Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Advise heading north to Cumbria

When we were up in the area, we fou d that the Coastal route was less crowded than the inland spots around windermere etc, something to consider given when you'll be there.

Thank you Phil! I’ve a certain TMer coming up for a night and wants to avoid motorways and I’ve been thinking of the most interesting route. I’ve always just bashed up the M6 when I lived down in the Midlands....just to get up there as quickly as possible. The result? I hate the M6 south of Manchester with a vengeance!
Looking at routes, anything west of the Manchester conurbation is a no no in my opinion...sorry Liverpool🙄. I know Snake Pass and Trough of Bowland but the area between I don’t. An alternative to the Trough is to get up onto the A65 around Skipton or Settle and that’ll take you nicely up to the edge of the Lakes.

If you tire of the Lakes themselves and need a breath of Estuary air and decent fish and chips..pop down to Arnside and let me know!

Can't recommend God roads but can curse the bad - the M6. Last twice we have used it from Sales to Cumbria we have averaged just 30 mph for all 200 miles or so. Appalling.

If there are too many people using the road that happens. If we put in two more lanes on the M6, they would soon fill up, same for the other Motorways.

Seems to me that there are now large parts of England that just have too many people living there.

No use complaining about the road until there are less drivers using it, I cannot see any other way out.

Thanks all as usual TMers come up trumps, I definitely want to avoid the M6 so info very helpful

I'm no great fan of motorways either but I have to say the journey I made from Knutsford to Kendal a week ago last Saturday morning was fine, as there wasn't that much traffic, particuarly heavy goods. Likewise the return journey made on the same stretch a week later.

Go up the A1(M) and A66. Still trunk/motorway but much better scenery.

There were extensive diversions on the A65 last week. You can check if the works have been completed here.

If you’re staying at Newby Bridge the A66 takes you too far north.

I came up the A65 from Skipton on Sunday and it was fine.

At newby bridge - be sure to take the walk to Lakeside by the steam railway line. If heading north from there, take the back road (west side of lake windermere) from newby bridge to Ambleside via coniston and hawkshead. Stop at ‘drunken duck’ en route. Elsewhere, avoid bowness on Windermere, or rather don’t stop there before, say, October. Same goes for grasmere. Windermere Ferry is good fun (a short cut between Beatrix Potter’s farm and M6) - but it broke down mid-lake last week... Hartleys (of ulverston) ale is classic northern pint, creamy and strong - used to be available at Golden Rule up an alley in Ambleside. Would be interested to hear how you like the Lakes this summer of 2018. Further afield The ‘nuclear coast’ is a good drive, with the Lakeland fells always in view.