The road begins 3.5 miles north-west of junction 36 of the
M6 motorwayThe M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It runs from junction 19 of the M1 in Catthorpe near Rugby in central England, passes between Coventry and Nuneaton, through Birmingham, Walsall and Stafford and near the major cities of Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent...
at a
roundaboutA roundabout is one of several types of circular road junctions or intersections at which traffic is slowed down and enters a one-way stream around a central island. Technically these junctions sometimes are called modern roundabouts, in order to emphasize the distinction from older circular...
with the
A590 roadThe A590 is a trunk road in southern Cumbria, in the north-west of England. It runs north-east to south-west from from M6 junction 36, through the towns of Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness to terminate at Vickerstown on Walney Island...
, close to Sizergh Castle. It bypasses the town of
KendalKendal is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is south of Carlisle, on the River Kent, and has a total resident population of 27,505, making it the third largest settlement in Cumbria .Historically a part of Westmorland, Kendal today is known...
as a
dual carriagewayA dual carriageway or divided highway is a road or highway in which the two directions of traffic are separated by a central barrier or strip of land, known as a central reservation or median...
, this £1.9m three-mile section opened on August 29 1971. It becomes a busy
single carriagewayA single carriageway or undivided highway is a road with no physical separation — central reservation or median — between opposing flows of traffic. It is the most common type of road. It usually has two or more marked traffic lanes, with at least one in each direction...
road as it enters the
Lake DistrictThe Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes and its mountains , and its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the Lake Poets.The central and...
. It bypasses the town of Windermere, following close to the north-eastern edge off
WindermereWindermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
. After this, it travels through the centre of
AmblesideAmbleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
, shortly before following the eastern edge of
GrasmereGrasmere is a village in central Cumbria, England. Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is also the name of the adjacent lake. Grasmere's position in the centre of the English Lake District, as well as its connections with the Lake Poets, has made it popular as a tourist destination...
and passing the village of Grasmere and White Moss Common.
Route
The road begins 3.5 miles north-west of junction 36 of the
M6 motorwayThe M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It runs from junction 19 of the M1 in Catthorpe near Rugby in central England, passes between Coventry and Nuneaton, through Birmingham, Walsall and Stafford and near the major cities of Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent...
at a
roundaboutA roundabout is one of several types of circular road junctions or intersections at which traffic is slowed down and enters a one-way stream around a central island. Technically these junctions sometimes are called modern roundabouts, in order to emphasize the distinction from older circular...
with the
A590 roadThe A590 is a trunk road in southern Cumbria, in the north-west of England. It runs north-east to south-west from from M6 junction 36, through the towns of Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness to terminate at Vickerstown on Walney Island...
, close to Sizergh Castle. It bypasses the town of
KendalKendal is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is south of Carlisle, on the River Kent, and has a total resident population of 27,505, making it the third largest settlement in Cumbria .Historically a part of Westmorland, Kendal today is known...
as a
dual carriagewayA dual carriageway or divided highway is a road or highway in which the two directions of traffic are separated by a central barrier or strip of land, known as a central reservation or median...
, this £1.9m three-mile section opened on August 29 1971. It becomes a busy
single carriagewayA single carriageway or undivided highway is a road with no physical separation — central reservation or median — between opposing flows of traffic. It is the most common type of road. It usually has two or more marked traffic lanes, with at least one in each direction...
road as it enters the
Lake DistrictThe Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes and its mountains , and its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the Lake Poets.The central and...
. It bypasses the town of Windermere, following close to the north-eastern edge off
WindermereWindermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
. After this, it travels through the centre of
AmblesideAmbleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
, shortly before following the eastern edge of
GrasmereGrasmere is a village in central Cumbria, England. Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is also the name of the adjacent lake. Grasmere's position in the centre of the English Lake District, as well as its connections with the Lake Poets, has made it popular as a tourist destination...
and passing the village of Grasmere and White Moss Common. The road continues past
ThirlmereThirlmere is a reservoir in the Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England. It runs roughly south to north and is bordered on the eastern side by the A591 road and on the western side by a minor road.-History:...
, and shortly afterwards reaches the town of
KeswickKeswick is a market town within the district of Allerdale, Cumbria, England. With a population of 4,281, according to the 2001 census, it is situated just north of Derwent Water, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake, both in the Lake District National Park...
. It meets the
A66 roadThe A66 is a major road in northern England which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith. It runs from east of Middlesbrough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire to Workington in Cumbria...
at a roundabout, before continuing in a roughly north-westerly direction, with fine views over
Bassenthwaite LakeBassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest lakes in the English Lake District. It is long and narrow, approximately long and wide, but is also extremely shallow, with a maximum depth of about ....
. The Bothel to Keswick section has many steep bends and is particularly narrow in places, leading to many accidents. The road terminates at the village of
BothelBothel is a small village in Cumbria, North-western England. It is situated just off the main A595 road, eighteen miles from Carlisle and seven miles from Cockermouth. The village is in the civil parish of Bothel and Threapland just outside the boundary of the Lake District National Park...
, on the
A595 roadThe A595 is a primary route in Cumbria, in northern England that starts in Carlisle, passes through Whitehaven, and goes close to Workington, Cockermouth and Wigton. It passes Sellafield and Ravenglass before ending at the Dalton-in-Furness by-pass, in southern Cumbria, where it joins the A590...
.
External links