Driver advice for Cumbria’s Penrith Show and Kendal Calling festival
Drivers heading to 2 big events around Penrith in Cumbria at the end of the month are being advised to plan their journeys carefully and heed Highways England advice on routes and traffic.
This year’s increasingly popular Penrith Show is taking place on Saturday 25 July and 4 day music festival Kendal Calling starts on Thursday 30 July.
Highways England has been working with the organisers of both events to minimise congestion for general road users as well as people heading to shows.
The Penrith Show is held each year at Brougham Hall Farm south of junction 40 of the M6 and A66 and just outside Penrith.
The organisers are providing a park and ride facility from Penrith railway station this year with more details available on the Penrith Show website.
However, anyone driving direct to the site is advised follow the official directions with drivers on both the southbound and northbound M6 urged to leave the motorway at junction 40 at Penrith, taking the eastbound A66 and then southbound A6 at Kemplay roundabout, following signs to the showground from Eamont Bridge.
People heading to this year’s Kendal Calling event at Lowther Deer Park, Hackthorpe - nearer to Penrith than Kendal – are also being urged to follow official signing and travel information.
Anyone travelling northbound along the M6 should leave at junction 39 for Shap; drivers on the southbound M6 should leave at junction 40 at Penrith and travel to the venue from the southbound A6 via the eastbound A66 at Kemplay roundabout.
This year’s festival is taking place between Thursday 30 July and Sunday 2 August but campers will start arriving at the festival site from 9am on Thursday 30 July with the campsite closing at 2pm on Monday 3 August.
More information for drivers is available on the Kendal Calling website.
Phil Stockford, Highways England’s Events Planning Manager, said:
Kendal Calling has always been on our radar and we have worked hard in previous years to give information to festival goers and other road users alike.
We encourage anyone attending the event over the 4 days from the Thursday to follow the official transport information. The key thing for everybody across the weekend is to plan their journeys – even if that is just making a simple check on traffic conditions before setting out.
As with previous years, hard signs will be used to give advice to drivers while electronic variable message signs will also be used.
Extra patrols of Highways England Traffic Officers from the outstations at Lowhurst near Carlisle and Millness south of Kendal will also be deployed to respond to incidents quickly and help keep drivers on the move.
Highways England provides live traffic information via its website, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile platforms, such as the iPhone. Local Twitter services are also available at @HighwaysNWEST.
Providing they can do so safely, road users can also call the Highways England customer contact centre (0300 123 5000) to keep up to date with road conditions.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.