Trail Snapshots – Yorkshire wold’s Way

Welcome to Distance Hiker Trail Snapshots, where members of our community share a Q&A snapshot of a trail they love!

The Yorkshire Wolds way travels through a stunning corner in England that has remained largely untouched for centuries.

This landscape is alive with butterflies, birds, and villages nestled into woodland dells. Between England’s most popular deserted medieval village at Wharram Percy, views across the Humbug Bridge to the towers of Lincolns Cathedral, and the quaint coastal resort of Filey, this trail offers plenty to keep you interested.

You can find Matthew, who contributed this trail snapshot on YouTube, Instagram and on his personal website.

What made you choose the Glyndŵr’s Way?

I’m walking all of the National Trails, with an immediate focus on those over Chalk landscapes – a project I’m calling “Walk the Chalk”

What were the highlights of the trail for you?

The central section between South Cave and Wharram Percy – I lost count of the secluded deep dry valleys I passed through.

Can you tell us about some great overnight spots you found, whether it’s a wild camp, B&B, or campsite.

I wild camped the whole trail, with 5 camps across 2 trips. My first two camps were nasty stealthy affairs on rubbish brambly ground, but after that I camped high overlooking dry valleys each night, totally undisturbed. I’m not telling you exact spots, but anywhere not close to a village, not in a field of crops is probably going to be ok.

Were there any parts of the trail you didn’t enjoy?

Very little. As is often to be expected, with the need to put the trailhead somewhere accessible, the start wasn’t as good as the rest, but even that was pleasant with a walk along the Humber. The penultimate day along the northern edge of the escarpment didn’t have the drama of the central bit, but for a North Downs boy like me was like being at home.

What would you do differently if you were to walk it again, and what advice would you have for anyone else looking to walk the trail?

Very little. I originally intended to thru hike it in one go, but had to return home urgently on day 2, so I had to come back to finish it off.

So I’d certainly aim to do it in one next time. For a repeat though, I would deviate from the trail to include some of the other dales to the east of the trail, linking up with other long distance trails in the area.

It’s that good, I’m actively planning to go back as soon as I can and do some more of the area.

My main advice for anyone walking it is to think about your accommodation strategy – campsites aren’t spread very well, there’s no hostels really, but there are a number of B&B’s if you’re prepared to go a mile or so off path.

The trail is in practice pretty easy to wild camp though. The biggest challenge with doing that is water though. I found one tap near Settringham Beacon, there are very few rivers to take water from (and questionable whether you’d want to anyway).

Some people take water from animal troughs (usually filtering it as well), but it was pretty nasty when I looked. I resorted to buying bottled water each day.

Where is your next long-distance hike?

I am re-walking the North Downs Way (in chunks), then off to hopefully finish the Cambrian Way (got to Mallwyd so far). In October I’m finally off to do the West Highland Way.

You can learn more about Matthew on Instagram @backpackartist

Trail Map

Would you like to be featured?

Here at Distance Hiker we are always on the lookout for great new long distance hiking content. Our Trail Snapshots are a great place to start. If you have a long distance trail you would like to share simply fill in the form linked here and email some photos to matthew@distancehiker.com.

Trail Snapshots – East Highland Way

Cover photo credit – Neil Williamson

Welcome to Distance Hiker Trail Snapshots, where members of our community share a Q&A snapshot of a trail they love!

In this article Aaron shares a snapshot of his hike along the East Highland Way which stretches from Fort William to Aviemore over 82 miles of countryside.

You can find Aarons website here and his YouTube channel here.

What made you choose the st cuthbert’s Way?

It was a long-postponed trail and also filled in a gap between the West Highland Way and the Speyside Way. A good distance (around 80 miles) for a week of Hiking.

What were the highlights of the trail for you?

Not on the trail itself, but we had a short day which gave us time to walk up to the Pictish Hill Fort at Dun-da-lamh which is in a remarkable state of preservation, and give some quite incredible views over the area.

The route from Laggan through to Newtonmore via Glen Banchor gives a real sense of being in the wild, and the route from Newtonmore to Kingussie is very special (if you are walking the new Speyside Way extension, I’d thoroughly recommend avoiding that and walking the EHW route here instead).

The route also follows the short Badenoch Way from Kingussie, which again is a delightful route.

Can you tell us about some great overnight spots you found, whether it’s a wild camp, B&B, or campsite?

A huge mention ot the Laggan Hotel, which was superb. We stayed there several nights as accommodation is sparse, and managed to arrange transfers each day.

There were a few lovely wild camp spots, but the one that sticks in my mind was at An Dubh Lochan on the Tulloch to Feagor road. It was stunning.

Not too much else to add as we stayed in B&B’s/hotels for most of it. I would recommend avoiding the Spean Bridge Hotel, however. It was overpriced and being polite, rather dilapidated.

We stayed there two nights, returning by train from Tulloch station, and getting the first train out the next morning

The beach at the western end of loch laggan. Another stunning place to wild camp

Were there any parts of the trail you didn’t enjoy?

The walk alongside Loch Laggan. Right through thick conifer plantation, which I detest with a passion.

What would you do differently if you were to walk it again, and what advice would you have for anyone else looking to walk the trail?

Don’t walk along Loch Laggan. There is a fabulous alternative (which I was persuaded to not use, against my better judgment) which is a very similar distance through the glen to the south of the loch on the other side of the hill.

It follows a shooting track next to two lochans and is a fairly obvious and easy alternative if you have a map. Don’t argue, just go that way! I wish we had!

Where is your next long-distance hike?

The Cumbria Way

You can learn more about Alex and see some of her previous hiking, travel and long distance hiking photos on her Instagram @alibongo_

Trail Map

Would you like to be featured?

Here at Distance Hiker we are always on the lookout for great new long distance hiking content. Our Trail Snapshots are a great place to start. If you have a long distance trail you would like to share simply fill in the form linked here and email some photos to matthew@distancehiker.com.

Wet weather wildcamping. My first sleep in the wilderness

Back in July 2022, my four friends (Aaron, Robin, Pete and Robert) and I visited the Old Man Of Coniston for our annual mountain trip. This was to be the smallest mountain we’d trek – we’d hiked the highest points in the UK and Ireland with a few others thrown in to this point – but we weren’t going to underestimate this ascent in any way. Plus, this trip had the added bonus of us wildcamping for the first time.In order to prepare for our adventure, we’d taken advice from experienced wildcampers and watched a number of YouTube videos. My friends’ shelters included a tent and bivvy sacks. I decided on a poncho tarp latched to a hiking pole secured by tent pegs and bungee cord for my shelter; I felt that this would be lightweight and adequate enough. I practiced building my shelter a few times in my back garden, so by the time we hit Cumbria I was reasonably confident I’d be okay.

As there was a small gang of us making the journey, it was easy for us to spread our collective load between us. What’s App group chats saw us comparing weights of camping stoves and torches to gain a good understanding of the lightest items to carry. This meant that we had room to take a few little extras for the big sleep outside: the idea to waking up to sizzling bacon on a mountainside was appealing!

FIRST STOP: THE PUB!

So, come the big day, we piled our rucksacks into the car, having made sure we’d done one final itinerary check beforehand. We left our base camp at a mobile home park in Millom around midday as the lure of the mountains called to us once again. And after a hefty, long Sunday lunch at The Ship Inn just outside of Coniston, the hike began at 3pm.

We started along a B-road before beginning to climb up through farm fields. Aaron was our navigator for the day with his trusted compass skills, and before long he’d led us to the main path that’d take us to the mountain peak. If it had been down to me to set our direction, I think I’d have taken us to Carlisle!

I liked this trek a lot: for the most part, the valley rose up alongside the path, so there were hardly any steep drops that would send my head in a spin. You see, I have a fear of heights, and I never know how I’m going to be on a mountain until I get there; on Scafell Pike in 2016, for instance, I’d turned up full of beans, only for my head to give out halfway up as I feared for my life looking down on the valley below. So, to be leading from the front and engaging in banter most of the way up the Old Man was a joy to me.

FROM PEAK TO SLEEP

One of our pre-hike worries had been the weight of our packs slowing us down. Yet, we reached the peak of the mountain with only a few minor mumbles and strap adjustments. The weather had also been favourable despite the threat of rain. Mind you, the pints that had been downed in the pub prior to the footslog were beginning to take their toll on a few members of our group at this point.

The map was spread out as we hunted out our sleep spot : Blind Tarn. This leg of the journey involved descending the Old Man on its other side, bounding across boggy fields and a rushing river before taking on more boggy fields and a final ascent to our destination.

After becoming lost a few times, we’d made it. By now, it was 9pm, and energy levels were sapping. I whipped off my boots and socks, and enjoyed the cool waters of the tarn soothing my aching feet. Taking in the scenery and the isolation, we all cooed in unison as to the rugged beauty of the location.

Then, it was time to build the shelter once more. We ate quickly and soon bedded down, too zapped of energy to talk much.

BLOWN AWAY

Blind Tarn is framed by steep rock faces on three sides, so we thought we had adequate enough protection from the elements As rain crept in at 1am, we were stirred from our slumbers. By 1.30am, I was having to hastily reconstruct my build amid a howling gale. The bungee cord had twanged off in a random direction causing the hiking pole to collapse. With the help of my friends, we were able to secure my tarp with more tent pegs and rocks by all four corners before it got blown away like an unwanted rag.

I slid between the tarp and the ground sheet, and huddled under my sleeping bag. By 3am, and unable to sleep, I heard Robin’s teeth chattering; he declared that he’d had enough. I called it time too as, by now, water had flooded my sleeping bag via the gap in the poncho tarp for the hood. Reluctantly, and feeling extremely gutted and soaked, Robin and I packed hastily, and headed back to the car.

Still, at least we got to see a sunrise before reaching the warmth of the car. Aaron, Pete and Robert joined us a few hours later having battled the night out, and returned my missing bungee cord to me!

FOR THE FUTURE

In her book Extreme Sleeps, Phoebe Smith shows how a bad first experience wildcamping should never put you off. In fact, the author is so adept at wildcamping by the end of the book that it’s almost a way of live for her.

On the way back to the car that morning, Robin and I were reflective in this vain rather than dismissive of future wildcamping adventures. We want to stick at it to gain more experience of immersing ourselves in nature in this way.

And we know one way to make our next sleep in the wilderness much better: TO USE A BLINKING TENT!!!!

Trail Snapshots – St Cuthbert’s Way

Welcome to Distance Hiker Trail Snapshots, where members of our community share a Q&A snapshot of a trail they love!

In this article Chris shares a snapshot of his hike along the St Cuthberts Way which stretches from Melrose Abbey, to Lindisfarne over 102 miles of countryside.

You can find the full length post written by Chris over on Medium. Chris also has a YouTube channel, which you can subscribe to here!

What made you choose the st cuthbert’s Way?

I’d done some longer trails and thought I’d try a few 4-5 day ones this week. I looked at about a dozen that I’d seen recommended, and this appealed to me

What were the highlights of the trail for you?

The main highlight was the ending, walking barefoot across the tidal causeway to Lindisfarne. Like a proper pilgrim! Also really liked the grassy paths over the hills on day 2 and 3, easy going. And the really welcoming attitude from every local I met along the length of the way.

Can you tell us about some great overnight spots you found, whether it’s a wild camp, B&B, or campsite.

I stayed in accommodation- if I had to pick one, it would be the Meadhon Guest House in Jedburgh- really good value- lovely room with all the bits and pieces I’d want from a guest house room. Comfy bed and lovely breakfast. Also want to shout out to the Wooler Youth Hostel- definitely one of the best ones I’ve stayed in recently

Were there any parts of the trail you didn’t enjoy?

The main downside was that the first day was a bit too much for me- I started late and the weather and underfoot conditions made it really stressful. Was a nice walk though. I think the only bit I really didn’t enjoy though was the long road section after Cessford Castle and into Morebattle. Morebattle’s a super lunch stop when you get there, though.

What would you do differently if you were to walk it again, and what advice would you have for anyone else looking to walk the trail?

I think I’d probably take an extra day- maybe stay in St Boswell’s the first night and to Morebattle on the second night. That also avoids the detour to and from Jedburgh.

Where is your next long-distance hike?

I’m off to do the Affric Kintail Way (extended to Inverness at the start to make it a coast-to-coast) in a couple of weeks.

You can learn more about Alex and see some of her previous hiking, travel and long distance hiking photos on her Instagram @alibongo_

Trail Map

Would you like to be featured?

Here at Distance Hiker we are always on the lookout for great new long distance hiking content. Our Trail Snapshots are a great place to start. If you have a long distance trail you would like to share simply fill in the form linked here and email some photos to matthew@distancehiker.com.

Trail Snapshots – Glyndŵr’s Way | Wales

Welcome to Distance Hiker Trail Snapshots, where members of our community share a Q&A snapshot of a trail they love!

In this article Matthew shares a snapshot of his hike along the Glyndŵr’s Way National Trail which stretches from Knighton to Welshpool – 135.3 miles in length.

You can find Matthew, who contributed this trail snapshot on YouTube, Instagram and on his personal website.

What made you choose the Glyndŵr’s Way?

I’m working my way through the National Trails, plus I was keen to go to Wales as it was ages since I’d last been, and this trail was a nice length. It won out over doing the Wye Valley Walk (which I’ll do someday though).

What were the highlights of the trail for you?

Day 4 was easily the best day. I walked from Llanidloes to Llyn Clywedog and through the Hafren Forest to climb up the north end end of the Plynlimon range. Easily the most stunning scenery. I topped it off with a camp on the summit of Foel Fadian – although that did then become a bit nasty when I found myself on the edge of Storm Evert.

Can you tell us about some great overnight spots you found, whether it’s a wild camp, B&B, or campsite.

I had one really nice wild camp just before the forest north of Cerrig y Tan – just one of those nice peaceful spots to chill out. Night 4 on Foel Fadian would have been awesome apart if it hadn’t coincided with a storm! I used campsites increasingly towards the end of the trail, opting for very basic ones – the one behind the pub in Meifod was spot on.

Were there any parts of the trail you didn’t enjoy?

Nothing I didn’t enjoy, but there were definitely parts that got a bit samey. The bracken was really high in places (especially alongside Llyn Clywedog) bringing concerns about ticks, as well as soaking me through very quickly. There were a few stretches of road walking, but I used these as moments to record my vlog updates as I was walking to reduce the tedium. I did the after not having done anything big for some time (ie due to COVID), so simply being out in the countryside for an extended walk was joyful in itself.

What would you do differently if you were to walk it again, and what advice would you have for anyone else looking to walk the trail?

The key issue I faced was water: it was July and many of the streams were dry. I wasn’t prepared to take water from lowland rivers due to the risk of agricultural run-off, so water became the main limiting factor. Add to this that a lot of the shops, pubs and cafes weren’t open – many weren’t yet open again post-COVID, some were only open certain days of the week, and some had quite short hours. The number of such places was pretty sparse to start with too. This was the main reason that I didn’t wild camp as much as I’d hoped – without being able to get water, I fell back on more certain arrangements, booking campsites etc. I would suggest doing the walk a little earlier or later so that it is cooler and the rivers might be flowing more.

Where is your next long-distance hike?

I’m setting off today to do the TGO Challenge – my route is 344km from Lochailort on the west coast of Scotland to Dunnottar Castle on the east coast. This will take 15 days. After that I have more National Trails to work through – high on the list for this year are the Yorkshire Wolds Way, Speyside Way and finishing the SWCP. I am also looking to tie in a re-walk of the North Downs Way (for which I’m one of the trail ambassadors), with the Kent Pilgrimage Festival in September, possibly helping to lead a multi-day pilgrimage along part of the NDW.

You can learn more about Alex and see some of her previous hiking, travel and long distance hiking photos on her Instagram @alibongo_

Trail Map

Would you like to be featured?

Here at Distance Hiker we are always on the lookout for great new long distance hiking content. Our Trail Snapshots are a great place to start. If you have a long distance trail you would like to share simply fill in the form linked here and email some photos to matthew@distancehiker.com.

Distance Hiker Diaries – Walking the Dales Way in 5 Days

Tracy and Martin, two members of our community, recently shared a day-by-day account of their Dales Way walk.

They chose to walk the Dales Way, enjoying the finer things in life as they went – B&B’s, Pie and Beer, including the beer of the day after each overnight stop.

Thank you Tracy for allowing us to repost your Dales Way, in 5 days long distance walk!

Day 1. Ilkley to Grassington – 17.5 miles

Woke up in our room overlooking the River Wharfe and we kept the same river in view for 17 miles. Seas of bluebells and carpets of wild garlic led us up to Bolton abbey where we treated ourselves to a brew and a slice of lemon drizzle cake.

Then onwards through pretty woodland and farmland with the few cows that we encountered being very well behaved.

Most people stop at Burnsall on the first day but we just stopped for a pint before cracking on to Darrowby. Staying in the very nice Black horse hotel but no sign of James, Tristan or Siegfreid.

Ale of the day: Timothy Taylor’s Landlord Dark

Day 2. Grassington to Hubberholme. 12.5 miles

The black horse at Grassington will take some beating in the best accommodation of our adventure competition. Great room, fantastic food, friendly staff and I always get excited when I’m offered something other than a fried breakfast. Today it was pancakes with local honey and a right big banana. We woke to the rain hammering at the window but by the time we’d collected some provisions from the bakery, it’d fined up and we headed up the village to the fields above the Dales Dairy.

I had put my big girl pants on and made a decision that the bovines aren’t going to bother me on this adventure. Martin assures me that all the cows are friendly around here anyway 😬.

We were soon high above the valley in limestone country before dropping down into Kettlewell through a series of stiles that the guide book described as like the 110m hurdles with just sheep for spectators.

We thought that we’d better have a mug of Yorkshire tea in a village with this name, before returning to our friend the river Wharfe and following it down the valley. A detour to investigate a 400-year-old pub just off the trail then onwards along the river bank.

When the heavens opened, we thought it “sensible” to shelter in the next pub, the Buck at Buckden. Here the landlady offered to give us a lift to our B&B if “the weather got stupid”.

Luckily after 3 pints, the sun was shining again and we trotted on to the hamlet of Hubberholme, which consists of a church, a farm and an amazing pub.

Ale of the day: Respire by the Black Sheep Brewery

Day 3. Hubberholme to Dent – 21 miles

I awoke this morning still full from the award-winning pie that I’d had for my tea in the George the night before, which wasn’t good seeing as the lady from the B&B was busy preparing another full English breakfast for us downstairs.

Opened the curtains to see a woodpecker on the bird feeder outside our window to my great excitement. After breakfast, Gillian sent us on our way with our packed lunch, following the Wharfe again until it became a trickle and we left it behind to head up over boggy land to join the Pennine Way and the highest point of the Trail.

The wind had been getting stronger all morning and as the mighty Ingleborough came into view, it really picked up. Soon Ingleborough had its friends alongside, Pen Y Ghent and Whernside, with the majestic Ribblehead viaduct between them.

No photos of this as by now my hands were so cold that they were gripping my walking poles like crab’s claws and I was seriously regretting my decision to wear shorts. We found an old barn to shelter behind for lunch. It smelt of wee but we were grateful for any break from that wind and quickly donned every item of clothing in our rucksacks, once Martin had managed to prise the walking poles from my frozen hands.

After lunch, we took a wrong turn but luckily a friendly farmer arrived to point us back in the right direction after only a few minutes of shouting at each other in the middle of a field. We descended into Dentdale but still had another 8 miles to go before we staggered into Dent itself, more than ready to get the rucksacks off our backs, the boots off our feet, and between me and you, that’s far too long to be strapped into a sports bra!

It’s felt like a long day, but there are two cracking pubs in Dent and there’s a bath in our room, so I’m sure I’ll wake up fully refreshed tomorrow, ready to face another 20 miler!

Ale of the day: T’owd Tup from Dent Brewery (6% and we need it to numb the aches!)

Day 4 – Dent to Burneside – 20.5 miles

The last time I was in Dent it rained so hard that it washed the coat right off my old basset hound’s back. Today it was just a light drizzle as we left the cobbled streets behind to more river side walking along the Dee, the Rawthey then the Lune, through the outskirts of Sedbergh.

Shortly after my Garmin told me that I’d walked 13km on Friday the 13th, I felt a bit of a sore heel. I applied the compeed and Martin administered a chocolate chip cookie and on we went.

We left the Yorkshire dales behind and saw the first Herdwick sheep instead of Swaledale, under the shadow of the Howgill fells.

After lunch we soon saw the M6, carrying its convoy of Home Bargain trucks. We crossed this, followed by the West Coast mainline and the A6.

One minor bovine incident was when a herd of cows came charging down a field towards us. Luckily they wanted a drink from the stream, not to trample us into the ground with their hooves as I’d first thought!

The last few miles felt like a never-ending trudge through endless fields, with my ankles screaming that 2 days of 20 miles plus was a stupid idea.

Thankfully tomorrow is a shorter day to the finish line in Bowness and tonight we have the pleasure of the jolly anglers. 3 beers brewed less than a mile away and I’ve got a seat next to a baby whippet.

Ale of the day: Handsome Hound (obviously named after Nancy!)

Day 5 – Burneside to Bowness. 9.5 miles

After perhaps the deepest sleep in my life and another full English breakfast, we set off on our final day.

It began with another section of beautiful Riverside paths beside the crystal clear river Kent, accompanied by the biggest herons I have seen in my life.

We then passed into the Lake District National Park and unsurprisingly, it got a bit lumpier.

For the final few miles, we were overtaken by ultra runners competing in The Lap which put our achievements into perspective. “We’ve walked 81 miles in 5 days!”, “Yeah, well done, I’m doing 47 miles today!”. But we told the volunteers at the feeding station that we’d walked from Ilkley and got a cheer along with the runners.

There’s some dispute about the official end of the Dales Way – the bench, the pub, or the lake. So we sat on the bench, had a pint in the pub, and as for the lake,

I’ll be dipping more than a toe in that in a few week’s time! 🫣The Dales Way is said to be one of the easiest of the more established trails but we’ve had some long days due to difficulties with accommodation and it certainly isn’t flat.

It’s a beautiful part of the world and we will certainly be back with the dogs to explore it more.

So that’s it, job done. But wait, there’s a bus to Ulverston. We don’t need to be back at work for another week. Doesn’t the Cumbria way start in Ulverston??? 🤔🤣

Ale of the day: Swan Blonde from Bowness Brewery

Trail Snapshots – Golden Miles | Derbyshire

Welcome to Distance Hiker Trail Snapshots, where members of our community share a Q&A snapshot of a trail they love!

In this article Alex shares a throwback snapshot of her hike along the Golden Miles Trail in Derbyshire – a small 35 mile circular route, starting from Ashford-in-the-Water. The route circles through Derbyshire villages such as Monsal Head, Great Hucklow, Hathersage, Calver, Endsor and Bakewell.

What made you choose the Golden Miles trail?

A short circular through the White Peak and lower Dark Peak, my favorite areas. It was my first LDW and a trial for both me and my dog before going on longer ones. I needed something with plenty of places to stay that were dog friendly and villages and towns along the way for food and any other necessities I might have forgotten.

What were the highlights of the trail for you?

Sunrise at a quiet Monsal Head. A rewarding bitter shandy and roast dinner at my night’s accommodation in the afternoon sun. Catching the last of the May bluebells. A cream tea in Edensor, Chatsworth. The beautiful Peak District views.

Coming to the realisation that walking many miles with my dog with nothing to worry about but food and sleep is possibly one of the greatest enjoyments in life.

Can you tell us about some great overnight spots you found, whether it’s a wild camp, B&B, or campsite.

The Plough Inn, Hathersage. A luxury stop on my first LDW. Would highly recommend as a treat. These days it’s a tent or bivvy!

Were there any parts of the trail you didn’t enjoy?

It was all stunning, maybe a little disappointed that we stayed in the valleys and never really got up high.

What would you do differently if you were to walk it again, and what advice would you have for anyone else looking to walk the trail?

I would maybe camp and do it over 3 days instead of 2 as I don’t need to test myself, it’d be lovely to take it all in. I would advise doing it in Spring or Autumn when the white peak is at her best.

Where is your next long-distance hike?

The Herriot Way

You can learn more about Alex and see some of her previous hiking, travel and long distance hiking photos on her Instagram @alibongo_

Trail Map

Would you like to be featured?

Here at Distance Hiker we are always on the lookout for great new long distance hiking content. Our Trail Snapshots are a great place to start. If you have a long distance trail you would like to share simply fill in the form linked here and email some photos to matthew@distancehiker.com.

The South Down’s Way

If you are looking for a National Trail which is both easy to get to, and wonderfully sceneic, then the South Down’s Way is worth your attention.

The start in Winchester is easily reached from London, and once you are on the trail, you will feel a million miles from the capital.

The path features an abundance of beautiful English villages, with a fine choice of B&B’s and Inns, and also some camping options. The trail is ideal for beginners and a great way to discover long-distance walking in a comfortable, safe way.

In This Guide

  1. Route Map
  2. Trail Stats
  3. Itinerary
  4. Accommodation
  5. Getting to/from the trail
  6. Trail Merch
  7. Guidebooks & Maps
  8. Articles

Route Map

Trail Stats

Distance: 99 miles / 160km
Start: Winchester
Finish: Eastbourne
Duration: 7-10 Days

Itinerary

For most experienced walkers, and those with legs strong enough to take multiple back-to-back days of up to 15 miles I recommend the 7 walking day itinerary below. It does have some ‘transfers’ if you are staying in B&Bs due to the lack of accommodation between Upper Bleeding and Alfriston, but for the remainder of the trip accommodation options are in relative abundance.

All distances are approximate, and the itinerary below is credited to Contours Walking Holidays.

DayFromToMilesKm
1WinchesterExton1219.5
2ExtonSouth Harting1625.5
3South HartingAmberley19.531
4AmberleyUpper Beeding1320.5
5Upper BeedingKingston-near-Lewes17.528
6Kingston-near-LewesAlfriston11.518.5
7AlfristonEastbourne1219.5

Please make note of the following helpful points:

  • Accommodation in many small villages on long distance routes is often limited, for busier trails, such as the South Down’s Way booking ahead is essential.

Accommodation

The South Down’s Way has a great selection of accommodation to meet a range of budgets. Wild camping is not permitted by law in England and Wales, however, if you are careful, you will find enough spots to camp out for the night on the path. B&B’s, Inns, and hotels are abundant, both near the trail, and using short taxi or bus transfers.

As this a busy trail booking ahead is strongly advised if you wish to stay in accommodation close to the trail.

Hostels

There are approximately 10 hostels on the path, most of which are within walking distance from the route, and well-spaced out. For budget travellers, a combination of campsites and hostels (for hot showers and mixing with walkers) is often a good choice.

Campsites

There is an abundance of campsites along the whole length of the trail. If camping is your preferred choice of accommodation then you will enjoy the choice available. There is a bit of the trail between East Meon and Hayshot where camping options are limited.

Hotels, Inn’s and B&B’s

There are a number of hostels directly on the trail, including some YHA hostels. Be aware that between Buriton and Bury there are no hostels, and quite long stretch without so plan accordingly.

Getting to and from the trail

Details coming soon

Guidebooks & Maps

Details coming soon

Trail Merch

Have you finished the walk, and want to remember your time on the trail?
There really is no better way to remember your walk than with a Trail Print from Distance Hiker. Each trail print supports us into growing this website.

Articles

[powerkit_posts title=”” count=”3″ offset=”0″ image_size=”pk-thumbnail” category=”” tag=”south-downs-way” ids=”” orderby=”date” order=”DESC” time_frame=”” template=”list”]

The Dales High Way

With an Alternate End

The Dales High Way is an 89-mile thru-hike running from Saltaire near Leeds and heading North up to Appleby-in-Westmorland covering over 12,200 feet of ascent. The trail covers beautiful moorland that has beautiful stone age rock art, leading into the Yorkshire Dales proper and covering the beautiful limestone landscape around Malham. The trail then heads up the awe-inspiring Ingleborough mountain before dropping down and heading across a beautiful ridge along the back of Whernside before descending into a beautiful valley and back up again into the Howgill Fells. The trail then heads across farm and moorland towards Appleby via the Eden valley.

I chose an alternate route where the trail meets the Coast to Coast near Newbiggin on Lune and headed East through the Eden valley and into Kirkby Stephen.

Day 1

I started my journey in Saltaire with the sun shining for about 3 minutes. The skies decided to open before I left the beautiful canal path, so I spent much of the day wrapped up in my gore-tex to keep dry. The trail really came into its own within a couple of miles and I ascended into the Ilkley moors where there is beautiful stone age artwork dotted about. The trail drops down from the moors and skirts Ilkley following a beautiful ridgeline that gives stunning views across valleys.

The next section drops down towards Addingham before ascending into some fantastically remote moorlands and heading down into Skipton where I scored a little bit of warm food and a drink. The rain was still lashing it down at this point and I decided to change my socks, rub some Vaseline in and head out back into the moors. I ascended Sharp Haw and skirted the edge of Rough Haw before heading back down into the more populated area of Hetton (I say populated, it’s just a few houses). The next section took me past Winterburn reservoir which I noticed had a very low water level before starting the long walk up to Weets Top (414m). Once I had finished my ascent, I headed back down into the beautiful limestone valleys that surround Malham and Gordale. I decided to spend the night at the campsite at the foot of Gordale scar, which was so beautiful when I woke up.

Day 2

I woke up aching quite badly and noticed a few niggles in my right foot, which I hoped would ease up once I got going. I took a little wander down to Gordale scar and snapped a few shots, before packing up my gear having a quick wash in the river, and heading up to the top of the mighty Malham Cove. A bit of trivia for Gordale and Malham here: They were formed during the last glacial period when the ice sheets were melting. This happened as small rivers created channels through the limestone that lead into huge bodies of water cutting their way through the rocks until finally what was left was the likes of Gordale scar and Malham cove.

I sat atop the cove and had some breakfast whilst looking out into the beautiful day ahead. A truly magical place that should be on the bucket list to visit.

I cracked on and followed the trail across the beautifully scarred limestone hills and noticed my first glimpse of Ingleborough looming in the distance and still a good 20 miles away. I remember thinking to myself I’ll be hitting that at some point in the early evening when I’m tired out.

Next was the descent into Settle where I met a lovely lady who shared a cup of tea with me and chatted about hiking and our mutual obsession with hoarding gear.

I soon left Settle and found myself following the River Ribble before ascending the hills once more and heading over to Feizor where I scored some water, a couple of drinks, and a few snacks.

I then began the slow ascent of Ingleborough which I noted as being about 11 miles from this point and was a never-ending upwards slog. I had beautiful views of the mountain and spent a few minutes chatting to people on the Yorkshire 3 peaks as I was going up.

Once at the top I admired the views for miles around and thought about pitching at the top. Alas, it was a little too busy, so I dropped down towards Chapel Le Dale and spent the night at the campsite near the foot of Whernside. Even managed a hot shower!

Day 3

I had crushed around 50 miles by this point and the constant up and down of the dales had taken its toll on my right foot. I set off nice and early and scored some beautiful photos of Ribblehead viaduct, which is another must-see especially in the early morning due and mist. It was so beautiful.

I then headed up over the Back of Whernside and skirted a ridge for a few miles before dropping down towards Dent, the hills never rest in the Dales though and I soon found myself heading back up into the beautiful Moorland over Sedbergh.

I dropped down into Sedbergh where I decided my foot was in a bad way and I needed to rest it for a week or two before pushing on. I managed a lift home at this point and promised to head back out and complete it as soon as I was able.

End of Part 1!

Resting

It turns out I had done a little bit of damage to my ligaments at the section of my foot where it meets your shin and controls flexibility. I soon found that part of my foot really inflamed and bruised. It took a couple of weeks before I could fully walk on it again and a friend gave me some advice on exercises to strengthen the area.

Part 2 – Day 4

I traveled back out to Ribblehead via car and left it at the viaduct before retracing my steps towards Sedbergh, it was around half 6 I set off and soon found myself exhausted by around 11 pm when I managed to get back to Sedbergh. I had covered around 15 miles by this point in such a short time.

I began my ascent of the Howgill fells in total darkness and soon found myself exhausted as they are a tough old climb up. I decided to pitch upon a relatively flat spot about 500m up and spent the night there.

Day 5

I woke up to some amazing views across the fells and could feel how remote they were, I packed up and headed North following the beautiful hills. I summited the Calf early in the morning and spent some time admiring the beauty of the landscape before carrying on towards Hazelgill Knot and West Fell.

I dropped down towards Newbiggin on Lune where I had some lunch and made the choice to switch up the route and follow the Coast-to-Coast route instead of heading to Appleby-in-Westomorland.

I followed the C2C route East and through the beautiful Eden valley area summiting a few hills along the way. Eventually, I arrived at my alternate finishing point of Kirkby Stephen where I scored some food and made my journey to the train station where the skies opened once more.

I hope you enjoyed the read and hope it has inspired people to do this amazing trail that has quickly become one of my favorites to date.

Peace out!