An 80km cycle trip to Bouth for lunch with Andrew, Helen, Anton and little Lois.
Route: from home crossing Kendal and exiting town steeply up the Underbarrow Road, over Scout Scar and down to Underbarrow and along to Crossthwaite. Just before the church, turning left down Mill Lane, crossing the A5074 and ascending, against a chevron, the underside of Whitbarrow (against a flow of Kendal Cycle Club riders). Turning right to pass Cowmire Hall and Hodge Hill Hall and starting a long ascent, steep from time to time, of Height Road. Descending to High Newton, crossing the A590, past Barber Green and then fairly slowly along the minor road (Palace Lane) from Seatle to Newby Bridge then Bouth via Hill Top for lunch. Back via Haverthwaite and the part of Backbarrow on the west side of the A590, uphill to rejoin the outward route to Newby Bridge and then via Staveley-in-Cartmel to Back Lane and making swift progress south to Field Broughton before a long slow climb over Old Town Hill to reach Lindale. Then via Meathop, to avoid the A590, crossing the A590 using the underpass (with traffic lights!) and then via the familiar route to Levens for another pint and back over Levens Fell, Sedgwick, and Natland and calling at Asda for the newspaper and blueberries for tea.Conditions: surprisingly sunny and thus hot and sticky.
Pubs: the White Hart, Bouth, for Moorhouse Oblivion, Pennine Brewery Sailors' IPA (and an overpriced lunch). The Wheatsheaf, Levens, for Barngates Brathay Gold and Fell Ze Germans.
