I thought I’d write about a little visited area of Cumbria that has some fantastic limestone pavements and provides for a great walk or mountain bike ride.
Great Asby Scar is situated just a few kilometres north east of Orton (near Tebay). It has the largest area of limestone pavement in the UK outside of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Well today I went for a little stroll around and over the scar. The views today in the Howgills and Lake District would have been poor due to the weather so I opted for something more local.
Starting out in Knott Lane, the bridleway (by the way, it’s bridleway alll the way around except for about 1 km on the road) rises and skirts the main pavements on great grassy tracks before coming to a gate in the wall corner with a crossing of bridleways. Straight ahead leads to Gaythorne Plain, left leads to Orton and right leads towards a lovely nature reserve – there are no sheep grazing! The views to the surrounding limestone pavements are fantastic.
The nature reserve gives way to a track over Asby Winderwath Common and eventually a quiet road. The road is followed for about 500 m before turning right up the bridleway towards Maisongill farm. Dodging a scatty horse and foal (rather than a suckling cow) this time a bridleway can be taken heading back towards Sunbiggin. This passes an ancient settlement and through the limestone pavements again. There is scope here to wander into the pavements and explore the fascinating flora and fauna here, as well as admire the wonderfully sculptured limestone pavement.
I did discover a cave entrance in this area in 2000 but cannot find it again. 🙁
Eventually the track leads to Sunbiggin, a sleepy and off-the-beaten-track hamlet. The road is followed a short way before passing over a few fields (all with easy gates for getting bikes through). This eventually pops out in Knott Lane again, not too far from the stone circle.
A fine walk (or bike) of about 10 km.
shades of ‘O’-level geography!
Well, it was my favourite subject and did get an A level in it! I blame (or rather thank my father for that).
All this beta on possible mountain biking sounds great! When shall we go? The weather is definitely turning against (a bit too cool, but there will be sunny days) climbing now, so maybe soon…
looks good to me too, not too steep and scary, or is it just the specific photos shown? If it is my sort of grade I would love to go there.
Could be a pre (or post) firework party activity?
In answer to Pete, great let’s get there soon.
In answer to Anna – it not too steep at all and really quite nice (honest). I must admit I was only walking it and afterwards thought about how nice it would be to bike. If it’s too steep and scary don’t blame me!
In answer to Pete, yep good idea – will people be prepared to travel a little way? It’s only about 3 miles or so from J38 of the M6.
Amazing landscape – can we cycle in fancy dress? 😉
laetitia, i’m not sure WHY you would want to cycle in fancy dress? Pray tell me. I’m fascinated 😉
Just thought it might be fun – the landscape looks so wild I thought we should look wild too.