CYCLING DAY 12 Eccleston – Milnthorpe 46.66 miles, 28.5.2011

We left a very nice B&B in good spirits but after 5 min. we got a very heavy shower. Quickly into raingear, but it was just a shower and the wind soon dried our jackets. Leaving Leyland on our right we took the B5253, A582, onto the B5411, also leaving Preston on our right. We did have a bit of help from 2 local cyclists. We had to join then the A6 at Bilsborrow reaching Garstang at midday. Visited the T.I.C. as we needed accommodation, which they found us in Milnthorpe; right on the route. Many places are full due to the B.H., also prices are at times ridiculously high.
In Garstang – nice place – and also the first town in the world to have a Fair Trade shop, we stopped for a soup lunch. The food is excellent here, people usually produce home cooking. After lunch we made the decision to use the A6 all the way to Milnthorpe. You may think that a crazy idea but on the country roads you often get lost and it holds you up. Don’t forget this is not a ‘signed’ route, I always use my torned out pages from the Philip’s Navagator; quite accurate, but I still manage to get it wrong a few times.The A6 is certainly do-able on a Saturday or Sunday, not too much heavy traffic. We sailed through Lancaster, busy city and noticed rows and rows of Victorian houses all having beautiful chimneys. I believe they are called ‘Crowns’. In Carnforth we stopped at the railway station and purchased our tickets for Sunday and booked the bike. Virgin trains are very, very strict. No reservations, no bike! We have to travel back to the farm(CL) where we left the motorhome and we will do that after reaching Windermere. Tonight we are staying at a B&B in Milnthorpe.