Pennine Journey

In 1938, Alfred Wainwright — later famous for his Lake District guidebooks — walked a solo circular tour of the Pennines from Settle. He wrote it up in a manuscript that was not published until 1986. The official Pennine Journey route recreates that walk as a 400 km circular route from Settle through the Yorkshire Dales, the North Pennines, Teesdale, the Durham coalfield, and back south through the Peak District.

For trail runners it is a seven to twelve day challenge covering the full breadth of Pennine country — from the limestone Dales through the high moorland of the North Pennines (England's least-visited national park) and back south through the gritstone Peak. It is not fully waymarked and requires navigation skills throughout.

Settle to Hawes to Alston (~140 km): Through the Yorkshire Dales to the North Pennines. Cross Fell (893 m), the highest point in England outside the Lake District.

Alston to Hexham to the Durham Dales (~80 km): Through the North Pennines AONB — Nenthead, Killhope, Teesdale.

Durham Dales to the Peak District (~180 km): South through the Dales, across the South Pennines and back to Settle through the limestone country.

Start/finish: Settle. Train on the Settle–Carlisle line from Skipton (Leeds/Bradford connections).

The route is long with very limited services in the North Pennines section — plan carefully. Alston (England's highest market town) is the key resupply point.

Best time: June to August. Cross Fell can carry snow until May.