A591 road
Encyclopedia
The A591 is a major road
in Cumbria
, in the north-west of England
. The stretch of the road between Windermere and Keswick
has been voted Britain's Favourite Road.
at Brettargh Holt roundabout
with the A590 road
close to Sizergh Castle. It bypasses the town of Kendal
as a dual carriageway
, this £1.9m 3 miles (4.8 km) section opened on August 29, 1971. It becomes a busy single carriageway
road as it enters the Lake District
. It bypasses the town of Windermere, closely following the north-eastern bank of Lake Windermere
. It then travels through the centre of Ambleside
, follows the northern side of Rydal Water
, passes White Moss Common, follows the eastern edge of Grasmere
and passes the village of Grasmere
. The road continues over Dunmail Raise
and along the eastern edge of Thirlmere
. Shortly afterwards it reaches the town of Keswick
. It meets the A66 road
at a roundabout before continuing in a roughly north-westerly direction, with fine views over Bassenthwaite Lake
. The Bothel-to-Keswick section has many acute bends and is particularly narrow in places, leading to many accidents. The road terminates at the village of Bothel
, on the A595 road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, in the north-west of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The stretch of the road between Windermere and Keswick
Keswick, Cumbria
Keswick is a market town and civil parish within the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It had a population of 4,984, according to the 2001 census, and is situated just north of Derwent Water, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake, both in the Lake District National Park...
has been voted Britain's Favourite Road.
Route
The road begins (at its southern end) 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north-west of junction 36 of the M6 motorwayM6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
at Brettargh Holt roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
with the A590 road
A590 road
The A590 is a trunk road in southern Cumbria, in the north-west of England. It runs north-east to south-west from M6 junction 36, through the towns of Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness to terminate at Vickerstown on Walney Island. The road is a mixture of dual carriageway and single carriageway,...
close to Sizergh Castle. It bypasses the town of Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
as a dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
, this £1.9m 3 miles (4.8 km) section opened on August 29, 1971. It becomes a busy single carriageway
Single carriageway
A single carriageway is a road with 1, 2 or more lanes arranged within a single carriageway with no central reservation to separate opposing flows of traffic. Two-lane road or two-lane highway are single carriageway with one lane for each direction...
road as it enters the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
. It bypasses the town of Windermere, closely following the north-eastern bank of Lake Windermere
Windermere
Windermere 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...
. It then travels through the centre of Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside 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...
, follows the northern side of Rydal Water
Rydal Water
Rydal Water is a small lake in the central part of the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria. It is located near the hamlet of Rydal, between Grasmere and Ambleside in the Rothay Valley....
, passes White Moss Common, follows the eastern edge of Grasmere
Grasmere (lake)
Grasmere is one of the smaller lakes of the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria. It gives its name to the village of Grasmere, famously associated with the poet William Wordsworth, which lies immediately to the north of the lake....
and passes the village of Grasmere
Grasmere
Grasmere is a village, and popular tourist destination, in the centre of the English Lake District. It takes its name from the adjacent lake, and is associated with the Lake Poets...
. The road continues over Dunmail Raise
Dunmail Raise
Dunmail Raise is a hill in the English Lake District, the highest point of a pass on the Keswick-Kendal road, the A591, to the south of Thirlmere reservoir on the way to Grasmere, in the Lake District National Park...
and along the eastern edge of Thirlmere
Thirlmere
Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. It runs roughly south to north, with a dam at the northern end, and is bordered on the eastern side by the A591 road and on the western side by a minor road....
. Shortly afterwards it reaches the town of Keswick
Keswick, Cumbria
Keswick is a market town and civil parish within the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It had a population of 4,984, according to the 2001 census, and 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 road
A66 road
The 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 Lake
Bassenthwaite Lake
Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest water bodies 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 acute bends and is particularly narrow in places, leading to many accidents. The road terminates at the village of Bothel
Bothel, Cumbria
Bothel 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 road
A595 road
The 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...