Summary
A 73 mile route that follows the Cumbria Way from north to south and completed over 5 days. Starts at the historic town of Carlisle and visits the charming Cathedral, before heading southwards to Caldbeck, alongside the River Caldew. Traverses the Lake District's northern fells to Keswick via the summit of High Pike. Provides wonderful vistas from the viewpoints of Walla Crag and Surprise View. Descends to the Borrowdale valley and follows it southwards alongside the River Derwent to Rosthwaite. Enters the lonely Langstrath valley and traverses Stake Pass to the Langdale valley. An easier section follows down the Langdale valley before heading off to the village of Coniston via the charming Tarn Hows. The final day includes a lakeside walk along Coniston Water before heading southwards through lower Lakeland hills to the pretty Beacon Tarn. There then follows plenty of field hopping over the last few miles to the interesting town of Ulverston.
Notes
Most people complete the Cumbria Way from south to north. I chose to walk it north to south because it meant that I could get food and resupplies in Keswick and Coniston, before then continuing to the campsite on those particular days. The disadvantage of completing it north to south is that you leave the frustrating field hopping and route finding (between Beacon Tarn to Ulverston) until the end of the trail. Depending on your attitude, you might feel more comfortable getting that particular section under your belt at the very start of your thru-hike.
Cicerone a Cumbrian Way trail guide. It does have 1:50,000 OS maps of the route (and the alternatives), but these would have been useless during the intricate route stages of the last day near Ulverston. The guide also assumes that you are doing the trail from south to north and so the directions for a north to south walker were pretty much useless. I used the guide once for its route to get out of Carlisle and also for assessing the alternative routes. I found that using gpx downloads on to my phone was essential to get through those intricate stages. I could have used paper maps, but it would have took a lot more time and caused even more frustration.
Click on the above map for an interactive map of the routes in this Venture. Use the toggle slider to display the specific routes that you want to see on the map.
The Trails Map (dropdown, top right) is the best free map for displaying footpaths and topography. Expand to full screen (cross arrows, top right) to see route detail. Ordnance Survey maps can be used with a small subscription to Plotaroute.
See the Captain's Log of individual days for details of GPX Downloads, Plotaroute Maps and Map/Directions PDF.
Duration: 5 days
Date: 08/07/2024-12/07/2024
Overall Length: 73.02 miles
Overall Height Gain: 2976 m
Route: Carlisle, Caldbeck, Keswick, Rosthwaite, Langdales, Elterwater, Tarn Hows, Coniston, Ulverston
Carlisle To Caldbeck
Starts in the historic town of Carlisle. Spend some time wandering around the impressive Cathedral Quarter, Roman Garden and Carlisle Castle. Follow the River Caldew out of Carlisle and let it be your guide to the northeast edge of the Lake District. On the way, walk along a flat riverside trail. The route provides a good view of Rose Castle. Finishes at the idyllic village of Caldbeck.
Caldbeck To Keswick
Starts with a climb from Caldbeck to the summit of High Pike (658m), the highest point on the Cumbrian Way. Drop down for a rest in the Lingy Bothy. Follow the valley at the back of Blencathra to Skiddaw House. Descend to the bustling town of Keswick with all its shops, pubs and cafés. Head to Castlerigg Farm campsite on the southern edge of Keswick.
Keswick To The Langdales
Starts with impressive views from Walla Crag, Falcon Crag and Surprise View (assuming it's not misty). Descends to the Borrowdale valley on a footpath that takes in the wonderful Lodore Falls. Follows the Borrowdale valley southwards, along delightful woodland trails. It then heads for the remote valley of Langstrath and the tumbling waterfall at Black Pot. Heads up a zig-zag path over Stake Pass and into the Langdales valley. Heads eastwards to the Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and the National Trust campsite.
The Langdales To Coniston
A route with a variety of landscapes including fells, rivers, waterfalls, tarns and lakes. Initially follow the Langdales valley eastwards to the pretty village of Elterwater. Take the popular trail on the banks of Elter Water to Skelwith Bridge. Drop in at the wonderful Chesters Bakery for a fuel stop. Take wooded trails to the secluded Colwith Force. Climb along footpaths and lanes to the picturesque Tarn Hows. Drop down through woodland and fields to the pubs, shops and cafés of Coniston. Head southwards to the Coniston Hall campsite.
Coniston To Ulverston
A trail of two halves. The first half follows the western bank of Coniston Water with wonderful views over the lake. It then drifts westwards into an area of low lying fells and high growing ferns. Visits the charming Beacon Tarn. The second half of the trail from Beacon Tarn to Ulverston is less pleasing with lots of field hopping on footpaths that aren't always obvious. There are occasional worthy higher level views. The historic town of Ulverston is quite interesting to wander around.