The city of Nice seen from the surrounding hillside bathed in sunshine

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Bolton to Bolton (and back again) 2012 - By Tom McQuiggan

14 October 2012 – A fine Autumn day and absolutely perfect for a rideout on the bike. All clean and shiny with a brand new set of gold wheels (lol) and a full tank of tax (with a little petrol added). Having recently averaged 37mpg, I decided it was time to see just how much I could get from the bike if I rode it sedately. I don’t mean plodding along on a motorway at 56mph for 150 miles – no, it had to be sensible. So I committed myself to gentle acceleration, short-shifting the gears and sticking vigorously to the speed limits.

yamaha fazer 1000 motorcycle in red with gold wheels

Hmmm, now where to go. I was sick to death of doing Glasson Dock, Knott End, Hawes, Snake Pass, etc, so I zoomed out on the SatNav and purely by chance I spotted a “Bolton” over in the Westmorland area, so I thought that was as good a place as any. 92 miles from my house to my destination and 3hrs travel time (which included a tea-break at Devil’s Bridge).

So, off I set and not 20 minutes into the journey and I realised I’d left my backpack in the garage with my mobile phone and my camera. Grrrrrrr!!!! Ah well, these things happen. Certainly not worth turning back for, so I carried on and consoled myself with the prospect of spending a day out on the bike in perfect weather conditions. Bright, sunny, dry and cold. I can’t think of anything better.

Once I’d reached Devil’s Bridge, I was ready for a nice strong cup of tea, but instead, I got the usual mug of milky slop. Not wishing to ruin my lunch, I resisted the (strong) temptation to have a cheeseburger – promising myself a full Sunday Roast when I got to my destination and after chatting to a couple of guys at the Bridge, I wrapped up and carried on with my journey. This was going to be the pretty part of the trip.

plenty of motorcycles and riders in the sunshine on the car park at devils bridge

From the bike-park, I turned a left onto the A683 heading toward Casterton, going through Middleton and eventually past the unused railway bridge near Firbank. This striking railway bridge is 530ft long and 100ft high. It was originally part of the West Coast mainline but was closed in 1966. I feel a painting coming on.

arched railway bridge across a pretty valley with farmhouses in the foreground at firbank

A little further along the B6257 are some tremendous views including Brant Fells and Beckfoot. In fact, the whole area is simply stunning and pretty soon, you know exactly what you’re gonna do with that Lottery money!

hills and mountains in the distance with green farmalnd across the valley

long arched railway bridge crossing a rural valley with hiss in the background

Eventually, you arrive at a T-junction and turn right onto the A685 which runs adjacent to the M6 as it cuts through the South Lakes, taking you into Tebay. On the other side of Tebay is the B6260 and this delightful road takes you through the old market village of Orton which is steeped in history and contains buildings dating back to the 16th century. One of the founders of the Quakers was born here in 1636.

quaint moorland village with church and small houses lining a busy road

Leaving Orton, you’re treated to some fine views of the Howgills and time after time you find yourself pulling over to soak in the loveliness of it all. To me, this is what motorcycling is all about – the freedom of it all. Being able to see above the hedgerows, smelling the countryside, having a footprint small enough to be able to pull over and stop without causing problems for other road users. In a car, it’s simply not the same. Sure, you can get to the same destinations, but you miss out on everything inbetween!

vast scene across a lush breen valley with hills

Next, we head through the manor of Meaburn which is split up into Maulds Meaburn and Kings Meaburn before finally arriving at Bolton. It sure does look a lot nicer than the Bolton I live in!

a small white

A few hundred yards down the road, is lunchtime at the Eden Vale Inn. This was a pleasant enough eatery and to further enhance its appeal, it had a big plasma screen with Live MotoGP playing! You can’t ask for more than that can you?

the eden vale inn a small white painted pub with a couple of cars outside

I chose to have a 2-Course Lunch which consisted of Leek & Potato soup, followed by Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding. Unfortunately, the soup arrived and was approximately the same temperature as the sun!!! I waited a few minutes for it to cool, but it only seemed to be getting hotter so I sent it back to the kitchen and asked that the main course be brought to me. The beef, Yorkshire pudding and vegetables were gorgeous, but the roast potatoes were almost raw. Shame.

After a strong coffee, I returned to my bike and asked the SatNav to take me to the nearest petrol station. It was about a mile and a half away on the A66 at Kirkby Thore. After refuelling, I headed toward beautiful Appleby. I didn’t stop off there, because time was marching on and I wanted to call at Rivington barn for the last half hour.

tall white clock tower in the centre of a village

a still and flat river running by a line of trees in a pretty town

a smart and quite old building built in stone

Once I was through Appleby, I headed back the same way I’d came. It was great to see the same wonderful places from a different angle. It was a brilliant day out and it reminded me of two things – how wonderful biking is and how much there is to see in this country.

I arrived back at Rivington Barn around 4:30 and had a brew with a friend before going home to get ear-ache from the wife who’d obviously been stuck in on her own all day. Can’t wait for the next Autumn day out. Oh yes, just to round the day off, I worked out my sedate riding mpg and it was 47, so I’d squozen  an extra 10mpg out of her. Result!

Tom McQuiggan

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