This route begins with a ride to Liverpool to pass under the River Mersey via the Kingsway Tunnel. But first you'll cross over the historic Duke Street Bridge. This is one of four bastille bridges that were used for access over parts of the Birkenhead Dock system. This is the only surviving one and is notable for having the control shed mounted above the road.
Onto the the Kingsway Tunnel. Motorcycles keep left and use the tunnel for free cars and motorcycle sidecars pay £1.80.
Crosby beach is just a short ride from the tunnel exit and here you'll find some open air art in the form of life size statues by Sir Antony Gormley. These spectacular sculptures forming the art installation are titled Another Place and consist of 100 cast-iron, life-size figures spread out along three kms of the foreshore, stretching almost one km out to sea.
The Another Place figures - each one weighing 650 kilos - are made from casts of the artist's own body standing on the beach, all of them looking out to sea, staring at the horizon in silent expectation. Art lover or not, Another Place is worth a visit.
Continue north and pass through Preston and stop for lunch in the small village of Chipping situated in the Forest of Bowland.
The Forest of Bowland is another Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) that this tour to John O'Groats passes through. This AONB is recognised for its heather moorland, blanket bog and rare birds. From high up on the more, you can see the Yorkshire Dales National Park and that's where you'll travel to next.
The Yorkshire Dales has many moods; it can be wild and windswept or quietly tranquil with valleys full of hay meadows, dry stone walls and barns. Spectacular waterfalls and ancient woodlands contrast with the scattered remains of rural industries. Together, nature and people created a special landscape of immense beauty and character – one of the most picturesque places in the country. The Ribblehead Viaduct is perhaps the most dramatic of all industrial sites in the Dales. Straddling the rough, boggy ground of Batty Green, Ribblehead Viaduct is a majestic sight in this quiet corner of the Yorkshire Dales. Hundreds of railway builders (“navvies”) lost their lives building the line, from a combination of accidents, fights, and smallpox outbreaks. In particular, building the Ribblehead (then Batty Moss) viaduct, with its 24 massive stone arches 104 feet (32 metres) above the moor, caused such loss of life that the railway paid for an expansion of the local graveyard.
The route heads for Hawes next. This magical little market town is one of England's highest, set 850 feet above sea water. Hawes was first recorded as a market place in 1307 and the lively Tuesday market still entices shoppers in. Home to the world famous Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese and set amidst breath-taking scenery it's no surprise Hawes is one of the honeypot tourist attractions of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. A coffee stop at Penny Garth Cafe is a must.
Penny Garth Café has been a popular meeting point in the Yorkshire Dales for Motorcyclists for decades. It’s the ideal place for a large mug of Yorkshire Tea and a Bacon Butty after a long winding ride through the Dales National Park. Visit the Wensleydale Creamery after and select your favourite cheese to mature in your topbox, it'll disguise the 3 day old socks!
Head west now on the delightful A684, a road that has everything a motorcyclist requires; stunning landscape, elevation changes and lots of bends. Crossing over the M6 motorway indicates that you have left the Dales and it's now just a short ride to Kendal, gateway to the Lake District National Park.
In 2017 the Lake District National Park joined the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon and Machu Picchu as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a ‘cultural landscape’, the world-class designation recognised the National Park as a dramatic farmed landscape. This route uses the Kirkstone Pass and then travels past Ullswater Lake to take you to the overnight stop in Keswick. There are many hotels, B&Bs; and campsites to choose from and I suggest booking two nights to allow you to explore the Lake District. I have included a link below for an MRA route from the RouteXpert Library that will take clockwise (the best direction) around all of the Lake District passes. I have adapted it to start from Keswick.
Enjoy.