Bike Rides from the Door
There are Mountain Bike routes directly from the farm, so just get on your bike and head out.
The 'Three Rivers' mountain bike trails is roughly 4 miles, add Kentmere Hall for a further 2 miles.
This is a circular ride that begins and ends at the pod field. Take the track up through the farmyard (don't turn left onto the drive) and continue on up a steep track - stream on your right, and on to the tarmac lane - that runs past the
farm. Carry on up the hill until you reach a T – junction at the top. Turn right and go right to the end of the track (you will pass a fork in the track on your left that doubles back to Ings).
Go through the right-hand gate (sign-posted to Kentmere Hall) and continue through the fields, through a number of gates and a path that takes you through open 'moorland' until eventually you reach a stream with large stepping stones across (this is the first of the 3 rivers). Cross the beck and turn right.* Follow the path round until you reach the second beck – cross and continue up the slope before descending towards a tiny stone bothy. Cross the third and final beck just below the bothy and begin your descent. Pass between two houses (Croft Head & Ullthwaite) here the stone track turns into a tarmacked driveway – follow this until you reach a path on your right just before a pack-horse bridge. Take the path, which runs parallel to the river, and before long you’ll find yourself back at by the pod field where you started.
*You can extend this ride if you continue on through the gateway directly in front of you as you cross the first stream and head on to Kentmere Hall. The descent down is steep and rocky so check your brakes. Bike up the drive to the church and descend on the tarmac road across a bridge and out of Kentmere. You can return along the valley bottom road. About 1/2 mile after Hollingsworth and Vose factory on your right, there is a right turning to Croft Head and Ulthwaite (tarmac road) by a smaller barn. Go over the old pack horse bridge and turn immediately left. This lane takes you back to the farm and your pod. If you miss the Ulthwaite turn, just keep going for another mile and the road leads you over Scroggs bridge. Turn immediately right and you are on Browfoot Lane. Only a mile to go!
The Sam Houghton Challenge has both a 25K and 45K route which follow old pack horse trails over a range of fells. The longer route has great views over Lake Windermere. For maps and details of both these routes go to: http://www.samhoughtonchallenge.co.uk
If you need spare parts or kit, Wheelbase in Staveley is one of the largest bike shops in the country. We get our bikes fixed here. They also hire bikes including e-bikes for an extra boost http://www.wheelbase.co.uk
There are routes that drop over to High Borrans and Ings. For more challenging rides, head over Garbon for Troutbeck - you can see some of the route on a You Tube clip – The long way home by Nathan Young, starting from the farm. Or up to Greenside and over to Longsleddale. They are quite complex to describe. Your best bet is to get a map or use Google maps on your phone. Just be aware that reception can be very variable so don't rely on this.
If road-biking is your thing, the road to Staveley is pretty quiet - 4 miles there and back, with some great take-aways to break the journey. Chocolate muddies at Moores bakery are my favourite.
Head further afield to Bowston and Burneside on the back road to Kendal.
For a longer loop head to Ings and Crook. Bike to Staveley - take a right at the War memorial, straight passed the school and on up the lane - slight incline. This drops into Danes road and you need to take a left. Just before you reach the A90 turn right into the old road - there is a cut through onto a bike path that takes you alongside the A90 to Ings. Cross over at the pedestrian pass by the Watermill pub and loop round and down past the pub onto the Ings road. Go straight across this road and onto the gated road to Crook. The first gate is at the top of an incline. You pass underneath a railway bridge and follow this path for about a mile passing through another 3 gates and then over a Cattle Grid. Great views from up here! Turn left and follow the road all the way to Crook. When you meet the Crook road (T junction) Turn left. Staveley is sign posted on the left. Follow the road all the way back to Staveley. It will bring you out under the railway and back to the Village Hall. The turn to Kentmere is opposite, to the left of the Village hall. You should recognise your way back from here. Stay left of the river and go up Browfoot Lane, not over the bridge.
Arnside: A great day out ending up at the Sea. About 3/4 hours there and back. Take a map - the nicest route is Crook, Underbarrow, Brigsteer, Levens, Milnthorpe, Arnside.