How to tackle Britain's greatest walking route

Telegraph

24-04-2025

The Pennine Way, a National Trail, is Britain's oldest long-distance footpath. Opened on April 24 1965 with a ceremony on Malham Moor, it paved the way for public access to some of England's wildest landscapes.
The route passes through three national parks – the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland – as well as the North Pennines National Landscape (formerly AONB).
Approximately half the Way crosses open moorland or through pastures and about a tenth of the trail is forest, woodland or riverbank.
Whose idea was it?
Tom Stephenson (1893-1987) was brought up in Whalley and championed the creation of national parks and the right to roam. He was secretary of the Ramblers Association and, as a journalist at the Daily Herald, penned a seminal 1935 article about a 'long, green trail' linking the Pennines to Scotland.
He campaigned tirelessly for 30 years to create the Pennine Way and authored the first official Pennine Way guidebook, published by HMSO in 1969. Alfred Wainwright's Pennine Way Companion was published by the Westmorland Gazette a year earlier.
Where does it go?
Despite being a Lancastrian man's vision, the Pennine Way bypasses the county, following England's rocky spine from the hills of the Derbyshire Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales, through the Swaledale Valley, across the North Pennines and over Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland to the Cheviot Hills, ending on the Scottish side of the Borders in Kirk Yetholm.
On the official interactive map you'll notice that the route is not arrow-straight, with a major dog-leg close to Barnard Castle and a west-to-east section along Hadrian's Wall near Haltwhistle.
Leisure-oriented towns within walking distance of the Way include Hebden Bridge, Haworth, Horton in Ribblesdale and Hawes. When in doubt – or lost – think: letter H.
What are the highlights?
The literal high points include Kinder Scout, Bleaklow Head, Black Hill, Pen-y-ghent, Black Hill, Great Shunner Fell, Great Dun Fell, Cross Fell, Windy Gyle and the Schil – ranging in altitude between 1,900 and 2,900 feet.
Landmarks are the Kinder plateau, Malham Cove, the Tan Hill Inn (the UK's highest pub), Swaledale, High Force, Cauldron Snout, High Cup, Hadrian's Wall and the border ridge through The Cheviots.
How long does it take?
The official length of the Pennine Way is 268 miles, but most walkers hike something closer to 253 miles. The longer length includes both sides of the Bowes Loop, both route options into Kirk Yetholm, the alternative route at High Cup Nick and the detour to the summit of The Cheviot.
Full-length walkers typically allow between 16 to 19 days to walk the Way, hiking 13-15 miles each day. It's no mean feat, and some people prefer to break it into three or four separate challenges, or walk only those sections where the landscape and weather are less inclined to be bleak and lonely.
The National Trail website breaks the walk into 16 sections. Guidebook publisher Cicerone suggests splitting the Way into 20 one-day walks.
How fit do you need to be?
The original premise of the path was to be as natural as feasible, containing 'no concrete or asphalt'. Early Pennine Wayfarers faced bothersome stretches of waterlogged terrain, no rare thing along a watershed. There are still morasses and peat bogs – worst after winter and big storms – but, to protect the peat and to prevent the path from growing wider than the M6, slabs have been laid over many of the delicate, erosion-prone areas.
The entire Pennine Way involves an ascent of 40,000 feet, more than summiting Everest. But there are very few steep gradients compared with tackling, say, the Lakeland fells or crossing the Pennines via the Coast to Coast.
If you can read a map and comfortably walk at least 12 miles in a day, you will be capable of completing the Way. Add rest and recovery days to your schedule if you can afford the time.
When to go?
The Pennine Way is busiest in the summer months, when people take their big annual holidays. It's the most pleasant time to walk in Northern England, accommodation, pubs, facilities and bus services are up and running, and camping is viable. Long days and reliable(ish) sunshine turn even moorland tramping into a holiday experience.
Spring and autumn can be lovely, too, with fine days and flowers or fading foliage. Newborn lambs add their cute baas to the birdsong in mid-spring. Autumn sees blackberries and, if the summer has been dry, solid ground underfoot.
Winter is usually harsh in the Pennines, with bitter cold and deep snow getting more probable the further north you go, meaning walkers have to consider extra kit and back-up plans.
Is the route waymarked?
The Pennine Way is a designated right of way from start to finish. This means it should be open at all times and always be free of obstructions.
The route comprises public footpaths, bridleways, byways and highways. Signposts usually include the works 'Pennine Way' and the official National Trail 'acorn' symbol, plus a directional arrow.
The Pennine Way intersects with the Pennine Bridleway on a handful of occasions, when it pays to be alert so you don't take a major diversion.
What direction is best?
Most people walk the Pennine Way from south to north, because southwesterly winds are more common than northerlies or northeasterlies – and it's more pleasant to have the wind on your back than in your face.
That said, if you go in the other direction, you can count on days getting warmer as you walk. The southern half also has more towns, villages, pubs, transport options and people.
Can I cycle or ride it?
Only 30 per cent of the route follows bridle paths, so if you want to cycle rather than walk you'll need to divert onto the equally challenging 205-mile Pennine Bridleway National Trail. It claims to be 'specially designed' for horseriders, but information on stabling and horse-friendly accommodation is thin on the ground.
Where can I sleep?
The Pennine Way has a range of accommodation options, including hotels, B&Bs, hostels, bunkhouses and campsites, but they tend to be clustered around busy villages and towns and in some places walkers may be limited to a single address.
There are four bothies along the route – at Top Withens (aka 'Wuthering Heights'), on the north flank of Cross Fell (the highest peak on the Way), close to Lamb Hill and south of the Schil.
Are luggage transfers available?
A handful of companies offer accommodation booking and/or baggage transfer along the Pennine Way.
Sherpavan and Brigantes – among others – provide luggage transfer services from March 31 to October 19. The idea is to carry what you need for 3-5 days and then swap all your kit. Transfers cost £23.50 to £40 per bag per move.
Macs Adventure, Mickledore, and Walkers Britain are among the tour firms selling self-guided holiday packages, which are essentially accommodation bookings plus luggage couriers. Footpath Holidays offers three six-day walks (covering the whole Way) with guides, but its July 2025 departures are already sold out. See a comprehensive list of tour operators here.
How do I travel to the start and end points?
Most railway lines and bus routes cross the Pennines from east to west and vice-versa, and relatively few routes run parallel to the Pennine Way. Edale is on the Hope Valley line linking Manchester and Sheffield. Kirk Yetholm is served by the 81 bus from Kelso, which has the 67 bus to Berwick-upon-Tweed for the East Coast Main Line. More details here.
What kit do I need?
Standard backpacking gear is needed, including a rucksack you can comfortably carry, sturdy boots, hat, good waterproofs, a change of dry clothes, flashlight, sun protection and sunglasses. Check the weather and consider the season.
Take the relevant OS map(s) – you can buy a weatherproof bundle of seven maps for less than £100 – and don't rely on phones, GPX or digital services.
What do you get for completing it?
Half a pint and a certificate at the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm – which has ensuite bedrooms with baths and showers.