Wasdale and Scafell Pike (964 m.) on the horizon
After a gloomy start, today turned out to be much drier weather than forecast. I was riding around the west of Cumbria, visiting the seaside villages that still have that west coast feel of otherworldliness that you also get in the west of Galloway or the west of the Isle of Lewis, that feeling of closeness to the ocean but detachment from the mainland. The roads are fantastic biking, quite a workout: not a lot of traffic and a variety between open runs, sharp gradients with blind summits and challenging bends. Plus floods and washouts.
Double the average rainfall for July has been good for the blackberries on the brambles in the hedgerows so there was a fruit snack available at every stop. Broughton Village Bakery supplemented these with friendly coffee and shortcake. Back to dodging the tourist SUVs via Torver, Coniston and Ambleside as the weather closed in once again.
Ennerdale
Sellafield nuclear processing site - major employer for West Cumbria
Seascale Beach and St. Bees Head
Ravenglass Harbour (Roman port), dunes and estuary of the River Esk
Ravenglass, Sixties hand petrol pump
Estuary of the River Esk at Eskmeals
Tidal road at Eskmeals
Bootle Station, semaphore signalling and hand-operated crossing gates
A595 at Monkfoss
Almond and Currant shortcakes, Broughton Village Bakery, Broughton in Furness
Valley of the River Duddon
Coniston Water
Coniston