The little-visited valley of Longsleddale lies to the north of Kendal. From Garnett Bridge, near the A6, as you follow the River Sprint north-west, lightly wooded slopes and fields give way to wilder country as the dale narrows. The tiny hamlet of Sadgill marks the end of the surfaced road, but an old drove road continues between the steep-sided fells – up to Gatescarth Pass and then over into Mardale.
Longsleddale was the inspiration for Greendale, where the children’s TV character Postman Pat used to deliver his mail with the help of his black-and-white cat Jess. (John Cunliffe, who created the series, lived in nearby Kendal.)
