Pennine wayfarers arrive at Edale in the morning and set off walking. Those who arrive the previous evening should bear in mind that Edale is a tiny village and facilities are very limited. At quiet times of the year, food, drink and accommodation are readily available, but at busy times everything is packed to capacity and it would be most unwise to turn up without having made advance bookings.
Most Pennine wayfarers reach Kirk Yetholm in the late afternoon and are more than happy to spend a night in the village. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem to arrive and secure accommodation and a meal, but at busy times, again, it would be well to book in advance. Some finish their trek so early in the day that they aren’t inclined to stay overnight, and catch the bus away from the village. Onward travel brings a range of towns and cities within reach and these all offer a greater range of services if a break is needed on the homeward journey.
Accommodation
When the Pennine Way was opened, it was assumed that the bulk of walkers would carry full packs and camp at intervals along the trail. Many did, but there was also a good selection of youth hostels along the way, and the Youth Hostels Association once offered a service allowing walkers to book all their bed-nights in one fell swoop.
A wild camp on the summit of Cross Fell (Day 14)
Things have changed over the years, and while many wayfarers still camp, there are far fewer hostels available. Many walkers now choose bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation, and some are quite happy to pay walking holiday companies to make all their arrangements for them, booking all their overnights and arranging baggage transfers in advance.
The Pennine Way has plenty of accommodation options, but they are unevenly spaced, and in some places may be limited to a single address. Those who wish to guarantee their overnights should book everything in advance, but bear in mind that this means sticking to a rigid schedule. Those who prefer to organise things on a day-to-day basis must accept that at some points they may find all beds taken, and the only way to secure accommodation will be to move off-route. Some people book all their overnights, then sadly have to retire because of injury or illness, and that has the effect of freeing up beds at the last minute, which is useful for those who make bookings at short notice.
See the accommodation list in Appendix B for details of hotels, B&Bs, hostels, bunkhouses, campsites and shelters along the Pennine Way. Remember that accommodation comes and goes, contact details change, and the loss of a crucial address in an area with no other options can cause havoc when planning a schedule. If any information on the list needs amending, please send details to Cicerone.
Food and drink
Most long-distance walkers start the day with a hearty breakfast, take a break along the way for lunch, and enjoy a good meal in the evenings. Those who like to walk in comfort can book themselves into places offering dinner, B&B, and often with the option of a packed lunch for an additional charge. Youth hostels offer full meals services and packed lunches. If relying on the provision of meals and packed lunches, it is important to find out what is offered as soon as bookings are made, as some providers may be unable to satisfy last-minute requests or special dietary requirements.
Walkers who are backpacking need to know where useful shops are located so that they can buy more food as they travel, rather than carry everything for the duration of their trek. All the towns along the Pennine Way have a range of shops, but some villages have either a limited choice or nothing at all. Be sure to read ahead to discover where re-supply options are sparse, then buy food in advance to cover for those days. Many wayfarers like to take a break at a pub, and there are several along the Pennine Way, but they are unevenly spread and only rarely occur in the middle of a day’s walk. Places offering refreshment are duly noted in this guidebook. The most famous pub is surely the Tan Hill Inn, a convivial establishment in the middle of nowhere and the highest pub in Britain.
Baggage transfer
A handful of companies offer accommodation booking and baggage transfer along the Pennine Way. They might appear expensive, but many walkers are willing to pay the price for someone else to make all their arrangements. It’s interesting to note that sometimes, when a number of wayfarers have booked through different companies, the same van collects and delivers all their bags. A list of companies offering a baggage transfer service can be found in Appendix A.
What to take
This depends primarily on your choice of accommodation. From its earliest days, the Pennine Way was intended to be a tough route for tough walkers. In the beginning, many walkers carried heavy packs and planned to camp every night. If camping, then full backpacking kit is required but keep everything as light as possible, taking advantage of modern materials and innovative products. There is no need for a full backpack to exceed ten kilos, and seldom any need to pack more than two days’ worth of food.
Food fantasy – or an enormous Tunnocks bar? (Day 20)
Youth hostels were originally spartan, but gradually offered more comforts. The provision of B&Bs along the route is pretty good, and these tend to be well-supported by today’s Pennine wayfarers. Anyone using hostels or B&Bs need little more than the usual contents of their daysack, plus a lightweight change of clothing for the evenings, allowing the ‘walking’ clothes to be rinsed and dried every couple of days or so. It really isn’t necessary to carry heavy loads along the Pennine Way, and in any case many wayfarers sign up for baggage transfers – sometimes having huge suitcases sent ahead!
Money
While an increasing number of shops, pubs and restaurants will accept payment by credit card, many don’t, so walkers need to carry plenty of cash to pay for goods and services while on the move, especially on the more remote parts of the Pennine Way. If you are unsure about carrying large amounts of cash, at least try and budget ahead, then be aware of places along the way that have banks and ATMs – these are mentioned in the daily route descriptions. Some supermarkets offer a ‘cashback’ service or have a cashpoint on their premises.
PLANNING DAY TO DAY
Bellingham is the last village with a decent range of shops (Day 17)
Using this guide
An information box at the beginning of each daily stage provides the essential facts for the day’s walk: start and finish points (including grid refs), distance covered, an estimation of time, ascent and descent figures, an overview of the types of terrain you’ll encounter, relevant OS Landranger, Explorer and Harvey sheets, and places en route (as well as slightly off-route) where you can buy refreshments.
Stage maps, extracted from the Ordnance Survey mapping, are provided at a scale of 1:100,000. In the route description, significant places or features along the way that also appear on the map extracts are highlighted in bold to aid navigation. As well as the route being described in detail, background information about places of interest is provided in brief.
Appendix A provides contact details that may be useful in planning and enjoying a successful walk. Appendix B lists accommodation options along the route and, where necessary, options off-route.
Additional mapping
This guidebook contains basic 1:100,000 scale maps, which are intended purely to give an overview of each stage of the trail. The Ordnance Survey, www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk,
