Motoring Notes
England's Lakeland No part of Britain can offer such varied scenery and so much motorinae' enjoyment for its size as that small area known as the English Lake District. The distance between its
furthermost boundaries is hardly more than thirty miles across, and thus every place worth visiting can easily be reached from one central point : while the road surfaces are probably as near perfection as are any in England.
As a centre, no resort in the district can compare with Ambleside. Situated at the head of Windermere, it is nearly half-way between Kendal and Keswick, and affords easy access to both the east and west of the main road running through the district. For instance, from the centre of the town there is a direct route to Coniston, another to Hawkshead, and further, a short cut to the coast at Ravenglass which allows resorts like Seascale and St. Bees to be visited easily. To the east, the road passing through Stock Ghyll offers " the quickest route to beautiful Ullswater, whereas from -Keswick a roundabout journey is involved. It should be noted that there are two roads from Ambleside to Coniston and that the slightly longer road, via Skelwith Bridge and the Yewdale Valley, passes through some of the finest scenery in Lakeland.
From Coniston, one can make an interesting day's tour by taking the left road at Torver village as far as 'Lowick Bridge, here branching off for Haverthwaite on the main road to Newby Bridge. The last named is at the 'foot of Windermere, and is only eight miles from that noted seaside golfing resort, Grange-over-Sands. Returning to Newby Bridge, if one continues along one of the best of roads to Ambleside by the side of Windermere Lake, many fine views of the lake and of the surrounding hills will be obtained. By Bowness a ferry crosses the lake and is much used by those wishing to reach Coniston from this spot by the shortest route.
Going north from Ambleside, one soon reaches Rydal village ; then Rydal Water—one of the smallest lakes—and then Grasmere, which is the nearest rival to Ambleside as a centre and which is often preferred owing to its finer situation on Grasmere' Lake. To the left of Grasmere is a road leading
to delightful country around Elterwater and Langdale, the gateway to the mountains, the crowning height of which is Scawfell Pike.
The road going north of Grasmere is a climb of sonic hundreds of feet ending in Dunmail Raise, which has a
maximum gradient of one in seven, dropping gradually
from the summit to the foot of Lake Thirlmere, a lake which now provides Manchester with its water supply. Front there the road continues along the side of Thirlmere for some distance, when a climb has to be made before the steepish descent leading into Keswick. A good road runs along the east side of Derwentwater as far as Grange, beyond the Lodore Falls, but on the other side of the lake many gateways have to be opened and closed by motorists, which does not make this tour popular. Nor is the short cut to Buttermere continuing from Lodore by Seatoller and over Honister Pasg worth risking, as this is not a road fit for motor traffic ; the descent into Buttennere is of the steepest kind and very dangerous owing to the loose surface . of the roadway.
To reach Buttermere—which, owing to the beauty of the lake, should -be visited—it is best to return to Keswick and make for the Cockermouth road. From here the whole of Bassenthwaite Lake can he seen. At Cockermouth a left turn is made for Lorton. The-road then continues by the
side of Crummock Water to the lake. C. A. R.
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