PodnPedal

Pod ‘n’ Pedal was born out of an idea to offer a fully sustainable holiday experience in an area not well blessed with joined up public transport. A holiday that starts and finishes at two different train stations that are linked but arguably the best scenery that Britain has to offer seems too good to be true… But add to that three award winning, environmentally sensitive camp-sites offering accommodation in the locally built Camping Pods, bike hire and drop off at the stations and things start to look very good indeed!

We are proudly members of Cumbria Tourism and the BHHPA.

The Route

Day 1 (12 miles)

A gentle pedal starts this classic Lake District Tour, enabling plenty of time to arrive at your first luxury pod at The Quiet Site and explore the surrounding Eden Valley as you choose.
After disembarking the train at Penrith Station you will see the ruins of Penrith Castle before you. Penrith Station is home to the Mountain Heritage Trust, with its archive on Everest of particular interest.

Day 2 (18.7 miles)

A ride from The Quiet Site towards the outdoor hub that is Keswick and on to Castlerigg Hall and your second idyllic pod.

Upon leaving the shores of the beautiful Ullswater, passing where Wordsworth’s infamous daffodils still grow. You’ll have ample time to visit the stunning waterfalls at Aira Force (just a 20 minute walk, but will live with you a long time after!) before heading north towards Scales then Threlkeld at the foot of Blencathra.

From here you can enjoy the seclusion offered by the old railway’s cycle route into Keswick (last train ran in just 1973).

Day 3 (34.6 miles)

A long pedal from Castlerigg Hall through the heart of the Lake District towards Park Cliffe and your third and final luxury camping pod’s sleep.

This is the longest day on the bike, but also the most rewarding. Taking in all that the Lake District has to offer, from fast free-wheeling descents to twisty lakeside trails; picturesque villages to grand castles, all with the high drama of the fells and lakes thrown in for good measure!

Why not take some time to visit Wordsworth’s home Dove Cottage, take an extra ferry to Brockhole the National Park Visitor Centre, or take a trip back in time at Claife Viewing Station?

Day 4 (14.7 miles)

A relaxing (mostly downhill!) pedal from Park Cliffe to Oxenholme Station finishes your tour.

This finale to the Pod ‘n’ Pedal tour takes you slowly out of the National Park along quiet lanes and on to the grounds of Sizergh Castle & Gardens. Low Sizergh Barn has the daily opportunity of watching the farm’s cows get milked between 3.30-5.00pm from the comfort of the tearoom gallery, perfect for the young at heart!

You’re then all but at Oxenholme, and your train journey home….with a host of wondering memories from your saddle!

Accommodation

Guests will arrive with their bikes by train at Penrith station, and then take an easy 8-mile ride to The Quiet Site overlooking Ullswater. The raft of honours won by the park includes accolades from the Cool Camping & Alan Rogers guides and Mumsnet – plus the ‘Holiday Park of Year 2013’ award from Cumbria Tourism.

After a night in one of the park’s spacious and insulated timber pods, it’s a delightful 24-mile ride to Keswick via Aira Force waterfalls, and a gorgeous stretch along a disused railway track.

A must-see for many en-route will be the 4000-year-old mystical stone circle at Castlerigg!

Journey’s end is at Castlerigg Hall park near Keswick, highly rated by guests on many review websites, and enjoying breathtaking views over Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite Lake. A winner of the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level for 12 consecutive years and the ‘Cumbria Holiday Park of the Year 2015’, the park’s stylish wooden pods have sheep’s wool insulation and an outside patio area.

Day three’s ride is along minor roads to Grasmere and Ambleside, followed by a lovely lakeside path along Windermere before a ferry crossing and a short journey to Park Cliffe. The multi-award winning park is set in 25 acres of picture-postcard scenery on Windermere’s eastern shores with sweeping views across the lake and the panorama of surrounding fells.

Here, as on all the parks on the tour, the camping pods have plenty of headroom, heating, lighting, and an electricity supply – plus the benefits of privacy and security not found in a tent.

The three parks also have excellent food and drink facilities either on-site or very close at hand – and, as family-owned enterprises, have strong reputations for hospitality and personal service. Day four leaves time for exploring the area before a 6-mile ride to Windermere railway station.