The best MTB trails around Ormside

You can only acces the stones with permission

These tarmac roads are a welcome sight, they allow you to rest and split a difficult trail up. There are good views to be seen and back in inhabited areas

This section is tough to get through, the surface was very wet, traction and moving becomes difficult, you might have to push the bike up hill, it is quite steep. Weather conditions can be adverse in this location

This is a difficult section to ride on. The surfaces are clearly rugged rock with quite a steep climb. You have to be careful and use your head here, step off the bike at times before hitting the ejector button. Be sensible and wise

Most of this section is easier to ride on, mainly downhill and the surface is smoother. It is pleasing to reach after the physical, tougher previous sections

The former Stainmore Railway, now a surfaced multi-user path, has some lovely walking along its length. The Northern Viaducts Round follows just over a mile of the former Stainmore Railway, which once linked the coalfields of South Durham with the iron and steel industries of the Furness district of Lancashire and West Cumberland.

Their homemade ice creams are delicious!

The Pennine Way bridleway follows Narrow Gate path along the awe-inspiring northern edge of High Cup Nick. The trail is great to ride, and the views are magnificent!

Beautiful church set on the other side of a small footbridge over a small stream.

Lovely road either direction

One of the most impressive summits and views I’ve ever seen. Pics don’t do it justice. Amazing spot

It's a comfortable run over Smardale Fell (the general area up here is all Smardale Fell) - grassy, quite gentle uphill and typically easy underfoot. You will get more quiet and peace out here than near the busier Smardale Gill Viaduct and the nature reserve there. Stop to look north towards the Vale of Eden and Cross Fell on the horizon. Lovely views, lovely spot.

These are the ruins of a 12th century building, which was subsequently rebuilt in the 14th century as a Pele tower (a small fortified tower) to protect against Scots raiders. The castle was occupied by some of the Wharton family (there is Wharton Hall in the area, south-west of Kirkby Stephen), but abandoned in the 17th century. Myself, I always wonder about day-to-day life in the past in places such as these, now overtaken by grass and the natural world. Some say I am too sentimental...

A beautiful and Grade-II listed stone bridge over Scandal Beck. The track running over it is almost completely grassy, adding to its charm. Worth stopping here for a bit of peace and calm.

This featureless, grassy area might not strike you like a good idea for a highlight, but paths (rather than roads, really) cross here, so it's a place full of choices. Go east and you will shortly reach Linglow Hill. Go north to get to Coalpit Hill. South - to reach Great Asby Scar and its natural reserve and/or Beacon Hill. And, finally, it is west to the B6260 and the car park there. It sure is quiet here. I bet nothing has really changed here for decades.

I bet there are not that many places where these three can be found on one spot - but this is Cumbria, after all, remember! The shelter, beside being a bus stop, is the village's information point, with an interesting information board about the village, too. The white house near the shelter was the police station, built in 1864 and used as such until the 1970s. And then the bridge over Lyvennet Beck (River Eden's tributary) is charming and a pleasure to look at.

This green track links Smardale Bridge and Friar Bottom Lane, where Friar's Bottom Farm is to the west. It's a very beautiful and green stretch, with views. Newbiggin-on-Lune is down in the valley, but still hidden from view, making you feel like you're still very far away from it all.

High Cup Nick is an absolute must. What a beautiful and impressive place, although it is difficult to reach by bike. The paths to here are all grassy, stony and muddy. You'll need to allow plenty of time for the ride (or hike-a-bike) to High Cup Nick, but it will be worth it if you have the time.

Translated by Google•View original

An old blacksmith’s shop and cottage for workers from the nearby lead mine, Greg’s Hut is now a respite for weary walkers tackling Cross Fell in the Pennines. England’s highest bothy at 700m, Greg’s is roomy but on the basic side – there’s a raised platform for sleeping, a wood-burning stove and a few odds and ends. But if you come armed with a flask of tea, a thick sweater and some kindling to get the fire going, Greg’s Hut makes for an authentic bothy stay in glorious surroundings.

Currently (June 2023) under maintenance. What was finished really looked good