This Network Plan is a strategic transport planning tool developed by the Lake District National Park Authority to plan and guide the development of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure across the Lake District National Park.
The Plan outlines new walking, cycling and wheeling routes and priority areas for improvement to achieve the objectives of promoting active travel and creating safe, accessible and sustainable infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users and horse riders. The Network Plan also serves as a tool for securing funding and to encourage collaboration between stakeholders.
The Network Plan, shown in the map below, categorises routes into strategic corridors, secondary links, routes into the Lake District National Park, local routes and additional active travel strategic corridors.
Areas for improvement have also been identified where appropriate within the existing walking and cycling network.
Strategic corridors follow the strategic corridors set out in the Cumbria Transport Infrastructure Plan. The Cumbria Transport Infrastructure Plan was produced by the former Cumbria County Council in 2022 and is used by Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council until such time as they receive guidance to produce new Local Transport Plans.
Ambition: Complete design, planning permission (Keswick to Threlkeld only) and tendering, submit full business case to Borderlands Project Management Office to draw down allocated funds, deliver projects by March 2027.
Timescale: Within 5 years, funded or part funded
Category: Strategic Corridor
Partners: LDNPA, W&F Council, Cumberland Council
Ambition: Install underpass on A591, create new sections of trail with reduced gradient, waymark forest trails.
Timescale: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Strategic Corridor
Partners: United Utilities, Cumberland Council
Ambition: Segregated cycle path.
Timescale: 8 years + subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Strategic Corridor
Partners: W&F Council
Ambition: Cycle route avoiding A591. More feasibility required.
Timescale: 8 years + subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Strategic Corridor
Partners: LDNPA and W&F Council
Ambition: Complete traffic free and quiet lanes route around Bassenthwaite.
Timescale: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Strategic Corridor
Partners: National Highways
Ambition: Exact route to be determined. Upgrading of footpaths and bridleways connecting Keswick to Threlkeld extension to Troutbeck.
Timescale: 8 Years + subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Strategic Corridor
Partners: LDNPA/W&F Council
Timescale: Within 5 years, funded or part funded
Ambition: Develop off road cycle route avoiding A595.
Category: Strategic Corridor
Partners: Cumberland Council, Sustrans, Local Community
Ambition: Multi-user trail linking along SW coast of Lake District, including bridges over Esk, Irt and Duddon.
Timescales: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Strategic Corridor and link into the LDNP
Partners: Community group, Cumberland Council, W&F Council
Ambition: Working with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to create quiet lane routes connecting Kendal, Sedbergh, Shap, Haweswater, Orton, Tebay and Penrith where National Cycle Network links are not present.
Timescales: Within 5 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Strategic Corridor and link into the LDNP
Partners: LDNPA, YDNPA, W&F Council
Additional active travel strategic corridors outlined in the Network Plan build upon and enhance strategic corridors detailed in the Cumbria Transport Infrastructure Plan. These additional corridors are designed to improve connectivity between key settlements within and into the Lake District National Park. By targeting key settlements, the corridors aim to support everyday journeys for local residents and leisure trips for tourists. The corridors are ambitious, long-distance routes that seek to promote walking, cycling and wheeling as alternatives to car travel.
Secondary links offer additional connectivity enabling communities and visitors to access local amenities, schools and public transport.
Ambition: Design and deliver 7km long accessible route from Great Wood and Crow Park.
Timescale: Within 5 years, funded or part funded
Category: Secondary Link
Partners: National Trust
Ambition: Design and deliver active travel link, connecting to public transport.
Timescale: Within 5 years, funded or part funded
Category: Secondary Link
Partners: Bootle Parish Council, Cumberland Council
Ambition: Work with partners to deliver the Coast to Coast Walk National Trail, the Westmorland and Furness Way and the Penrith to Kendal trail.
Timescale: Within 5 years, funded or part funded
Category: Secondary Link
Partners: Natural England, W&F Council, Cumbria Connects
Ambition: Consider options to improve safety and user experience of the Stybarrow Crag part of the Ullswater Way north of Glenridding.
Timescale: Within 5 years, funded or part funded
Category: Secondary Link
Partners: Friends of Ullswater Way
Ambition: Complete missing section between YMCA Lakeside and Ferry House and extend from Newby Bridge to Haverthwaite and Newby Bridge to Fell Foot.
Timescale: Within 5 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Secondary Link
Partners: LDNPA
Ambition: Deliver key outputs and recommendations from the valley plans being developed for Langdale, Ullswater, Hawkshead, Wasdale
Timescale: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Secondary Link
Partners: LDNPA and W&F Council
Ambition: Improve cycle infrastructure through quiet lanes and off-road sections of path.
Timescale: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Secondary Link
Partners: LDNPA
Ambition: Implementation of traffic management plan developed through ATE capability funding.
Timescale: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Secondary Link
Partners: Cumberland Council
Ambition: Eastern side bridleway and quiet lane, walking and accessibility improvements.
Timescale: 8+ years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Secondary Link
Partners: LDNPA, United Utilities, RSPB
Routes into the LDNP are presented in the five distinctive areas of the LDNP, North, East, Central and Southeast, South, West.
Ambition: Deliver key outputs and recommendations from the valley plans being developed for Langdale, Ullswater, Hawkshead, Wasdale
Category: Secondary Link
Partners: LDNPA and W&F Council
Ambition: Quiet lane route. This route is outside the LDNP but will provide a key active travel connection from settlements outside the LDNP.
Timescales: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Link into the National Park
Partners: Sustrans and Cumberland Council
Ambition: Newcycle and walking infrastructure between Cockermouth and Buttermere.
Timescale: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Link into the National Park
Partners: Cumberland Council, National Trust, LDNPA
Ambition: Linking to NCN7 forming connection from Whitehaven and Egremont into the national park. Quiet road and new trail construction.
Timescale: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Route into the National Park
Partners: LDNPA, Cumberland Council and Local Community.
Ambition: New cycling infrastructure connecting Gosforth to Nether Wasdale.
Timescale: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Route into the National Park
Partners: LDNPA, Cumberland Council and local community.
Ambition: Traffic free or quiet lane route from Penrith station to Pooley Bridge in the Ullswater Valley.
Timescale: within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Route into the National Park
Partners: Sustainable and Integrated Transport in Ullswater
Ambition: Deliver a new route using a mix of quiet lanes and the old railway line.
Timescale: 8 Years + subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Route into the National Park
Partners: LDNPA, National Highways and W&F Council
Ambition: Quiet lane and upgraded paths to form multi-user route.
Timescale: Within 5 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Route into the National Park
Partners: National Trust and Lancaster Canal Towpath Trust
Ambition: New cycle and walking route attached to viaduct.
Timescale: 8 Years + subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Link into the National Park
Partners: Morecambe Bay Partnership
Ambition: New route utilising the old railway line and canal.
Timescale: 8 Years + subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Link into the National Park
Partners: W&F Council and Ulverston Town Council
Ambition: Quiet lane between Ulverston and Grizedale.
Timescale: 8 Years + subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Link into the National Park
Partners: W&F Council and Ulverston Town Council
This section also includes routes from the Rights of Way Improvement Plan. This is a document that all local authorities produce. The ROWIP was due for review in 2024, so this work was carried out and the revised or retained routes now form part of the Network Plan. Many routes highlighted in the public consultation aligned with the ROWIP routes.
Ambition: LDNPA to action at least 5 improvements per year to the rights of way network.
Timescale: Within 5 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Local Route
Partners: LDNPA
Ambition: Improvements to walking and cycling network as part of the Muncaster Whole Estate Plan.
Timescale: Within 5 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Local Route
Partners: Muncaster Estate
Ambition: Improvements to walking and cycling network as part of the Higham Estate Whole Estate Plan.
Timescale: Within 5 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Local Route
Partners: Higham Estate
Ambition: Work with Forestry England to improve and promote trails in and to their forests, including a new accessible route in Grizedale Forest.
Timescale: Within 5 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Local Route
Partners: LDNPA, Forestry England
Ambition: Implementation of walking route and junction improvement plan developed through ATE capability funding.
Timescale: Within 8 years, subject to funding and landowner permissions
Category: Local Route
Partners: Cumberland Council
In addition to new active travel routes, the Network Plan identifies where route improvements and upgrades are required on existing footpaths, bridleways and multi-user trails.
Identified improvements range from small scale improvements such as replacing stiles and improving signage to larger improvements such as replacing bridges and upgrading surfaces.
66 route improvements were identified and categorised into the following:
Delivering the Network Plan will take time and require funding. Currently the Network Plan has no funding attached to it. But we are experienced in bringing in external funding to deliver active travel projects.
Potential funding could be sought from:
Working in partnership with funded landscape recovery programmes where active travel development fits with their footprints and objectives.
It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive, and inclusion in this list carries with it no expectation of funding. Further work and partnership discussions will take place, and potential opportunities followed up.
Supporting the Active Travel Network Plan are aims, objectives and supporting data. Use the links below to view the whole Network Plan.
Active Travel Network Plan was funded thorough Active Travel England Capability Funding. Read more about Active Travel funding.
This section outlines the aims, objectives and outcomes of this Network Plan, explains the National Parks Capability Fund, introduces the LDNP and active travel work to date. It also provides the strategic policy context at a national, regional and local level and explains why the Network Plan is important in the LDNP.
The Network Plan and prioritised routes have been informed by data including, demographics, indices of multiple deprivation, health, car ownership, how people travel to work, propensity to cycle, the Cumbria Visitor Survey and Strava Metro.
This section outlines how the Network Plan was developed.
This section summarises how new active travel routes will be integrated with public transport, signage, seating and other facilities
