Pennine Journey – 19 nights / 18 days walking

About this trail

Your Pennine Journey starts at Settle before heading north into the limestone terrain of the south Pennines. You pass the gaping Hull Pot – reputedly the largest hole in England – before reaching Buckden in Wharfedale. Traversing Swaledale your route passes the highest public house in England, the Tan Hill Inn on Sleightholme Moor, before making its way into Bowes with its ruined castle. From Middleton-in-Teesdale your route follows the River Tees, crossing over into Weardale before reaching the medieval village of Blanchland.

After Hexham with its magnificent abbey your journey takes you onto the Hadrian’s Wall path. The route follows arguably the most rewarding section of this World Heritage Site, including the Roman fort at Housesteads. From the ruins of Thirlwall Castle, near Greenhead, your route heads south, taking you over the shoulder of Cross Fell, the highest point on the journey and into the verdant Eden Valley.  After following the River Eden to its source and then joining the valley of the River Rawthey, you cross into Dentdale and climb upwards into limestone country again, where you ascend first Whernside and then Ingleborough, two of the well-known “Yorkshire Three Peaks”, before returning to Settle and a well-earned cup of tea/coffee/pint.

Terrain and navigation

The Pennine Journey is a challenging walk involving almost 10,000 metres of ascent, though for those wishing to avoid too many strenuous days, we can devise an itinerary with shorter daily mileages. There is plenty of high moorland walking so, depending on weather conditions, be prepared for boggy conditions in places. The route uses the usual mixture of tracks, public footpaths and small country lanes and underfoot the terrain ranges from rocky paths to metalled lanes. It is not a national trail and parts of the route are remote and infrequently used, so the path may not be obvious and map reading and navigation with compass are essential skills to have.

Route elevation

Highest point: 788 metres
Total ascent / descent: 9161 metres / 9161 metres

Included as standard in the price

The price quoted is per person and is based on two people sharing a room. It includes:

• Carefully selected, en-suite bed and breakfast accommodation*
• Daily luggage transfers to your accommodation**
• All the necessary maps and guidebooks for your walk
• Route notes and maps detailing how to find your B&B at the end of each day
• The cost of any transfers that are required from the route to your accommodation if we are unable to book you into a B&B within easy walking distance of the trail
• Information about any special facilities offered by your hosts (eg hot tub or licensed bar)
• Suggestions and contact details for places for an evening meal each day
• Telephone support if required
• Advice from our team on travel to and from the start and end of the trail.

*En-suite is always chosen unless all options are booked out, in which case private bathrooms are sought. Customers are always consulted about non-en-suite options before details are finalised.

**Standard package includes one piece of baggage per walker, up to a maximum weight of 20kg. Additional bags can be transferred but incur an additional cost. Please enquire if you need this service.

Packed lunches and evening meals

The cost of these is not included in our standard package. All the accommodation providers we use offer packed lunches to keep you well fed during your walk. Payment is made directly to your hosts. Similarly, if you have an evening meal either at your accommodation or another local establishment, you pay them directly for it.

Optional extras that can be provided by Discovery Travel

Discovery Travel specialises in providing completely tailor-made services to our clients. This means that if our standard published itineraries do not suit our customers’ needs, we are always happy to discuss ways in which we can adjust accommodation, shorten or lengthen itineraries and distances to make for the perfect trip.

We also offer the following services to make for a seamless holiday:

• Transport to and from the start and finish of a trail
• Airport transfers
• Minibus and driver service, in particular for large groups where multiple accommodations are required each night and transfers are frequently required at the end of the day’s walk

If you are interested in any of the above or have any particular requirements, please do contact us to discuss your needs.

Make more of your break

If you would like to pause during your walk and explore one of the overnight locations for longer, you are free to select and add extra days to your holiday at any of your overnight stops. Prices for extra days are quoted above and will be added to the total cost of the holiday. If the itineraries on our website do not quite meet your requirements please do get in touch to arrange a bespoke trip.

Below are some suggestions for good places to spend an extra day or so.

Hexham

Hexham was voted by the readers of Country Life magazine to be England’s favourite market town. With the abbey at its heart you will find plenty to see and do. Visit the town’s Old Gaol and learn the story of the Border Reivers or spend an afternoon browsing in one of the town’s many galleries.

Kirkby Stephen

Kirkby Stephen is a traditional market town with historic buildings, cobbled yards and interesting shops. Located in the Upper Eden valley it is part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and is surrounded by pastoral rural landscape and wild uplands with great views in every direction.

Sedbergh

The attractive old market town of Sedbergh lies in the shadow of the Howgill Fells. Dating from Saxon times, there is plenty to do in Sedbergh today from a visit to a local working Dales farm to an afternoon at Fairfield Mill. End the day with a pint at the Dalesman pub at the heart of the town. 

Settle

Settle is on one of the UK’s most iconic and scenic rail routes, the famous Settle to Carlisle route that traverses the Yorkshire Dales and then follows the Eden Valley to the border city of  Carlisle. There are regular daily scheduled services, as well as steam-hauled excursions on certain days.

When to go

The weather in the UK can vary hugely so be prepared for all weathers whatever time of the year. April, May and June are when everything comes to life so it is very green, wild flowers are abundant and blossom abounds. July and August tend to be the warmest months, but it is rarely so warm as to be uncomfortable for walking and the heather on the moors will be at its best. September is one of the most pleasant times in the countryside and is quieter as most people with children have finished their holidays. By October the days are getting shorter and the weather can be much more changeable.

Getting to and from the trail

By Air: Leeds Bradford and Manchester are the nearest airports with the latter having a greater range of inter-continental flights.

By Rail: Settle has a train station which connects directly with Leeds which then serves all parts of the UK. For train times and fares visit National Rail Enquiries.

Got a question about travel? If you need any advice about travel to and from your walk please get in touch with Discovery Travel and we will be happy to help.