Holiday Highlights
- Staying at HF House, Monk Coniston, set amidst breathtaking scenery in the heart of the Central Lake District
- Exploring the Lake District on e-bikes, enjoying a relaxed pace and an extra boost over the hills
- Taking in amazing open views over Coniston Water and Windermere
- Visiting the typically quaint Cumbrian villages of Elterwater, Grasmere and Hawkshead
- Sampling Grasmere’s famous gingerbread
- Enjoying a pint of Coniston Bluebird after a rewarding day of riding
- Passing by Hill Top, the 17th century home of Beatrix Potter
Itinerary
- Meals: Dinner
Today you will arrive in Coniston, sitting at the head of Coniston Water with great views over the lake and up to the Old Man of Coniston. We’ll meet this evening at our accommodation at HF Monk Coniston, which is situated just over a mile from the village. Here you will be shown where you can store your bike (if bringing your own) or have your bike fitting (if hiring). We’ll be based in the hotel for our week of riding and there will be time to relax and soak in the surroundings.
If you are arriving by train, we offer a transfer from Windermere station at 16.30 to HF Monk Coniston (journey time approx. 30 mins).
In the evening, we will be meeting as a group to enjoy a drink and something to eat, giving us a chance to get to know each other and chat with the Skedaddle guides about the next few days of riding.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Ascent: 750 Metres Approx.
Our first day of riding starts with a scenic ride along the east shore of Coniston on a quiet, relatively gentle, rolling road. We pass Brantwood, the former home of John Ruskin, a prominent Victorian art critic and social thinker, before the road opens up with incredible views over Coniston Water, which inspired Arthur Ransome’s adventure novel, Swallows and Amazons. We then head east, parallel to the River Leven and the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway (if we’re lucky, we’ll get to see the iconic steam train pass us by).
We then head north along Windermere’s western shore on quiet roads before a gradual climb to Hill Top, the 17th-century house in Near Sawrey, near Hawkshead and the former home of children’s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter.
Our final stop will be the village of Hawkshead before we squeeze in one last cheeky climb before descending back to the HF House, where we can relax and enjoy a local pint of ‘Coniston Bluebird’ ale.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Ascent: 820 Metres Approx.
After breakfast this morning, we’ll start with few miles on a gently undulating path through the woods before our first climb up to Tilberthwaite. We’ll then descend to the peaceful valley of the River Brathay on a gravel farm track, before a short stretch on the road takes us to the picturesque village of Elterwater, on the lake of the same name, where we will stop for coffee.
Next we start a winding climb up a quiet road to High Close, with spectacular views back down to Elterwater and Windermere, before we head down to the bustling village of Grasmere, where we can stop at the very popular Grasmere Gingerbread shop for a sweet treat, to refuel after a hilly morning. We continue our loop east, taking a scenic route around Grasmere and onto a shared-use gravel path past the adjoining lake of Rydal Water for our lunch stop.
After lunch, we have a gentle on-road section passing Ambleside, a tourist honeypot in the central Lakes, before taking some off-road paths along the banks of Windermere to Wray Castle. We’ll stop at this impressive castle, where Beatrix Potter met National Trust co-founder Hardwicke Rawnsley, who played a key role in inspiring her conservation efforts in the Lake District. From there, we’ll take on our longest and final climb up to Hawkshead Hill, with a last stop at Tarn Hows before descending back into Coniston through beautiful woodland.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Ascent: 780 Metres Approx.
For our final day’s riding, we’ll head straight out onto some gently undulating off-road trails along the west shore of Coniston Water, offering breath-taking views down the lake and up toward Torver. From there, we’ll begin our longest climb of the day ascending to Broughton Moor where we’ll be rewarded with sweeping vistas over Coniston and west over the North Sea, followed by a fantastic long descent down the Lickle Valley into the village of Broughton-in-Furness.
From here, we cross over the railway to reach the coast at Foxfield, and follow some very quiet roads past Duddon Moss and up to Grizebeck. We have a climb to our lunch stop near High Cross, before descending to Lowick, and on to the east shore of Coniston, where we retrace our route from the first day along the beautiful Coniston shoreline back to the HF House for our final meal together.
Show Profile- Meals: Breakfast
This morning you can take a transfer to Windermere train station at 09:30 or treat yourself to a lie-in and have a more relaxed morning before enjoying breakfast and heading on your way.
Understanding Profiles
Use these profiles to see:
- Distance in Km (horizontal axis)
- Ascent / Descent in metres (vertical axis)
Click 'see gradient' to see:
- Distance in Km (horizontal axis)
- % Gradient (vertical axis)
Please check the scales on both graphs, and both axes as they both may differ from day to day.
White vertical lines indicate unpaved sections or slightly rougher terrain. Using both graphs, alongside the grading and terrain information provided, will give you a full picture of how flat, bumpy or steep the climbing on your particular tour is going to be. Please keep in mind this is an indicative guide and GPS units and software produce different statistical information.
Gallery
The Cycling
Terrain
The Lake District is notoriously hilly (it’s one of the most picturesque parts of the country for a reason!), and there are some long climbs. Most days consist of one or two longer climbs and descents, interspersed by shorter (but still steep) ups and downs.
As this tour is designed to be ridden on electric hybrid bikes, some of the distances of up to 51km (32 miles) and total daily ascents of around 800m (2600ft) are longer than those normally found on a grade 3 holiday. We will be using a mixture of single-track country lanes, quiet roads and traffic-free cycle paths and bridleways; around 10% of the riding will be off-road. Although there is nothing too technical, there are some unpaved sections on gravel paths.
There aren’t many flat sections on this holiday, but with electric bikes, the climbs should be much more accessible, and allow us to reach some amazing viewpoints high above the lakes. You should be comfortable handling an e-bike on some short gravel sections, doing hill starts, and manoeuvring the bike through the occasional gate, bearing in mind the extra weight of e-bikes.
For more information about riding an electric bike on our holidays please click here
Leisure Cycling Grade
Distances generally between 20-45 miles / 32-72 kms per day
For the leisure cyclist with a good level of physical fitness
May include some steeper, cheeky climbs and possibly sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc)
Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!
For more information about our grading system click here.
Is this suitable for you?
Although you may not cycle everyday, you do keep yourself relatively fit and maybe enjoy an afternoon out on your bike at the weekend. Your preference is perhaps for flatter terrain but you don’t mind tackling some hills, and the occasional steep climb if you can take it at your own pace. For those happy to tackle some ups and downs, and possibly some sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc) we’d recommend our grade 3 trips. We’d generally expect those on a Grade 3 holiday to have a decent level of physical fitness and be comfortable with some longer days in the saddle.
For more information about the grading of this holiday in particular, please check out the terrain section which will give you some specifics of what to expect on this tour.
Dates & Prices
Secure Your Holiday With A Deposit
Book now with a £150 deposit and nothing more to pay until 30 days before departure. Choose a date to start your booking and see all prices, including bike hire and single room supplements.
Whats Included
A) Shared twin (or double) room (single room may be available on request, for a supplement)
B) Full tour service including guides and a back-up vehicle carrying spares, snacks and extra equipment not needed on your bike
C) At least one leader qualified in First Aid
D) Full-board including picnic lunch and en route refreshments
E) GPX files available on request
F) Secure bike storage and bike wash facilities
G) Train station collections / drop-offs on scheduled arrival and departure days
H) Financial Protection through ABTOT
What's not Included
A) Bike and helmet rental (available if required)
B) Travel or flight costs or charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)
C) Meals not stated in the itinerary
D) Single room (available if required)
E) Travel insurance
F) Personal clothing and equipment
G) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)
H) Entrance fees to cultural or historical sites and visitor centres
I) Other optional activities
Private Departures
Are you keen to only travel with your family or friends? Struggling to find the right date? Well, we can organise a private departure for this tour and tailor aspects to suit your group's specific needs. Contact our friendly team and we'll help you turn your dream into reality.
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