Day 140 Maryport to Ravenglass

 

Date: Friday 2^nd August 2013   Distance: 36.92 Miles

 

It was a good night and a great breakfast though the stay had been the most expensive this trip. They had put the tandem in the cellar for us overnight.

 

After leaving at 9am we were cycling against a 20 mile an hour wind but in the sun.  The Sustrans route had some silly gates for us to contend with but the surface was good. Later the gates were all left open so we thought on the waste of money in the first place, though it was better for us. We passed Siddick Pond Nature reserve. There was a lot of old railway line on this route, taking us by massive works and wind turbines coming in to Workington, where we stopped for coffee.

 

There was a lot of rubbish and many dog walkers. Cyclists were blown by going the other way.

We came into Whitehaven next to the railway line that is right beside the sea. It was a beautiful ride in and Whitehaven itself a surprise being larger and much more elegant than expected with its Georgian heritage. Apparently in 1730 it was one of the major British ports. It looks prosperous with its up-market shops, there are many nautically themed art works along the promenade and the marina was full of sailing boats, sometimes anchorage for Tall Ships. We particularly liked the decorative fish bike racks.

 

The way climbed a lot out of Whitehaven and because the cycleway veered inland ,we had to take the road. We thought the map should have shown arrows for it was so steep. Then it was a fast down into St.Bees. This is the start of the Wainwright way for walkers through Cumbria. The name of the village is derived from St.Bega or Bee an Irish princess of the 7th century who took a vow to devote her life to God and established a nunnery, later to be destroyed by the Vikings. The Normans rebuilt it and today, much restored, it is part of the parish church. There is a beautiful 16th century school on the way in founded by the then archbishop of Canterbury and on the headland RSPB reserve is the only breeding ground for black guillemots in England.

 

We had a good meal in the Queen’s Hotel and Bob enjoyed his real ale. We’d left the tandem locked to some railings. When we got back to it a lady was deadheading the begonias and petunias in hanging baskets attached to them surrounding the bike. It was a mammoth task and she said she was registered blind. I helped her for a while and found it quite therapeutic. The streets were lined with flowers, which say a lot about the small community here.          

 

Up again and out of St.Bees we turned right onto a little lane, single track without passing places and a recognised cycleway. Soon we could see Sellafield Power Station with views of Lakeland hills on the left and the sea on the right. It was open road as far as the railway station, still cycleway. Razor wire atop wire fences and a solid police presence discouraged us from stopping. Railway line then was to the right of the power station and rails also leading into and behind the fence. It was lovely beside the sea though with a smell of fresh seaweed. We talked to a lady walking her dog with a ball and sling and she said she has often touched the fence by accident and police came each of those times to check her out.

 

The path became very narrow and sandy with sea thistles growing by the sandbanks. The path became 1 foot wide with sharp long grass on the left and wild roses on the right emerging at Seascale. Here there were people on the beach. We stopped at a teashop cum ice-cream parlour under a conference hotel. Some gorgeous looking ice-cream had just been delivered topped with fresh fruit. I was tempted and had some delicious tasters while Bob was spoilt with fresh lemon crepes and cream.

 

We took a busy B road to Drigg up by a church under noisy renovation, to Holmrook Hill. There was a steep down to the A road with a river running along the bottom. We rode ¾ mile along then back off into the lanes. We wondered why we couldn’t use the bridle-path as part of the cycleway.

 

There was a ford or bridge into Ravenglass and we chose the bridge narrow and close beside the railway. As we crossed the wind whistled under the tracks and I held on with both hands, unsteady in the wind. The village is situated where 3 rivers converge, the Esk, Mite and Irt. Pretty though it has to be said bathing here is dangerous. There were many families on the grass verges either waiting for the next little steam train (Old Ratty) to leave for the Esk valley or having left it.

 

Our B and B is right on the end of the village street, an 18th century cottage that the owners had pulled down to basics and then modernised without spoiling the character. It used to be a pub and there were supposed to be tunnels for smugglers but they never found anything.

 

We ate in the Pennington Arms but we were recommended the Railway cafe. It was so busy with tourists we found the quieter Pennington Arms and really enjoyed our  enormous fish and chips.

We walked to the Roman Bath House situated at the end of Hadrians cycleway a couple of miles away past a camping site. The mortar was amazing. Did Romans invent concrete? The walls were still quite high even now.

 

The wind howled down the chimney all night but we loved the cottage.