My folks are moving to Lytham St Annes this weekend. Obviously the first thing I’m going to do (next weekend) is get a lift down there and ride home to Northumberland. What are the roads like in that neck of the woods? Any which look tempting on a map, to actually be avoided?

Thinking of heading through Garstang, Lancaster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Sedbergh, Tebay, Appleby, Melmerby and beyond (Hartside to home is a regular route of mine)

Go the back way:
Garstang, Scorton, Dolphinholme, Quernmore, Caton, Hornby, Gressingham, Arkholme, Kirkby Lonsdale then parallel the A683 passing Sedbergh on your right then continue heading north to Tebay.

Lovely roads.

A quick look at google maps route finder (cycle setting) gives more or less what I would have ‘plotted’. It utilises the lovely surfaced cycle ways round Lancaster and avoids some really crap roads!

Basically, if you head from Lancaster to the Forest of Bowland, you can’t go wrong – all the roads are superb.

Brilliant. Thanks folks. Just need a good south-westerly to blow me home and I’ll be laughing 🙂

It utilises the lovely surfaced cycle ways round Lancaster

I know they’re handy, but I prefer to avoid cycle paths in areas I don’t know. Even with onscreen GPS, they can be a pain to navigate and really slow things down.

I know they’re handy, but I prefer to avoid cycle paths in areas I don’t know. Even with onscreen GPS, they can be a pain to navigate and really slow things down.

I know what you mean and understand. There are exceptions, though, and the route through Lancaster is an old railway line so quite direct. It certainly beats the roads and one way system! 🙂