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Dates: |
September 20th - 21st 2008 |
Cost: |
£275 per car |
Extra accommodation can be arranged for Friday and/or Sunday nights.
A slight variation on a familiar theme. The format of one day in the Eden Valley/Pennines and one day in the Lakes is unchanged from previous years, however basing the event at a 'new' hotel further north than normal allows us to reach further into the Pennines and explore an area of the lake District we don't normally visit.
(Accommodation can be arranged at the base hotel for the night prior to the start if required.)
Today we head into the glorious scenery of the Lake District. First we head north through the market town of Penrith before skirting the northern Lakeland hills on our way to the quiet villages of Hesket Newmarket and Caldbeck where we stop for coffee.
We then continue over Caldbeck Fell with views of the Solway Firth and South West Scotland in the distance. We now turn south with some unusual views of the Lakes hills in front of us as we make our way down to the head of Bassenthwaite Lake. After following the main road alongside the lake we head off through some quiet lanes to the tranquil Newlands Valley and our first mountain pass. Newlands Pass drops us spectacularly down to Buttermere where we follow the shores of this beautiful lake to our second challenge of the day, the imposing Honister Pass. From here we descend into Borrowdale for lunch near the head of Derwent Water.
After lunch we take the stunning 'Cat Bells' road high above Derwent Water before descending to the outskirts of Keswick. We then head south via the dramatic St John’s in the Vale and make a detour tour around Thirlmere before crossing Dunmail Raise with its view of the 'Lion and the Lamb' on our way to Grasmere. From Grasmere village there is a short sharp climb over Red Bank into Langdale as we head towards Ambleside. We now follow the most famous of lakes, Windermere before turning north again for the ascent of Kirkstone Pass. Tea will be taken at the summit at the quaint Kirkstone Pass Inn.
The final leg takes us along the entire length of arguably the most picturesque of lakes, Ullswater. We are not finished yet however as we still have to pass the impressive ruins of Lowther Castle and make our way through some pretty villages on our way back down the Eden Valley to Appleby. 
We leave the hotel and head north through the Eden Valley passing through quiet picturesque villages with the Pennines ever visible in the background. We by-pass the town of Penrith following the Settle – Carlisle Railway to the foot of Hartside Pass. As we negotiate the numerous hairpin bends we are rewarded with panoramic views of the Lakeland Hills, the Solway Firth and the distant Scottish hills. The descent of the pass isn’t quite as spectacular but brings us to the charming market town of Alston which claims to be the highest such town in England. From here we head into Weardale and a stop for coffee at the Killhope Mining centre.
We then continue down the dale before heading across country into County Durham and just over the border into Northumberland at the picturesque Derwent reservoir. We complete almost a full circle around the reservoir before heading back across the moors to Stanhope for lunch at the visitor centre.
After lunch we cross more remote moorland on our way to Teesdale and then meander through some quiet country lanes passing more little known reservoirs on the way to Barnard Castle. From here we cross the busy A66 and climb up through Stang Forest into Arkengarthdale making our way across more completely un-inhabited countryside to Britain’s highest and most remote pub, Tan Hill, where we stop for tea.
The final part of the tour sees us descend from the moors with breathtaking views over the Eden valley as we make our way back to Appleby for the farewell dinner.
The tour will be based at the small private Courtfield Hotel, but additional accommodation is available at the neighbouring Royal Oak pub. One night's dinner, bed and breakfast is included in the tour price, as is dinner on Sunday evening and lunch each day.
The 'standard' tour price for the above is £275 per couple sharing a room. Additional accommodation can be arranged for Friday and/or Sunday as required at an extra fee depending on which location is chosen.
Alternatively there is a 'LUXURY OPTION' which consists of two nights dinner bed and breakfast at the Appleby Manor 4 star hotel for £499 per couple sharing and including lunches as per the standard tour.
As all accommodation is filling up rapidly PROMPT booking is essential.
Telephone; Mike Kirk on 01539 728832 or 07795 204533
e-mail;
(Please do not contact the hotels yourself as this can cause confusion!)
For interest only (the links below open in a new window):
