 | Home > Camping, Caravanning and Holidays > Spring Hol's in The Lakes, and a bit more besides |
 
|
|
|
| cinstone Member Since: 29 Nov 2010 Location: Stourbridge Posts: 375   
|
Well it was supposed to be spring
 .
 Click image to enlarge Another successful hunt for the lesser spotted flame grilled double whopper! Shirley drove Fogg all the way from Cannock to Lancster Services and rported that Fogg was easier to drive than Michael. A few coments were that the steering was lighter, the pedals felt better for her and so did the seating position. None of which should have changed at all from Michael. We did find out that Shirley has a rather leaded right foot though   .
With our usual place at Coniston being fully booked, this time we stayed at Hawkshead. The next day, as we had never been into Penrith, or indeed done much of the eastern lakes area, we decided to do just that and at first we headed roughly north, through Ambleside, to the bottom of "The Struggle", which takes you from the north west end of Ambleside itself, to the Kirkstone Pass Inn and Kirkstone Pass of course, which, at 1490 odd feet above see level is the highest pass in England apparently. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Above three pic's taken on "The Struggle", in the distance in the top and bottom pic's is the Kirkstone Pass Inn. A beautifull drive to Penrith alongside much of Ullswater, before climbing away from it and joining the A66. Unfortunately it took longer to find a parking space in Penrith than to actually look around the place. After a warming hot chocolate we made our way further east, then north east to Landwathby railway station and the Brief Encounter cafe there. It's been several years since I was there last and although the grub is good, the prices have shot up a fair bit. However, we did have a window seat view of a Hawk jet and a C130 doing low flying around the area  .
The route further on from Langwathby takes you up to Hartside Height, (oh the memories of 15 years past on my Triumph Daytona T595, and before that, my Triumph Sprint), but the roads signs said it was closed due to snow. The chap who runs the cafe at Langwathby Station kindly telephone a friend who lives up that way and he said the roads were clear, so onwards and upwards to 1903 feet above sea level. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Hartside Summit. There's a cafe to the left of Fogg in the bottom pic', which wasn't open when we were there, but I seem to remember it was closed down some years back. Many a time I remember drying my gloves with the hand dryers in the bogs here . I didn't stay outside Fogg too long taking pic's. The wind was evil and I wouldn't have been surprised if it was around minus 10 degrees with the wind chill factor.
It's a great drive further on down from the summit down to places like Alston, Brough and Hexham, which reminds me of the time myself, one of my Virago's and a dry stone wall had a little arguement  . Unfortunately for you lot I'm still here .
We more or less retraced our steps back to Ullswater, albeit this time we turned off the A66 a little earlier and drove the full length of Ullswater and at Glenridding we puled in to see if the Ullswater Steamers were running. They run almost the whole year, so that was the entertainment for the following day sorted. The next day we again drove along "The Struggle" and what a difference 24 hours can make. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge The above four pic's were taken up "The Struggle" the following day. The bottom two pic's were taken by Shirley and the bottom one is much cheaper to use to keep the burglers away than keeping a dog .
From the top of "The Struggle" at the Kirkstone Pass Inn we dropped down in the direction of Ullswater. Click image to enlarge Dropping down from the Kirkstone Pass Inn. We arrived at Ullswater for the steam boats, (which turned out to be diesel  ) and not only do you have to pay to go on the boats of course, but to park as well. The £3 for 12 hours turned out to be only for three hours. It was £13 each for a two hour trip along the full length of Ullswater and back. If you're fed up with landscape shots of The Lakes, look away now .
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge All above pic's taken at or on Ullswater. Bottom pic' taken by Shirley. Click image to enlarge Ullswater is the site where Donald Campbell first launched Bluebird K7 in 1955 and took the world water speed record to 202.32 mph. On our way back to Hawkshead we had to fill up again. Before we had departed for the trip we had filled up with ASDA diesel as I couldn't find a Shell garage in the vacinity of Shirley's. Mind you, ASDA diesel has always been as good as Shell in Michael, so I wasn't too bothered about it for Fogg's first long (ish) distance run. However, the resulting mpg figures are disapointing when compared to Michael, even taking in to account Shirley's quest to beat Donald Campbell up the M6 . We drove about 20 miles around Cannock and getting to he M6 the next day, then up he M6 to Lancaster services, where I took over for the remaining part of the journey up to junction 36 and "A" and "B" roads to the ferry across Windermere, then "B" roads to Hawkshead. The rest of the fuel, until the "ping" (approx' 10.58 gallons used) were driven as described above in this thread by myself and the figures were 47.47 litres (10.442147 gallons) used over 280.4 miles = 26.852715 mpg. That's something in the region of between 3.15 and 5.15 mpg worse than Michael  .
The following tankfull of BP diesel has almost been used up, so a comparison will be made shortly. The remainder of the day was spent with a truddle down to Coniston, the back to Hawkshead, with the planfor the start for the following day, the day we were going back, to be stated with a run out over Wrynose and Hardknott passes, if they were open. However, with all the snow warnings on the T.V, although they weren't definate where the snow was going to fall, we work up to about an inch of snow the next morning. With the snow, and the "news of doom" at several places on the M6, we didn't drive the passes as we had to get back to the midlands for 15.00hrs, or there abouts. The roads en route to Ambleside were no bother at all. what snow there was on them was mostly a bit of slush, the local gritters having done a grand job the night before. That said it was still snowing and it was great to see a Series I going in the opposite direction as we crossed the narrow bridge into Ambleside. The driver being all wraped up in woolies, scarfs, hat and gloves, the Series I not having it's windows fitted to the doors. Just a few miles south of Ambleside and it hadn't snowed much at all. The plan for the return journey was to join the M6 south at junction 36, but take a look fro ove the top of he junction first before joining. If it was rammed with traffic jams we would have gone down the A6 as at least there would be options available off the A6 if things got bad. As it happened the M6 was fine for almost all of the journey back. There was no snow on the M6 itself and not that much on the fields either, even at the so called main trouble spots for snow as was being put out on the radio such as south of Lancaster and around the Stoke areas. The wind was very strong in places and was slowing lorries down, so much so that at times our speed was down to around 50 mph at times and for the most of the journey we potered along at around 65 mph. We left the M6 at junction 13 and drove across country to Dunsley hall, near kinver, for my birthday treat. As we hadn't driven he passes up the lakes and not much bother on the M6 we were early, so we had a cuppa in the garden centre off the Wolverhampton to Bridgnorth road, where the beginers green lane run usually ends. I had a peek at Trescott Ford as we went past and it had a healthy 18" or so on it, so when we left he garden centre I just had to give Fogg a wash .
On waking up at Dunsley Hall the next day, although most of the snow had melted the previous afternon/early evening, there was much more now, wel, perhaps a couple of inches so we had a drive around the lanes to Bridgnorth, before popping down to Hampton Loade on the S.V.R for some snow pic's. Fortunately it was the Spring Steam Gala Weekend, which I'd forgot about, and this meant hat the service was a little more regular than normal. Click image to enlarge Dunsley Hall. Click image to enlarge Part of the beginners green lane run, en route to Bridgnorth. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Above two pic's takn at Hampton Loade on the S.V.R. Then it was back home, but not too bad for me as it was birthday pressie time and I now have a Series IIb Forward Control fire engine. Click image to enlarge Use your imagination
However, the fun wasn't over just yet. After an evening at a show in Brum', the next day whilst taking Shirley back home we came across this;- Click image to enlarge Snowy Walsall! The above wasn't the half of it. Much of the lane had 2 and 3 foot snow drifts and I'm glad to say that Fogg made all the 2ft + drifts with ease and no diff' lock either. Those Cross Conti's are a dam good tyre for standard fit ones. The 3 foot drifts were not attempted as some plank had left a Zafira parked the other side of them and there was no where to go. According to a bloke at a small paddock alongside the lane, it took a while to dig it out and it had been left there for over two hours in the middle of the road. Chris. http://shropshirelandrovers.freeforums.org 2015 Defender 90 XS SW & Helen, 1964 IIa. Previously 2012 Defender 90 XS SW & 2008 90 XS SW. Previous LR's: Michael, my 2008 Defender 90 XS SW. Machinas oportet intrare non capsicum annuum faveo |
||
25th Mar 2013 5:35pm |
|
| cinstone Member Since: 29 Nov 2010 Location: Stourbridge Posts: 375
|
Cheers.
I must look in to the feasibility of a group weekend run up there one day. Chris. http://shropshirelandrovers.freeforums.org 2015 Defender 90 XS SW & Helen, 1964 IIa. Previously 2012 Defender 90 XS SW & 2008 90 XS SW. Previous LR's: Michael, my 2008 Defender 90 XS SW. Machinas oportet intrare non capsicum annuum faveo |
||
|
25th Mar 2013 11:20pm |
|
| GREENI Member Since: 22 Aug 2010 Location: staffs Posts: 10358 
|
Nice pics and write up Chris
 |
||
|
26th Mar 2013 12:06am |
|
| cinstone Member Since: 29 Nov 2010 Location: Stourbridge Posts: 375
|
Cheers Greeni.
Just worked out the mpg for the return trip + a little more on BP diesel. 27.772066 mpg. I can't see it getting over 30 mpg very often and the regular around 32 mpg and occassional 34 mpg of the 2.4 will be forever out of reach me thinks. Plug 'n' play me thinks at first service. Chris. http://shropshirelandrovers.freeforums.org 2015 Defender 90 XS SW & Helen, 1964 IIa. Previously 2012 Defender 90 XS SW & 2008 90 XS SW. Previous LR's: Michael, my 2008 Defender 90 XS SW. Machinas oportet intrare non capsicum annuum faveo |
||
|
26th Mar 2013 1:35am |
|
| dwrights Member Since: 24 Feb 2013 Location: Nottingham Posts: 64
|
Great post. Love the pics.
|
||
|
26th Mar 2013 10:21am |
|
|
|
| All times are GMT + 1 Hour |
< Previous Topic | Next Topic > |
Posting Rules
|
Site Copyright © 2006-2024 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
