A tough (but scenic) start to a long journey!
England's best known multi-day walk more than justifies the hype as it takes you from the southern Pennines to the Scottish border.
Winding up through the mountainous central spine of England, this is a celebrated hike from the Peak District up to - and over - the Scottish border. There are longer multi-day hikes in the UK, but few feel as accessible yet wild as this journey through some of England's most famous and rugged scenery.
The trip gets underway in Edale, right in the heart of the Peak District and easily accessed from Manchester, and it's a fittingly beautiful start point for this varied mountain journey. From Edale you'll cross the hills and moors of the Peak District and then enter the more rugged Yorkshire Dales, passing the world famous Malham Cove and climbing the legendary Pen-y-Ghent en route. Once out of the Dales you cross the North Pennines, traverse alongside Hadrian's Wall and finish with a 2 day journey across the Cheviots, some of England's most remote and untamed peaks. Some hikers argue that the Pennine Way gets better the further north you go, and while the southern section is thoroughly enjoyable, they've probably got a point.
Traversing right through a densely populated country, you'd expect the Pennine Way to be littered with villages and amenities, but much of it is amazingly remote, and there's a lot of logistical planning required to make sure that you always have somewhere to stay every night, and food to keep you going every day! The northern section is particularly remote, and the final 2 days of the trail have no facilities on them at all, meaning that you either have to link them together, split them with a wild camp, or detour off the trail to find somewhere to stay. Solving these logistical issues isn't too tricky, but it does add to the challenge of the route, and - assuming you're successful - the satisfaction of completing it.
Now all you're waiting for is 2 weeks of unbroken sunshine in northern England....!
A tough (but scenic) start to a long journey!
A picturesque journey across barren moorland
Not one of the better days on the Pennine Way but still an enjoyable stroll which features some excellent lunch options!
A scenic and relatively straightforward day which involves some tricky navigation in bad weather
Sometimes described as "the worst day on the Pennine Way", this is still a pleasant hike with a fabulous village at its end.
One of the highlights of the Pennine Way - this is a fabulous journey
A less challenging day than yesterday, but a lovely stroll nonetheless.
A combination of waterfalls, moors, summits and one of the best pubs in England make this one of the best days on the whole trip.
A long trip through some featureless - and often boggy - moorland
This long and varied hike is one of the absolute highlights on the Pennine Way
The toughest day on the Pennine Way, and one of the absolute best.
Honestly, this isn't a classic Pennine Way day but it's a necessary linking section which takes you to Hadrian's Wall
A wonderful walk through some fascinating historical landmarks
Gorgeous forests and moors lead you into the glorious Cheviot Hills
The wonders of the Cheviot Hills reveal themselves over 2 glorious days