Читать книгу The Lune Valley and Howgills. 40 scenic fell, river and woodland walks онлайн

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Transport

All sections of the Lune Valley are readily accessible from the M6 motorway, and Lancaster, Oxenholme (on the eastern fringe of Kendal) and Penrith stations are all on the West Coast line.

Local bus services visit some villages, but rural timetables are not always geared to the needs of walkers, and it is as well to check details in advance (www.traveline.org.uk).

If you travel by car, be aware that the lanes of the area are generally narrow, winding and occasionally steep and were never intended for today’s traffic. Extra care is needed as slow-moving farm vehicles, animals, pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists may lie around any corner. Wherever possible use official car parks, but if none is available, park considerately and ensure that you do not obstruct field or farm access or cause damage to the verge.

Farmers have their ways and means of herding sheep – you never know what might be round the next bend in the road (Walk 19)

Accommodation and facilities

Hotels, bed and breakfast and self-catering cottages are widely available at the main centres of Lancaster, Kirkby Lonsdale and Sedbergh, as well as in many of the villages. There is also a good selection of camping and caravan sites. (For websites giving accommodation details, see Appendix C.) The many local pubs, restaurants and cafés offer appetising menus, often based around locally produced foods and specialities. There are banks and post offices at the main centres, but several hamlets have regrettably lost all their services, including the local shop and pub. As elsewhere in the country, mobile phone coverage is biased towards centres of population, and in the hill areas reception can be patchy.