New Anti-Car Summer Festival In Lakes

You really don't need a car to see the Lakes. In fact you'll see more without one is the Go Lakes message.

Bikes are one of the focal points of the new Staveley event.

The pleasant Lake District village of Staveley is hosting a new 'Go Cycle, Go Walk, Go Lakes Festival' later this month, which aims to reduce the dependence of visitors to the area on cars and open up their eyes to more of the area's stunning scenery as a result.

Richard Greenwood, Head of Policy and Research at Cumbria Tourism, sums it up: “You can really see more of the Lake District’s wonderful landscape when you get out of cars. This festival will show people how much fun it is to explore the Lake District on foot and on two wheels.”

The one-day event takes place on Sunday 22 July near Kendal - it's handily located just minutes from the main A591 dual carriageway but also accessible by rail - and features guided walks, bike rides, electric bike try-outs, stunt displays, a cycle roadshow and circus entertainment on the village playing fields.

The festival is a curtain-raiser to a larger, Lakes-wide initiative called the “Drive Less See More Challenge Week”, which runs from 22 July to 29 July and is part of a new £6.9 million initiative which aims to get visitors using sustainable forms of transport, see more in the process and cut 'carbon generation' along the way.

Throughout the Drive Less See More Challenge Week, there will be activities, special offers, events and pop-up travel information points to encourage people to spend at least one day using sustainable transport.

Areas where there are events going on include Coniston, Newby Bridge, Bowness, Ambleside andGrasmere. For the full programme, there’s a special website found at www.golakestravel.co.uk.