General Information This scenic walk through the historic county of Westmorland and the Lake District National Park begins at Appleby in the shadow of the Pennines and ends at Arnside on the shores of Morecambe Bay.
Beginning in Appleby, a picturesque town dominated by its sturdy Norman Castle, the Westmorland Way crosses the lush pastures of the Eden Valley through a string of pretty red sandstone villages to Shap. After visiting Shap Abbey the trail follows the banks of the River Lowther to Askam, a delightful village with two greens surrounded by fine 17th century cottages, before crossing Heughscar Hill to the attractive village of Pooley Bridge, with far-reaching views over Ullswater. Then it follows the lakeside path through meadows and ancient oak, birch and hazel woods to the hamlet of Patterdale at the head of the lake, where it joins an old packhorse track cutting through the hills of the Helvellyn range to the picturesque village of Grasmere. From Elterwater in the beautiful Langdale valley, the trail meanders downstream beside the River Brathay to the lively little town of Ambleside. It visits Jenkin Crag, which provides glorious views across Windermere to the Langdale Pikes, and Troutbeck, famous for its named wells, bank barns and beautiful 17th century farmhouses with mullioned windows and the tall cylindrical chimneys so characteristic of Westmorland. After exploring the medieval market town of Kendal, with its interesting yards, ginnels and alleyways, the Westmorland Way leaves the town beside the River Kent. Several lovely riverside miles later, it leaves the river and follows the Lancaster Canal to the village of Holme, where woodland paths lead over the hillocks of Fairy Steps and Arnside Knott to Arnside on the shores of Morecambe Bay.
Total distance: 95 miles (152km) Duration: 8nights, 7 days walking Minimum/maximum daily distances: 9 miles (14.5km)/17 ½ miles (28km) Season: March to October
Starting point of holiday: Appleby End of holiday: Arnside Most convenient major city and International airport: Manchester Airport. Train to Appleby; journey time approximately 3 hours 30 minutes. Outward journey from London to Appleby: The journey by train from London to Appleby takes approximately 5 hours. Return journey to London at the end of the holiday: There is a regular train service from Arnside to London (approximately 4 hours). Return journey to Manchester Airport at the end of the holiday: Train from Arnside to Manchester Airport (approximately 2 hours).
Itinerary Day 1: Travel to Appleby where your first nights accommodation has been booked.
Day 2: Appleby to Shap.17 miles (27km).
Day 3: Shap to Pooley Bridge.14 miles (22.5km).
Day 4: Pooley Bridge to Patterdale.11 ½ miles (18.5km).
Day 5: Patterdale to Grasmere.9 miles (14.5km).
Day 6: Grasmere to Troutbeck.11 miles (17.5km).
Day 7: Troutbeck to Kendal.15 miles (24km).
Day 8: Kendal to Arnside.17 ½ miles (28km).
Day 9: Depart from Arnside after breakfast
Accommodation & Meals 8 nights accommodation in en-suite rooms with private bathrooms (where available) in selected hotels, inns and guesthouses. Traditional cooked breakfast
What’s Included Door to door luggage transfer. Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook describing the trail. An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night, town plans, information about facilities and places of interest along the trail and a kit list. Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it. Emergency assistance
Extra nights/Rest days Appleby is one of the most picturesque towns in the north of England, with a fine castle, a wide tree-lined main street and many attractive buildings including the Moot Hall, St Lawrence’s Church and the Almshouses. Patterdale is a lovely little village and is a good choice if you would like to climb Helvellyn, one of the finest mountains in the Lake District. There is plenty to see and do in the pretty village of Grasmere. Consider an extra day in Troutbeck if you would like to visit Townend, a remarkable 17th century ‘Statesman’ farmhouse which is packed with original furnishings, documents and domestic and farming implements. Kendal is another good choice. It has plenty of interesting shops, numerous ‘yards’, ‘ginnels’ and ‘alleys’ to explore, a fascinating museum and wonderful art gallery.
General Information