the scheme of access campaigning, it was surprisingly speedy.

Kieran Foster, Cycling UK’s off-road policy advisor, had this to say: “Kudos has to go to Richard, whose perseverance through the tedious process England has to claim a new right of way ensured this important missing link for the Borrowdale Bash opened up. It’s great Cycling UK and I were able to help along the way with expert guidance and discussions with rights of way officers – it’s what we’re here for after all – but ours was a bit role in the overall story.

“This is a rare example of the system working as it’s supposed to, where long-standing ‘unofficial’ use of the path, part of which was recorded as a footpath, had the result of upgrading the route to bridleway status. The key step was gathering user evidence forms and making the claim. The local mountain bike community deserves credit for rallying round, but so does the Lake District National Park for processing this claim so rapidly, when the system is cumbersome and bureaucratic. Nationally there is a backlog of thousands of historic claims that could take decades to clear – which is why Cycling UK is campaigning for change on how we record and claim rights of way in England and Wales.” 

Now, where were we? Oh yes, Walla Crag…

As you crest the janky rocky outcrop leading up to the summit (bonus points if you clear it), one of my favourite views in the Lakes opens up in front of you. All of Borrowdale is there, and on all but the very worst days you’re treated to the sight of layers of fells and mountains fading away, with Scafell Pike dead centre in the distance. So many trails to ride, so much potential for Big Days Out.

We set off for Ashness Bridge with glee. Even though Max, Richard and I have lost count of the number of times we’ve ridden The Bash, like all the very best trails, it’s still engaging and offers scope for finding new lines or nailing ones you messed up last time. I’m reminded of the time some friends came here for their first ride in the Lakes. Although comfortable with trail centre reds and blacks, they were utterly baffled by the myriad tracks and line options presented to them, and although I offered them a token gesture of sympathy, I was quick to point out that this line choice and variety is all part of the fun.

There’s a slight pause in proceedings just before Ashness Bridge as Rich bumps into some friends to chat. As will become a common theme for the day, discussion drifts towards how great it is that common sense has prevailed and how nice it is that the various authorities have sided with us mountain bikers for once. The buzz continues on the short spin up the road to Watendlath, not forgetting the obligatory stop off at Surprise View. Quite why it’s so named is beyond me – everyone knows it’s there. I mean, there’s a car park next to the road and a couple of benches are scattered around…

At Watendlath, there’s one of the most frustrating and challenging climbs I’ve ever attempted. It’s slow, techy, thrutchy, and worst of all, it feels doable. Tackle each obstacle in isolation and it’s easy. String them together into one continuous climb however, and it becomes a different story altogether. Even on the driest of days, traction is limited, and it only gets harder as you get closer to the top. Rumours abound that a few elite have cleaned it (including a younger Max), but success continues to elude me and I always spin out somewhere around halfway. Max makes a valiant effort, but our encouragement falls on deaf ears as even he is foiled.

Catching our collective breaths at the top of Puddingstone Bank, we’re met by yet another group of riders including our good friends, the Petes Archer and Scullion. That Lakes locals and travellers from significantly further afield choose to come and ride The Bash when they’ve got the entire Lake District at their disposal, speaks volumes about this loop’s classic ride status.

Act Two: Birketts Leap

You may recognise this section from a Hope HB Raw video from a few years back, that features another Lakes local Adam Brayton. The edit is chock full of pretty much everything you’d expect from a World Cup racer, namely massive sends and ridiculous speed. Sadly, our riding doesn’t feature anything even remotely close to this today. Or any day come to think about it. The gulf in ability is vast, and instead we down tools and spend some quality time discussing which of the two distinct lines through the bedrock is better. I maintain that the best line is high and on the right, before dropping into the gully at the last possible moment and picking your way through the chunder at the end.

The number of punctures I’ve witnessed being fixed under the pine trees at the bottom of this short run makes me wonder about the commercial viability of installing a track pump, set of tools and stack of inner tubes to capitalise on others’ misfortune. Or maybe a food stall laden with tea and cake… Now there’s an idea! No such mechanical issues befall our group, but as if to prove my point, from the steady stream of riders making their way round The Bash today, one of them heads straight for the pine trees, mood and rear tyre equally deflated. At least it’s not raining.

From here, there are actually two legit routes to choose from. Hang right through the gate and dive into Frith Wood for a sheltered, but loose, rooty, rocky plummet, or stay out in the open for some wider turns, slightly less tech and potential for some serious speed all the way down to the road. As this second option sends us further up the valley in the direction of Honister, that’s what we plump for and are soon in the heart of the Borrowdale Valley at the hamlet of Rosthwaite.

Should you have suffered something more severe than a simple puncture, this is a convenient point to bail out back to Keswick. Or if you’re feeling fit and want another crack at the Watendlath climb, head back to Ashness Bridge and repeat the loop, dropping down Frith Wood for some variety.

Act Three: Castle Crag

It is but a short drag up the valley to the foot of the Honister Pass at Seatoller. Doing our best to stay off road, we climb the permissive bridleway and before too long reach the furthest point on the ride. Turning our faces to home, the view from earlier is mirrored, with Scafell Pike replaced by glimpses of Skiddaw and Blencathra in the distance behind our immediate target of Castle Crag. Hugging the sides of the valley is one of those glorious sections of meandering, contoury singletrack that flatters and challenges all riders. Trending generally downhill, it has just enough rises, stream crossings and rock slabs to keep you interested. We play for an extended period of time trying to get up and over yet another technical climb – one of those borderline doable sections that requires a heady mix of trials skills, brute strength and a healthy dose of stubborness to just keep on trying. I’ve been half-heartedly attempting it for years and always thought it just out of reach, until a reel flashed up on Instagram of local mechanic and talented rider Sam Farrer cleaning it. After many attempts today Rhys gets the closest, but we eventually concede defeat and move on. 

Yet another group of riders are snapping at our heels as we journey towards Castle Crag under the shadow of Rigghead Quarries. The Jaws of Borrowdale loom ominously ahead and Keswick peeks through the gap in the valley, all of a sudden looking much, much further away than before. It’s an iconic view, but we mustn’t let it distract us from the task at hand. The ground fades away, nothing too severe at first, and our speed increases. Imperceptibly, the well-groomed trail from earlier is gone and it’s as though the trail builders just gave up. Larger drops and holes appear between the previously carefully placed rocks. We think light, floaty thoughts, try not to touch the brakes and skim across the surface. It’s a real balancing act – brake too much and your poor tyres and rims will connect all too sharply with a perfectly placed square-edged rock. Brake too little and you’ll be carrying way more speed than is comfortable. Amazingly, we all escape scot-free, tyres and rims intact!

Act Four: Home Time

After the chundery chaos of Castle Crag, we’re spat out in the sedate village of Grange where the cunningly named Grange Café is well placed to provide fuel for the spin back to town. There have been many ice creams savoured here in the height of summer, but out of season and getting late in the day, the café is shut. Booo.

Yet another punchy and challenging climb (there’s a theme here) awaits us after Grange, as we strike out to gain the lower reaches of Catbells. There is the option to extend the route by going over Hause Gate and coming down the far side of Catbells, but with limited light left today, we pick our way along the rooty singletrack climb to Catbells terrace. Sadly, there’s not a great deal of excitement to be had along here, but it’s preferable to battling drivers on the narrow road below. There are more grin-inducing routes through the woods towards the lake shore, but these aren’t legit, so frustratingly we ignore them and the last few kilometres are spent pedalling back to town on the road.

Is it still worth it?

There was always the worry that the change to bridleway status would have a negative impact on what was otherwise an accepted, if not fully approved trail; will the National Park now seek to ‘maintain’ the section in line with other bridleways and tame it and, more importantly, ‘is it still nice when it’s not naughty?’ Obviously the terrain itself didn’t change in January this year and conflict on this particular section has always been low, but the general consensus is that guilt-free riding is better. It’s still the same great piece of trail it’s always been, with enough variety to keep riders of all standards entertained, and takes traffic away from narrow country lanes. Not to mention that increased access for cyclists is a very good thing and this change should serve as an encouragement to find other paths for conversion, although there are plenty who maintain that the current footpath/bridleway system is unfit for purpose so we should just scrap it altogether. Now there’s a thought…

Why Bother?

The Borrowdale Bash has always been a great introduction to Lake District riding, being relatively low level and providing plenty of bailout options. The addition of England’s newest bridleway only adds to the experience, taking cyclists away from the narrow main road through Borrowdale and gaining a bonus descent at the same time. The route holds up to plenty of traffic and remains rideable in all weathers. There are very few (if any) boggy sections, and the remainder of the ground is quick draining. Bizarrely, the rock is somehow grippier in the wet too, so there really is no excuse not to get out and ride it even if the weather is less than ideal.

<b>The OS map is available to Full Members only.</b>

If you strike it lucky and get one of the three days a year in the Lakes when it isn’t cloudy or raining, then the views are spectacular, especially as you head towards the head of the valley – there’s a reason why Wainwright called it the loveliest square mile in Lakeland.

There are a few legitimate alternatives to the main route – the most obvious one being Frith Woods just after Birketts Leap. You could also head up Honister and down Warnscale Bottom to Buttermere, if you can stomach the road climb back up. Finally, once you’ve descended Castle Crag and dropped into Grange, you could always carry on up Hause Gate and descend the far side of Catbells for a bit of variety.

• Distance: 34km / Total Ascent 885m  / Time 3–5 hours
• Maps: Explorer OL4 – The Lake District, North Western area

Accommodation

Booking.com

Keswick is full of B&Bs and hotels to suit most budgets, and there are plenty of campsites in the area, including Castlerigg Hall which is handily situated on the route itself. There are also a couple of hostels in Keswick – a YHA, and the independent Denton House Hostel.

Booking.com

Travel Information

Keswick is easily accessible by road, being just off the A66, only a short drive from the M6 at Penrith. Penrith is the nearest train station and there are regular buses to and from Keswick. Parking is plentiful in the town centre – just be aware that in peak season these can fill up pretty quickly. If you get here early enough, you should be able to find free parking near the swimming pool, but be considerate to residents.

Bike Shops

Unsurprisingly, Keswick is well served by bike shops, with Biketreks, Whinlatter Bikes (not actually in Whinlatter), Alpkit and E-Venture bikes all in the town centre. A little further out of town is Cyclewise (in Whinlatter forest) or there’s Arragon’s in Penrith.

• bike-treks.co.uk
• whinlatterbikes.com
• E-venturebikes.co.uk
• Alpkit.com
• cyclewise.co.uk
• arragons.com

Eating and Drinking

Again, Keswick is well served by pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants. There are also a few places to get refreshments on the way. The Scafell Hotel comes just as you hit the road in Rosthwaite, then in Grange you’ve got The Grange Café just in case you need to fuel up for the pedal back into town. Lastly, the Bank Tavern is a great traditional pub in the centre of town to finish the ride in.

• scafell.co.uk

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