Everything you need to know about the Pennine Way

The Pennine Way is England's oldest (and arguably most famous) National Trail. Beginning in Edale in the Peak District, the route winds its way for 268 miles (431 km) along the Pennine hills through the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland, finally finishing at Kirk Yetholm, just beyond the Scottish border.

The trail was founded almost 60 years ago by journalist and rambler Tom Stephenson, who was inspired by American long-distance trails. To this day, it is thought to be one of the best-known and toughest trails in the United Kingdom.

We've totted up a few fun facts and some trail trivia about this iconic route that are guaranteed to earn you points at the next pub quiz, as well as a comprehensive guide to walking the route yourself. Read on for everything you need to know about this pioneering path...

The history of the Pennine Way

The original idea for the Pennine Way was first mooted by Tom Stephenson in a newspaper article in 1935. One of the founder members of the Ramblers and a passionate campaigner for walkers’ rights, he famously titled the article "Wanted: A Long Green Trail". Stephenson described his idea for the route as "a faint line on the Ordnance Maps, which the feet of grateful pilgrims would, with the passing years, engrave on the face of the land". He confided to friends at the time that he had an ulterior motive for devising this trail: to open up moorlands long closed to the public by landowners and championing a right to roam!

Stephenson was motivated to campaign for wider access across the hills after he was challenged for trespassing by a gamekeeper on the summit of Whernside. The Appalachian Way in the US also inspired Stephenson to campaign for an equivalent route in the UK, and to publicise his cause, he organised a three-day walk from Middleton-in-Teesdale up to Hadrian’s Wall in 1948. The walk was attended by several prominent MPs, including Barbara Castle and Arthur Blenkinsop.

The official Pennine Way opening ceremony took place at Malham in the Yorkshire Dales on 24th April 1965, and was attended by hundreds of walkers.

The route

Most people walk the Pennine Way from south to north; partly because of the direction of the wind, but mostly because the official guidebook is written in this direction. Only 30% of the route follows bridlepaths, so if you fancy cycling rather than walking then you’ll need to divert onto the equally challenging Pennine Bridleway National Trail! The route also forms part of a European long distance path called the E2.

The full route passes through three national parks: the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland, and there are four bothies along the route: at Top Withens, on the north flank of Cross Fell, close to Lamb Hill and south of the Schil. Half the Way meanders over open moorland or through pastures - only a tenth is forest, woodland or river bank.

A walker completing the full route will climb a total of 12,000 metres. The length of the trail according to the official guide book is 256 miles, but most walkers will do more than this by diverting to overnight accommodation.

Along the way

• Hillwalking highlights on the Pennine Way include Kinder Scout, Stoodley Pike, Top Withins, Malham Cove, Pen-y-ghent, Tan Hill, High Force, Cauldron Snout, High Cup Nick, Cross Fell, Hadrian’s Wall and The Cheviot.
• Just before reaching the halfway point at Baldersdale, you’ll pass a pub that claims to be the highest in Britain - Tan Hill Inn.
• At 893 metres, Cross Fell is the highest point of the Way. Below Cross Fell, the Way joins an old corpse road that was once used to ferry bodies between the hamlet of Garrigill and Kirkland in the Eden Valley.
• The Way passes High Force in County Durham, the largest waterfall in England.
• Top Withens, a ruined farmhouse visited by the Pennine Way, is said to have been the inspiration for the Earnshaw family house in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.
• The limestone pavement above Malham Cove is one of the highlights of the route. It appeared in both Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and the Steve Coogan series The Trip.
• Another famous long-distance route, Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, crosses the Pennine Way at Keld.
• Unusual wildlife to watch out for along the route includes feral goats in the Cheviot Hills, fell ponies in the North Pennines, black grouse, lapwings, otters and rare newts.

Fun facts

• The record for the fastest completion of the Pennine Way was set by Mike Hartley in July 1989. Mike ran the route in 2 days, 17 hours, 20 minutes and 15 seconds without stopping for sleep.
• On his record-breaking run, Mike rested only twice - one of those was an 18-minute fish and chip break in Alston.
• Poet Simon Armitage walked the Way as a ‘wandering troubadour’ in 2010, funding his adventure by doing poetry readings in village halls, pubs and homes.
• Alfred Wainwright offered to buy half a pint of beer for any walker who completed the full trail. The promise apparently cost him nearly £15,000 by his death in 1991.
• Despite his promise, Wainwright himself wasn’t a fan of the Pennine Way. “You won’t come across me anywhere along the P.W.” he wrote, “I’ve had enough of it.” His attitude might be partly explained by the terrible weather he encountered whenever he ventured onto the route.
• The trail is used by 15,000 long distance walkers and more than 250,000 day walkers every year.
• Some parts of the Way receive up to 2.5 metres of rain per year.
• The full route navigates 249 stiles, 204 bridges and 287 gates.
• There are 458 signs marking the route, so you shouldn’t struggle to find your way.
• Plenty of poets have been inspired by the beauty of the Pennine Way. Yorkshire bard Ian McMillan wrote of the route:

Find your adventure

National trails like to Pennine Way are generally well-walked, sections of the routes are signposted, and are often relatively close to civilisation! If you’re planning your first multi-day walk, you can choose a smaller section to start with based on the time you have available and the distance (and ascent) you’d like to cover.

You can find routes and hillwalking tips to inspire your next adventure here.