Morecambe Bay

There was a very warm welcome at the hotel.  The radiator was set to maximum.  I tried to cool the room down, but soon realised that I was the source of much of the heat.  Maybe a touch too much sun,  or perhaps I got too close to Sellafield?  It was like a Furness in there (sorry, couldn't resist).

I wasn't feeling too good - maybe I've been overdoing the distances each day.  Or it could just be the Barrow effect.

Next day I decided to take it easy, starting with the ride round Walney Island, without panniers.  It was lovely - quiet roads and views out to sea, or at least, views out to mudflats.  Legions of wind turbines working hard in the fresh breeze. Kids on their way to Walney school's motto: "Engineering Your Future".  Just like the coal mining schools in the north east, only more modern.  A town called Vickerstown, and roads called Westminster Avenue and Empire Way, reflecting the source of their livelihood.

I have to admit, I was relieved to leave.  Immediately I was on a waterside cycle track, NCN700, overlooking the shipyards.   A sliver of blue was spreading over the mudflats as I headed over the causeway to Roa Island, from where you can get the ferry to Piel Island, if you time it carefully.    The wind, which had unhelpfully been from the south yesterday, was now unhelpfully from the northeast.

For all of today I'm following the Morecambe Bay cycle track: 70 miles or so of promising cycling.  But with my new relaxed approach, I'm not expecting to complete it today.  I started by stopping for coffee in a sunny café on Roa Island.

The Morecambe Bay route is, so far, gorgeous.  It follows quiet seaside lanes and a bit of (also quiet) main road northwards to the town of Ulverston, where there's a bit along a canal into town.  My planned route from there followed my nemesis, the A590, but the cycle route avoided it, at a cost of some hills, starting with the worryingly named Alpine Road.  It was like cycling in the Lake District, if you know what I mean.  Great views.  Across the river Leven on a newish cycle bridge, and then through woods on a track, all very lovely.

Lunch was at Greenodd, where the expected cafés and pub were shut, but I got a very acceptable meal from the Post Office.  First Class.  From there, it's back roads and a couple of serious hills back to the coast at Grange. Over Sands, where a perfect view awaited me: a café sign.  The backdrop was also worth a mention - a panorama of Morecambe Bay spread out in the sunshine.   But returning to the café, it was like an oasis on the promenade, selling everything a hungry cyclist could possibly want.  Wonderful.

I continued along the very floral promenade, sandwiched between the sea and the railway, then around the lanes through woods and past limestone bluffs , luckily not having to climb them.
A few hundred yards in the A590 led to a short stretch on the less busy baby A6 !!

Then a nice B road, over a small bridge, and suddenly I was on the south side of the bay, wind behind me and looking back at the southern fells across the water.  I'm camping at Silverdale tonight, just into Lancashire.  What a great day.