One of the most beautiful walks near Lancaster, the Lune Valley Ramble is 16.5 miles (26.5 km) long and traces the course of the River Lune’s lower reaches through some of the North West’s finest lowland countryside.
Bounded by high moors, limestone hills and shadowed by the distant peaks of Ingleborough, Whernside and Leck Fell, the route offers excellent, easy walking and is signposted and waymarked throughout.
The Tour of Britain 2012 route is set to pass through Kirkby Lonsdale today for stage four of The Tour which will take the riders from Carlisle to Blackpool.
You can take a look at today’s stage by clicking on the stage map.
Away from the city centre start, the race passes by the castle before heading south making its way out on to the A6 and through Penrith.
Generally straight, wide roads make for an easy start to the day, but after crossing under the M6 near Thrimby the road begins to rise slowly as it nears the Lake District National Park boundary.
A long main road climb, the summit at 426-metres comes on the National Park border, which the race continues along on what will be a fast descent into Kendal.
The route levels off as it passes back over the M6 before descending into Kirkby Lonsdale at around 1pm. After crossing Devil’s Bridge the stage passes via Tunstall, Melling, Hornby, Claughton and on to Caton before moving away from the main roads and onto draggy lanes that skirt the edge of the Pennines through Quernmore and then back down to the plains.
Very flat, exposed roads head across the Cockerham Marshes and Pilling Moss to Stalmine and Hambleton, where the stage crosses the River Wyre to enter the outskirts of Blackpool, out through Anchorsholme to the shore before turning left at Little Bispham to set up a fast final five kilometres along the North Shore to the finish under the watchful gaze of Blackpool Tower.
There will be little place to hide in these closing kilometres for any escapees as the pace is likely to be very high as the teams of the sprinters jostle for position to set their men up.
The stunning scenery means walking in Keswick is a truly fabulous pastime and one of our absolute favourite walks in Keswick here at The Royal Hotel is Cat Bells and Derwentwater Lakeshore, made famous by Julia Bradbury’s TV Series ‘Wainwright Walks’.
This walk isn’t too long, approximately 3.5 miles and you can expect it to take around three hours, plus time for stops. It has a difficulty rating of moderate as there is a short steep section on ascent and the paths are generally in good condition.
Shop till you drop in Lancaster!
With the weather changing from one day to the next, why not treat yourself to a shopping trip in the historic city of Lancaster? With a wide range of shops in both the Market Gate and St. Nicholas arcade you’re sure to grab yourself a bargain!
Lancaster city centre is only 15 miles from the Royal Hotel in Kirkby Lonsdale, and makes for a great day out, whether shopping or sightseeing.
The weather is showing signs of warming up this weekend so why not celebrate with a trip to the seaside and get out and about on one of the many walks across Morecambe Bay?
There are more than forty walks across Morecambe Bay scheduled throughout 2012 and they are led by Cedric Robinson MBE, the Queen’s Official Guide. In 1963 Cedric was appointed the 25th guide and since then has escorted many thousands of charity fundraisers safely across the dangerous sands on Morecambe Bay Walks.
So the weather forecast for the weekend isn’t great, in fact it’s terrible, but if we only went out when it was sunny we’d never get anything done! Why not get out and about on your bike and spend the weekend Cycling in Cumbria?
The Royal Hotel is the ideal base for bed and breakfast in Cumbria as we are conveniently located in the beautiful town of Kirkby Lonsdale, right in the heart of Cumbria.
It’s just you and your fishing rod, relaxing the day away by fishing in the Lake District, just waiting for that perfect catch.
Whatever it is about fishing that attracts so many people – the beautiful surroundings, the tranquil environment, the eager anticipation of catching a “big one”, or the chance to just escape with your thoughts, you’ll be hooked when you do it in one of the fisheries in the Lake District.
After the onslaught of rain last weekend we’re crossing our fingers for some nicer, warmer and dryer weather this weekend!
The world is your oyster when it comes to outdoor activities in the Lake District but if you fancy taking it easy then why not set out on one of the many easy walks in the Lake District?
The Millerground and Adelaide Hill walk is one of the shortest walks around Windermere, but if you are after a relaxing walk with all the family in the beautiful surroundings of the Lakes this is the one for you.
The walk starts from the eastern shore of Lake Windermere at the car park on Rayrigg Road, there is no labelled route for this walk, so in the words of Fleetwood Mac, “you can go your own way”!
The Dales Way Walk is an 82 mile walking route through the Yorkshire Dales in England, beginning in Ilkley, West Yorkshire and finishing in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria.
The Dales Way Walk passes Bolton Abbey with it’s beautiful surroundings, reaches the highest point at Cam Fell before passing the quaint cobble lanes of Dent with the rugged Lake District landscape and the enticing Lake Windermere beckoning. By following as far as possible riverside paths, it offers unrivalled and absolutely beautiful scenery.