Barrow to Grange : 40 miles

I awoke early to gray skies. It didn’t look the best day for cycling but I was looking forward to it. The Spoons breakfast was good and served by friendly staff. I was on the road before 8:30am

I started from Walney bridge where the route leads through the streets of Barrow & past the BAE buildings before heading over a bridge past the Devonshire Dock. I have to say they’ve really tried to make this route safe – see the coned cycle lane below past the BAE works.

Now it was shortly after this I got stopped by two Police who wanted to know who I was, what I was doing and why I was taking photos. Apparently this is where one of our nuclear subs are housed so they were checking me out.

Thankfully I’d not been arrested I then headed out past Buccleuch and Cavendish docks on traffic free tracks. The route then heads south past the Morcombe gas terminal towards Roa Island. I have to say its a great little route out of Barrow – again they’ve tried to make it nice.

The route then headed north towards Ulverston where it started to drizzle. I stopped for the usual tourist photo.

Strangly enough there are quite a few famous people from Ulverston. The Ulverston Wikipedia page lists 14 famous people. I didn’t realise that Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac was born there !

From Ulverston the route left on quiet undulating roads over to Greenodd where I crossed the estuary.

Before Cartmel there’s a climb up to Bigland Hall. We need to talk about this climb because it’s a big one that goes on for about a mile. I got up OK but at 10% gradient if I’d got kids it would have been a different story.

I stopped in Cartmel for a break. I was hoping for a cool drink & a large portion of the famous Cartmel Sticky Toffee pudding. Sadly nowhere had it on the menu ☹️

The Cartmel entry in Wikipedia says…

“More recently Cartmel has emerged as a foodie destination. Cartmel sticky toffee pudding was first sold at the village shop in 1984[11] and grew in popularity: it is now sold in supermarkets around the UK. The Cartmel Sticky Toffee Company, who make it, moved to a larger factory in nearby Flookburgh in the 2000s but still operate[clarification needed] and sell from the village shop in Cartmel.[12] In 2002, chef Simon Rogan opened L’Enclume restaurant in the village. The restaurant quickly became one of the UK’s most popular, and held top spot as the UK’s best restaurant in The Good Food Guide from 2014-2017, returning to the top in 2020.[13] In 2022 it became the first restaurant in the UK outside London and the South-East to gain 3 Michelin stars.“

From Cartmel the route goes via Flookburgh on quiet roads to Grange over Sands.

I stayed the night at the Commodore Inn…