The Pennine Way, a mountain journey across the backbone of England, became the very first British National Trail on April 24th 1965. It is a long, 268 mile (429 km) hike from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. It crosses some of the finest upland landscapes in England, from the Peak District, through the Yorkshire Dales, across the North Pennines and over Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, through the Cheviots and down into Scotland. It is iconic because it was the product of the post First World War mass trespass movement of often working class walkers with a socialist outlook.

The walk was conceived by Tom Stephenson, secretary of the Ramblers Association, back in 1935. He could see it in the context of young people as a means of “opening their minds to the beauty, the peace and the soul-satisfying gifts of high and lonely places,” but it took until July 1951 before it was approved and a further 15 years before it could be officially opened due to legal wrangles, especially in Northumberland and in Edale, Derbyshire. Landowners were still keen to keep people off their land.

It has been said that the Pennine Way would have been up and running 30 years before it officially opened, had Tom and his cohorts accepted the original proposals that the route follow sections of metalled road over some areas. It is a reflection of his great tenacity that the final route has no long road sections at all. Some of the facets of the walk which did not appeal to walkers, such as the bleak bogs, have been improved by the judicious use of flagstone trails in some areas. This is not to say that that there will be no bogs to negotiate, especially after a spell of bad weather.

Tradition has it that you leave from the Nags Head pub in the small Derbyshire village of Edale. The first day is quite a tester with long ascents over Kinder Scout, Mill Hill and Bleaklow Head. They say you will know by the end of the first day whether, barring injury, you will be able to complete the walk! There are some subtly beautiful attractions along the way, including the Derbyshire grit stone edges, the limestone scenery at Malham, the high Yorkshire peaks Pen-y-ghent, Cam High Fell, Great Shunner Fell then, highest of all, Cross Fell. There are many lesser hills that undulate until you pass over the Cheviot hills into Scotland. Other major attractions include the various waterfalls you will come across on the River Tees (and elsewhere), walking along the Roman Wall and visiting some special towns and villages such as Edale, Hebden Bridge, Malham, Thwaite, Keld, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Bellingham. There are a lot of farms, gates and stiles too, not to mention Roman forts dotted about.

Finally, you stroll into Kirk Yetholm, where tradition also has it that you go to the Borders Hotel and claim half a pint of beer and a completion certificate. The beer was originally funded by Alfred Wainwright, then his estate and currently by the Hadrian Border Brewery.

Much of the walk is within the realms of 3 National Parks: Derbyshire, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland. When it is not in these areas it is often darting across other very scenic areas, including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It is reckoned that only about 2,000 people a year do the Pennine Way walk. This may compare with 25,000 or more on the Coast to Coast! The result is that although at some 'honey pot' areas such as Edale, Malham and Horton In Ribblesdale you will find dozens of day or weekend walkers, there will be long, lonely stretches where you will be alone and need to be able to navigate in all weathers.

The Pennine Way is nearly always to be found on serious walkers' bucket lists. For many, often it is the case of getting enough time off work to complete it in one go. However, the walk can be split into two halves, or even smaller sections if required. We offer the Southern and Northern sections as well as the full route.

Originally considered as a backpacking route, it was thought that most people would camp, and then until the late 1980s you could do nearly the whole route using youth hostels. Today a lot of hostels and quite a number of B&Bs and pubs along the way have gone. One thing walkers on this route cannot be is too fussy about their accommodation. To make a complete a booking without expensive taxi transfers, it will be necessary to stay in a whole range of places.

 

Personal Experience of the Pennine Way

England is our home and our team have been walking and cycling the Pennine Way for over 4 decades. We are passionate about the UK, active holidays and delivering exceptional service. Combined, we’ve travelled to virtually every corner of England and bring a multi-disciplined, multicultural and whole-hearted love of all things travel.

Local Knowledge of the Pennine Way

We place great emphasis on researching, planning and crafting innovative itineraries along the Pennine Way to ensure you get the very best experience out of your trip. We believe relationships are important and have been working with many of our hoteliers and local suppliers for years and years. This means that they know exactly what our travellers expect from their active holiday along the Pennine Way.

Great Value & Quality Trips on the Pennine Way

Our active holidays along the Pennine Way in England are well priced offering great value for money. Included in your package are comprehensive route notes, maps & guide books along with bag transfers and locally run accommodation. When you book, your trip will be fully organised by a dedicated member of our in-house team, so you will always know who you are dealing with. We take the stress out of organising your trip in England.


 

Reducing waste

Our Waste Management Policy encourages our travellers to take their own reusable water bottles, coffee cups and reusable stuff sacks to avoid single use plastics.

Supporting local

In the English regions that we travel through tourism is the main source of income for many local people. We support them by working with local family run accommodations and suppliers so that your money actually assists the community that hosts you.

Paddock to plate

The paddock to plate concept is one we encourage by choosing to work with accommodations that source produce from local farms. This provides you with fresher meals and ensures your money directly assists local economies.



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The Pennine Way
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Your safety is our number one concern. Our safety track record is exemplary thanks to careful management and thorough consultation with local partners. Our industry leading risk management procedures have become a skill that we continue to refine. Our leaders in the field are highly trained and have safety as their number one priority. Expert leaders, risk assessments, quality inclusions and your financial security all come standard when you travel with us. Please refer to our Travel Advisory page for updates on recent events, travel warnings and advice. We strongly recommend that all clients take out travel insurance at the time of booking to cover against sickness, accident, loss of baggage, unexpected alterations to travel arrangements and travel disruption, emergency evacuation, cancellations, etc. Insurance information is enclosed with your pre-departure information. Please contact us if you would like to obtain a quote for your trip duration. We suggest that you consult your doctor, local government inoculation centre or a travel medical specialist in order to get the most current advice regarding vaccination requirements. Money and valuables should always be stored safely when travelling. Keep your passport with you at all times and do not leave it in your main luggage. You will need it to change money and check into hotels. Where safety deposit boxes are available, we recommend that you use them. Keep jewellery and valuables to a minimum.