We're off to the Lakes on saturday and have heard it's going to be windy and I'm a bit worried about the M6 over Tebay. Do they stop people using it in high sided vehicles in the wind or is it your own choice?
We are thinking about getting off at Kendal and going up through Windermere etc but a lot of it is single carriageway and dont want to cause a hold up, plus it can get a bit narrow with parked cars through Ambleside.
Also has anyone been to the Keswick C&CC recently and is it still flooded???
Thanks.
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Sorry, I don't know anything about the Keswick site.
I can't remember the Tebay section of the M6 being closed for wind, but I've certainly seen empty artics picking a wheel up from time to time.
The main road up through Ambleside is not that bad, but I have to say I would just stay on the motorway. As long as you don't try to keep the speed that you would use on a calm day, that's the main thing. Just take it easy. I'm going over the Pennines to the East coast, and I'll be staying with the M62.
If it gets too bad, just find somewhere to stop for a while, but if you keep the speed sensible, it should be OK.
You would be better staying on the M6. I have never known it to be shut in high winds. However ronniemca is right about the site flooding and it is VERY wet up here at the moment.
Ring ahead!
------------- Erika
Chocolate has made my clothes shrink!!!!
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We went to Keswick the day after it made national news at the end of July for having to be evacuated due to flooding. There were no problems on the hard standings and a lot of the grass pitches were usable although very soggy. I would still use the site but would always book a hard standing pitch.
I've rang the site today over 20 times but they arent answering the phone! There's just a message saying they are fully booked and where the nearest club sites are, I presume if the site was flooded there would be some message about that or they'd have called us??
We have booked hardstanding so I presume we'll be ok, I just wanted to know whether we'd be able to put the awning up or should we leave it at home, I'll keep ringing tomorrow and hope they pick up the phone.
You've also put my mind at rest about the journey too and I'll tell OH to stay on the motorway, it's a much quicker and simpler route, I just get very nervous about snaking after a bad experience as a kid when our van was snaking wildly and we nearly overturned, one slight wobble now and my stomach flips!
I would keep checking with the C&CC site and trying to get through, as I live 25 mins from there and the water levels round here are quite high at the moment. I am not saying it is the same at Keswick, but we have some heavy rain lately.
The road through the middle of the lakes is an easy tow, and saves a good few miles though not a lot of time. Unless the winds get up a lot more than they are now I would not worry at all about either route, just do not go mad with your right foot and you will be fine.
------------- Bill
For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013
We have just come back from Keswick. I would go M6 off at junction 40, and hop on the A66. We found no problems at all with the wind. Yes it buffeted the car a bit, but we drove sensibly. The site we stayed at, was very wet, very muddy, but we had no problems with the pitch, and were able to park on other parts of the site. Not ideal not having the car next to the tent but it wasn't a million miles away.
I tried ringing the site the day before we went as i had the same concerns. Although I was only getting an ansaphone, they had been ringing the customers who had booked on grass non electric pitches to cancel them. If you haven't heard anything, you will be fine. As I said before, all the hard standing pitches were OK when we went, they are also big enough for your awning.
Enjoy your hols.
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They rang and cancelled us today at 2pm, I'm really disappointed and really annoyed that they left it so late, she said its a 250 pitch site and only 100 are usable. She said it's been like it for weeks so surely they could've given us more notice. Even a weeks notice would've helped, both me & OH work full time so we were frantically trying to find somewhere else and work at the same time.
We've managed to get in at Lanefoot Farm which is a bit further up the A66 and from the reviews looks really good, nice views & owners and is only 2 mile from Keswick so not too far.
We were at Troutbeck C&CC last weekend. We had a look round Keswick C&CC on Monday, there had been terrible rain and it was severely flooded. The wardens were on the gate and were considering evacuating. Put it this way the water was nearly covering the doggie bins on the Dog Walk and people had ducks swimming next to their caravans. Looks a lovely site though, it wouldn't put me off booking it.
There has been so much rain up there, we had it from the Friday we arrived until the Monday night when I said enough was enough and we packed up!!!
Troutebeck is a nice site, very small and nothing that you can walk to. But very friendly wardens and clean warm facilities. It was getting very muddy on the grass pitches though, so you would definately need a hard standing!
We've not camped there for a few years now (static van up top by Castlerigg now for OH). The weather was not so bad then but we will got a mud puddle outside the door so we would lift the legs on the Dandy and pull it over the patch, gradually worked our way down the pitch as the week went on.
Its such a shame as its in the perfect location. Who would think there was a town right outside the gates.
Got back today, we had a look at the Keswick site while we were there, all the hardstandings were fine but the grass pitches were boggy, people were still using them though. To be honest we're glad they cancelled us now as we much preferred the site we ended up on, it had stunning open views over skiddaw and there was only us and one other couple there, the dogs had so much freedom too, we were so lucky with the weather too, its been clear blue skies and no wind, we'd packed jumpers but only needed t-shirts. Only had rain on one day.
On the Keswick site it looks pretty packed in over the back and its only the front 2 rows with decent lake views but you arent allowed to put your awning up on those.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Travelling to Keswick on saturday
