I missed the last few Ugly Bunch rides due to bad guts. Pain got particuarly bad and it turns out I need gall bladder surgery so I was feeling even more pissed off.

On Friday I thought I'd treat myself to a blast and my brother in law was doing a swim in mindemere so I said I'd see him there.

From North Manchester I went up the windy bits to Burnley/Colne area via waterfoot. Some very nice roads up around the A671 and Crow Poin Road that goes passed "The Singing Ringing Tree" panoptican which is worth a viewing if you are interested in moody moor scenery/sculpture/wierd objects (forgot to upload the photo). Great views.

Skirted around the bottom of Burnley and around to pick up the A682 Burnley to Gisburn Road. A great bit of road with lots of twists and turns and views over lightly wooded hills and it passes through Barrowford where there is an old Toll House on the road with a big sign on it displaying the charges for horses, oxen carts and waggons (doesn't list maxi-scoots for some reason).

Lancashire County Council photo


Unfortunately, like most roads in Lancashire the speed has been reduced to 50 instead of national speed limitand there are few legal passing opportunities due to lots of solid white lines but it was quiet and the pretty scenery and tight bends made it very interesting. Apart from one section getting around a van I had my side of the road to myself.
Fortunately I was a very good boy and behaving myself as I passed a layby with a police speed camera van.

I had been nodding to passing bikers and I don't usually look to see if they nod back when the road is so winding but I did notice a group of 2-stroke Trad scooters didn't bother (maybe they aren't used to nods from other bikes or they are just blind to my plastic fantastic). Looked like they were having fun though. There was an SH style scoot bombing along like a good'un at one point too. Very few other scoots about.

From there I picked up the A65 which was nice and quiet. Copped for a really heavy rain shower but hey ho - new gortex gloves worked a treat. Lots of sunshine for the rest of the trip.
When I turned of onto the A590 to Newby Bridge that was a different matter all together - complete standstill.

I filtered through it for miles, had a van driver shout something about " we are all waiting..." which was strang because cleary I wasn't and one Vauxhall made an obvious move to block me going down the centre that was really handy because it made it easy to cross behind him go down his outside and avoid the tight squeaze between two trucks just ahead of him , he sounded his horn to celebrate good fortune as I went past and clenched his hand in a throttle grip, waving it at me to spur me on, really nice bloke. Further down a car covered in "Think Bike" stickers had 3 young boys in the back all waving as though I was Ronald McDonald riding a rhinoceros and handing out working ray gones to the under 16's. They might have been related to the guy in the Vauxhall I can't be sure.

The problem was right down the other end near the petrol station before the turn off for the lake. A car had rolled over and off the road into trees. The police had started conducting traffic and my side was stopped so I ducked into the petrol station and filled up. As I came out I pulled up to the copper so he could see I was going to wait and not be an idiot. He said I'll wave you out first, what a good do.

Got to the lake and met my brother in law who was going in for a swim. Wish I'd brought something to swim in, it looked great and was warmer than I thought it would be.

Walking along the bank trying to make sure brother in law hadn't been mowed down by the ferry. He's out there somewhere in a white hat



Late lunch at the Lakeland Motor Museum just the other side of Newby Bridge. Very nice and man-sized portions - had the "Ambio Salad", comes with a poached egg on top . Coffe was pretty good and they had some massive scones for the afternoon tea. Had to undo my belt

Going home, would you believe it another crash going the opposite way and I was filtering again for 3 miles or so.

Sorry for rambling on but its the first run I've had for ages and cabin fever was setting in

Nice!. Good Pics too.

glad your out and about mark, nearly a year since we did the Anglesey run.

That's a very strange route to get to Windermere Bluebottle. I would have gone through Ribchester and Longridge through Inglewhite and joined the A6. The other route you describe is a regular run up to Settle (via Barrowford and Gisburn) on my way to Hawes.

Thanks chaps
I'll try my bestest to make the next one, or maybe post a route over Dovestones/Holmfirth/Woodhead myself

You are right Sylar, it wasn't the most direct route.
I had promised myself that one day I would explore some of those unclassified lanes between Rawtenstall and Pendle so I added a bit of extra playtime and kill two birds with one stone.

Looks like you had a good day out, amazing how many of them old toll houses still exist I pass one fairly often in Beverly.

Nice one Mark good to see you are out on the road see you soon

Chears Alan. I'll try and get down to the Raven and finally drop that bottle off for you

gromet wrote:Looks like you had a good day out, amazing how many of them old toll houses still exist I pass one fairly often in Beverly.

Yes, my local post office is an old toll house too. I bet we don't notice most of them.
What I like about the Barrowfield one is that it has the old tolls on a huge sign on the outside
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