Lakes locals, Thirlmere Road closed ??

looking for some info from anyone local to the Lakes.

is Thirlmere Road on the west of the lake closed ?  to cycles

if it is, can you cycle through on the track east of the main road ?

my aim is to try to stay off the main road.

Still closed and well fenced, not passable I’m afraid. Ongoing local controversy with UU applying to extend the closure indefinitely.

edit- yes, can cycle the track/forest road east of A591 between swirls and bottom of dunmail, at least you could when I was last there a year or so ago.

Ex-local here who often used that road to bypass the main drag – why is it closed?

Sorry link doesn’t seem to work but there’s a page on United Utilities website explaining their reasons

Closed due to logging and such engineering access and there is a fence locked right across the road, so you can’t get by, so a real drag, but main road OK if slow and steady. The west side back lane should be a cycle route but just a pain atm. Hope you enjoy a ride somewhere, bit damp this weekend, just been for a damp paddle instead!

<p style=”text-align: left;”>https://www.change.org/p/keep-thirlmere-road-open</p&gt;

Well I wrote to the local council to protest the permanent closure of this road, and this is the summary sentence of a very long winded, legalise email reply. 

To summarise, this means that pedestrians and vehicles (including pedal cycles) will be prohibited from the following length of the U7003 Thirlmere:

Bastards. 

I didn’t get that feeling: https://www.change.org/p/keep-thirlmere-road-open/u/32167707

I did. Horse riders ok to use it, no vehicles including bicycles. So it’s a bridleway but not one bikes can use. Ok then. 🙄

Can you still get hobby horses?

https://road.cc/content/news/71094-trotify-turn-your-bike-horse-or-make-it-sound-one-anyway

From the latest email from the Cumberland Council…

Well they certainly want you to think it’s not passible. At weekend with a bit of ingenuity I couldn’t possibly comment 😉

Much local disgruntlement at how long it’s gone on for.

UU Link

https://www.unitedutilities.com/corporate/newsroom/latest-news/west-road-at-thirlmere-closed-after-beast-from-the-east-gales/?_t_id=n6Gt_JIGKG6_k7WKkWc9CQ%3d%3d&_t_uuid=rivrIW_hQWiHNTVqSxdNww&_t_q=lakes+closure&_t_tags=siteid%3a9de8d018-a7a9-44b7-9c68-60bbf0061122%2clanguage%3aen&_t_hit.id=UUCustomerWebsite_Model_Epi_Pages_NewsHub_NewsArticlePage/_985db193-ae44-49c8-9df6-32ffbd84559b_en&_t_hit.pos=10

Horse riders ok to use it

Showjumpers and 3 day eventers only?

yep I got this reply yesterday:

Dear Sir / Madam

I am writing to inform you of the outcome of the Highways and Transport Strategic Board (“the Board”) meeting held on 10th November 2023, relating to proposed changes to the Keswick and Surrounding Area Traffic Regulation Order. A copy of the report and meeting minutes are available here.

In relation to proposals relating to Thirlmere:

1) having taken into consideration the matters contained in Section 122(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which were more specifically referred to in the Legal section of the report;

2) and having taken into consideration the Evolving Risk Posed by Rough Crag report produced by Jacobs on behalf of United Utilities and the recommendations of the Council’s independent review of that report by Waterman Infrastructure & Environment Ltd which were presented to the Board as a confidential Appendix to the report;

3) having taken into consideration the Petition (Appendix 12) to the report and the Handout (Appendix 13) to the report, which were referred from Full Council on 26th September 2023, and the response from the Council to the questions raised in the Handout (Appendix 14) to the report;

that it be agreed that the proposals detailed in paragraph 2.5, namely the proposal to introduce a ‘Prohibition of All Traffic’ restriction and two sections of ‘Prohibition of Motor Vehicles’ restriction on the U7003 at Thirlmere, be brought into operation as part of the Cumberland Council (Various Roads, Keswick and Surrounding Area) (Consolidation and Provision of Traffic Regulations) Order 20><, save that wording of Article 44A of the Order be delegated to the Assistant Director – Highways and Transport, in consultation with the Chair and the legally qualified officer of the Council once a definitive answer was received from the Department for Transport as to whether horse-riders could be prohibited.

Following the meeting and in line with the decision taken by the Board, a Decision was agreed in an Officer Decision Record signed by the Assistant Director – Highways & Transport (dated 12th December 2023):

Decision: Following communications with Department for Transport and subsequent Legal Counsel advice, the Officer Decision is to word Article 44A as follows:

“44A. Save as provided in Article 44B, no person shall proceed or cause or permit any vehicle (including a pedal cycle) to proceed in the lengths of road specified in Schedule 33A to this Order.”

A copy of the Officer Decision Record can be found here.

To summarise, this means that pedestrians and vehicles (including pedal cycles) will be prohibited from the following length of the U7003 Thirlmere:

Schedule 33A

U7003 From a point approximately 3km from its southern junction with the A591 (X: 331567 Y: 515372) extending in an overall westerly direction to a point approximately 3.1km from its southern junction with the A591 (X: 31322 Y: 515440).

The use of barriers in support of the restrictions is permitted by Section 92 of the 1984 Road Traffic Regulation Act, however horse riders will be able to pass if they so choose. The Council will ensure that signage is erected to make horse riders aware of the danger together with signage that the road is closed to vehicles (including pedal cycles) and pedestrians.

Yours faithfully,

Philip Groom

Traffic Management Officer | Highways & Transport

Place, Sustainable Growth & Transport | Cumberland Council

Joseph Noble Road | Lillyhall | Workington | Cumbria | CA14 4JH

I just do not understand this:

“however horse riders will be able to pass if they so choose. The Council will ensure that signage is erected to make horse riders aware of the danger together with signage that the road is closed to vehicles (including pedal cycles) and pedestrians”

what makes it safe for bods on horses but not on foot or on a bike??!!

I have never heard of such an exception.

this must be the solution…

Tony – track on the East is marked as a cycle route (or was) and is nice, if a bit steep in parts. Cross the road at the end to join cycle path over the Raise

Act, however horse riders will be able to pass if they so choose. The Council will ensure that signage is erected to make horse riders aware of the danger together with signage that the road is closed to vehicles (including pedal cycles) and pedestrians.

Yours faithfully,

Philip Groom

Traffic Management Officer

The equestrians have a man on the inside!

If the barrier is set up in such a way that horses can pass, then bikes must be able to get through as well. If challenged, neigh loudly and continue.

Just ignore the no cycling signs & if stopped by an authority type just inform them that it’s 2023 & your bike identifies as a horse. Sorted!

I can’t see how horses could pass – I managed to sneak around the barriers with a bike (at weekend with no work going on) but doubt you’d get a horse through. There’s certainly no provision for that.
Most of the closed section was an active forestry marshaling area. Presumably if its safe for loggers to work there, Rough Crag can’t present that much of a threat. I accept while forestry work is in progress, the public need to be kept out, but there are also ways to manage that. There’s quite a bit of graffiti on the signage – some is pretty specific about the company and process. A big hole had been cut in the barrier (and repaired).
Locally we are fighting the closure of a bridleway for forestry work. In reality they could work around the bridleway – they just want the easiest cheapest way and bugger the ROW (and the red squirrels, the local roads and the population!)
This is the track east of the main road – more height gain than the lakeside loop, but nice views and fine on a gravel bike (and probably a road bike tbh)

An update:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmmm4d5lv1lo#msdynttrid=hTMnyx49E3A-8UBIciiJeYoNd4uXgXCRY3omQfz6oz0