A couple of weeks ago, one of the most famous trails in the country hit the half century. In 1965, the 268 mile trail across the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales was opened to the public. It was Britain’s longest, most challenging hiking trail and it has gained a loyal following since.
The Pennine Way traverses the spine of Britain from Edale in the south to Kirk Yelholm in the north. It wanders through the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, North Pennines and the Cheviots, taking in some of the best countryside we have.
The Pennine Way
This trail, like many longer walks, can be broken up into bite size pieces so you can walk the entire way, but not all at once. There are dozens of towns and villages within close proximity to The Pennine Way and we have holiday cottages spread throughout the entire length of the trail. It’s easy to plan a week or two exploring the centre of Britain while using one of our top quality holiday lets as a base.
It would take around 19-20 days to walk the entire trail. That’s assuming you walked every day for several hours at a time. As an aside, the fastest completion of The Pennine Way was complete in 1989 in 2 days 17 hours 20 minutes and 15 seconds. A man called Mike Hartley ran the whole way, stopping only twice for 18 minutes each time.
The trail can be challenging as it’s hilly, sometimes exposed and very long. If you begin in Edale, the first few dozen miles can be hard, but then it evens out. Expect to do a lot of training before tackling the entire trail!
If you’re more interested in tackling sections of The Pennine Way, then things are much easier. You can break the trail down into manageable sections depending on your ability. The National Trails website has a wealth of information regarding maps, terrain, planning and much more.
Remember, if you feel like tackling The Pennine Way, check our holiday cottages in the area first. You’ll need to put your feet up after a long day of walking!
The National Trails organisations has organised a number of events this year to celebrate this 50th birthday. Beginning on April 24th, the official birthday of The Pennine Way, there began celebrations, special events and more. A month later and things are still going strong in what will be a year of events.
Check the list of special events here if you would like to get involved.