“. . . . my escape to the hills . . .” Alfred Wainwright
Overview
The Pennine Journey is a challenging circular walk, 247 miles long, passing through the wonderful variety of terrain and scenery that the north of England offers and touching on all the major rivers in the region. Starting in the market town of Settle in north Yorkshire, in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the route heads north on the eastern side of the Pennines through the delightful Yorkshire Dales and moorland stretches of Co. Durham before arriving at Hadrian’s Wall. This World Heritage site, in the Northumberland National Park, is followed for 21 miles until the route heads south on the western side of the Pennines. After traversing the Pennines just below the highest point of Cross Fell, it enters and travels down the Eden valley before skirting the Howgills Fells then arrives back in Settle.
Over half of the Pennine Journey, perhaps not surprisingly, is within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This was established in 1988 and it is the second largest of 40 AONBs within England and Wales. The varied geology of the area, much in evidence on the walk, has been recognised by it becoming Britain's first Eurpean Geopark and it was a founding member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network. The walk is divided into 18 daily stages of varying length and offers a choice of possibilities. It can be undertaken as one continuous walk; split at Housesteads on Hadrian’s Wall (Alfred Wainwright’s primary objective) into two stages of roughly 120 miles each; or divided into three stages – eastern, northern and western – of around 80 miles each.
Order the guide
Download an order form (pdf) to buy the guide and/or AW's original book.
Latest News
- July 2010
- Pennine Journey Accommodation listing launched.
- July 2010
- Ron Scholes, who drew the route maps and provided some vignettes for the Pennine Journey guide book, set out on 23rd June 2010 on another long distance walk of his own devising - Norfolk to the Roman Wall - 426 mile, 31 days! More...
- Spring 2010
- Durham County Council have endorsed the route and Northumberland County Council have offered their support.
- 17 April 2010
- Guide book Launch Walk. Report
- March 2009
- Editor, Michael Brunstrom, appointed at Frances Lincoln
- 23 November 2008
- BBC Countryfile interview. More...
- 24 September 2008
- Lancashire Telegraph publish article on the 70th Anniverary Walk. More...
- 24 September 2008
- 70th Anniversary walk commemorating the start of AW’s Pennine Journey and, coincidentally, the contract for the guide book is signed with Frances Lincoln. More...
- 20 September 2008
- Yorkshire Post newspaper article "Following steps of Wainwright to Hadrian's Wall" published. More...
- September 2008
- Dalesman magazine article on 70th Anniversary walk. More...
- 11 August 2008
- Completion of the final test walking
- 7 August 2008
- News and Star newspaper article "Walk to Celebrate Wainwright 70th Anniversary" published. More...
- 29 July 2007
- Start of the final test walking based on Ron Scholes’s maps
- March 2008
- Footsteps article. More...
- 21 January 2007
- AW’s Centenary Memorial at Blackburn Cathedral when one of the readings was from ‘A Pennine Journey’. More...
- 2006
- Frances Lincoln agree to publish an illustrated guide book
- 25 March 2006
- At 3rd Society AGM David reported that all the 18 stages had been walked, recorded, written-up and test walked
- March 2006
- Footsteps article. More...
- December 2005
- Ron Scholes offers to provide detailed route maps and Colin Bywater offers to do black and white illustrations for the guide book
- 19 March 2005
- At 2nd Society AGM Pennine Journey project launched, with volunteers to be sought to walk and test walk 18 stages providing/amending written descriptions of the route
- 24 January 2004
- At 1st Society AGM David & Heather Pitt suggest that the Society uses their 1998 walk and updates it as a collaborative venture by the members
- 9 November 2002
- Wainwright Society formed
- September 1998
- David & Heather Pitt walk their route of 230 miles and arrive back at Settle on 24th September, coincidentally the 60th anniversary of when AW set out from Settle on his journey
- Winter 1991/2
- David & Heather Pitt, having read ‘A Pennine Journey’, start to plan a long distance walk based upon it
- September 1986
- ‘A Pennine Journey’ published by Michael Joseph: 37 years after it was written
- 24 September 1938
- AW leaves Settle bound for Hadrian’s Wall and returns on 11 October having walked around 210 miles
- 17 January 1907
- Alfred Wainwright (AW) born in Blackburn, Lancashire
