Grasmere to Dunmail Raise Active Travel

Overview

This consultation presents the initial design proposals for the Grasmere to Dunmail Raise Active Travel scheme.  Active Travel means making journeys by modes of transport that are people powered including walking, wheeling and cycling.

This scheme is one of three sections within the See More Lake District Cycling Project, funded by the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. 

The Grasmere to Dunmail Raise Active Travel proposals aim to make active travel safer, easier, more accessible and attractive for everyone, whether for everyday journeys or for leisure. We have also considered the potential needs of horse riders whilst developing the proposals.

The improvements will:

• Create a well-connected and continuous route for active travel
• Complete a missing link in National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 6 improving access and connectivity from Grasmere to Thirlmere, and onward for connections to Keswick 
• Enhance the visitor offer, attracting more people to the Lake District National Park and encouraging visitors to stay longer, including outside typical peak periods
• Disperse visitors more widely across the National Park and away from traditional hotspots
• Support low-carbon tourism and reduce emissions

There are three parts to the scheme:

1. A591 - A new cycle track and footway separated from the road and linking to existing infrastructure
2. Rural roads - A quiet lane to prioritise safety and enjoyment of countryside, together with improved signage and reduced speed limits
3. Within Grasmere - Creating an appealing shared space in the village centre that fits the local character of Grasmere and makes it safer for those not in cars to move through the village 

We want your feedback to help shape the emerging designs. By completing this consultation, you’ll get a clear idea of our proposals and their potential impact. Your comments will be used to guide the next stages of design and delivery.

Supporting materials such as maps and images have been included throughout to help illustrate the proposals.

The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and the See More Lake District Cycling Project

The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal is a partnership between five local authorities who are working together to drive economic growth across the region. Under the Improving Places theme, the Destination Borderlands programme aims to boost tourism by attracting more visitors and encouraging longer stays, building on the area’s unique assets.

One of its projects, See More Lake District Cycling (SMLDC), looks to enhance cycling and walking routes along the A591 corridor between Keswick and Kendal. By filling existing gaps in the National Cycle Network (NCN), the project will create safer, continuous links and family friendly connections between destinations such as Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick..

Three distinct sections for improvement identified within the SMLDC project have been shortlisted for funding through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. These are:

• Grasmere to Dunmail Raise,
• Thirlmere West (led by Cumberland Council), and,
• the Keswick to Threlkeld Trail Extension (led by the Lake District National Park).

This consultation focuses specifically on the active travel improvements for the Grasmere to Dunmail Raise section, led by Westmorland and Furness Council.

Consultations on the other projects will take place in due course, giving the community and our visitors further opportunities to get involved and help shape the proposals for the wider SMLDC project.  

A map of Cumbria showing existing and proposed active travel routes. It highlights the Lakes and Dales Loop, improvements identified as part of the SMLDC project, and the National Cycle Network. Key locations, including Keswick, Grasmere and Kendal, are labelled. The locations of the three SMLDC schemes funded by the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal are also marked.

Grasmere to Dunmail Raise Project Objectives

• Better connect and extend walking, wheeling and cycling links.
• Enhance safety and separate vehicles from other road users where possible.
• Improve journeys and allow visitors and residents to experience more of the Lake District in a sustainable way.

Our proposals are shaped by feasibility work to date and previous engagement undertaken at an earlier stage of the SMLDC project. The proposals have been developed to align with national and local goals around encouraging walking, wheeling and cycling, reducing reliance on car travel, and creating healthier, more connected communities.

Why your views matter

We need your feedback to help us make this proposed scheme the best it can be. Where possible, please complete our online questionnaire at the link below.

The questionnaire will be open from Monday 9 February to Monday 2 March 2026.

If you would like to find out more information on the proposals before responding, the project team are hosting a public drop-in event on Monday 9 February at Grasmere Village Hall, Broadgate, LA22 9TA between 11:00am and 6:30pm.

An online briefing and question and answer session will be held on Wednesday 18 February between 1pm and 2:30pm. If you are interested in joining this briefing, please email us at activetravel@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk and we will send an invitation to the session.  

A limited number of paper questionnaires are available at Ambleside Library, Kendal Library, Windermere Library, Kendal Town Hall/South Lakeland House.

Please return paper questionnaires to Westmorland and Furness Council, South Lakeland House, Lowther Street, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4DQ

What happens next?

Following the consultation, we will publish a feedback report on the Council’s Grasmere to Dunmail Raise project website.

This will summarise the public views on proposals and how this will be used to help further shape the design.

The next steps are summarised below:

• 2 March 2026 - Consultation period ends.
• April 2026 - Consultation report published.
• Summer 2026 – Preliminary design finalised.
• Autumn 2026 to Summer 2027 - Detailed design and further consultation.
• Summer 2027 –Full Business Case submitted.
• Winter 2027/28 – Government approval of Full Business Case.
• 2028 – Construction could start, subject to Full Business Case approval.