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North West Way

Cumbria, Lancashire

307 km / 191 miles
This walk was devised to incorporate some of the best walking in the north of England. It has been broken into manageable sections with overnight stops where good accommodation is available. Starting and finishing at mainline railway stations, this walk is designed for anyone of reasonable fitness. Based on years of experience of walking using guidebooks which are vague, misleading and sometimes simply totally wrong, the author has taken great care to give simple instructions which have been rigorously checked.

Starting in Preston the walk follows the Ribble Way on the riverside paths of the delightful Ribble Valley, through Ribchester and Hurst Green to Gisburn. Shortly after Gisburn it heads eastwards to pick up the Pennine Way at Malham with its dramatic limestone outcrops. Follow it northwards through what anyone who has completed the Pennine Way would agree is its best section. There are many scenic highlights such as the exciting scramble over Pen-y-Ghent, the formidable heights of Great Dun Fell and Cross Fell, the awesome falls of High Force, the glacial valley of High Cup Nick - which many consider to be the highlight of the walk and many more too numerous to mention. At Alston, the highest market town in England, the Pennine Way reaches one of its poorer sections. Our walk instead takes a more gentle route up the beautiful South Tyne Trail, following the line of a disused railway to Haltwhistle. The walk now links with the Hadrian's Wall National Trail and heads west towards Carlisle along an inspiring walk rich with history and over the incomparable Walltown Craggs, one of the highlights of walking in the north of England.

Update 9th November 2022:
The North West Way is diverted due a closed footbridge near Red Scar, east of Preston. The footbridge in question is on Tun Brook, at SD 5908 3247, and the diversion (reportedly well signposted) is via the upstream footbridge at SD 5922 3343. Our GPX and other format files have been amended to show the diversion.

Route hazard (reported November 2022):
The route of this long distance path along the B6245 Blackburn Road east of Ribchester is reported narrow and without pavement(s) in places between Stone Bridge (SD 6534 3544) and Ribchester Bridge (SD 6619 3565). An alternative route is suggested via the footbridge at SD 6554 3576.
Update 18th January 2024: The route of the North West Way has been amended to include the above field path diversion.


Strider News - December 2023 (Publication Update)

new guidebook


Details:

Path Type: Other Paths
Attributes: Challenging
Moorland
Mountain
National Park
Start: SD535291 - Preston, Lancashire View on StreetMap
Finish: NY402560 - Carlisle, Cumbria View on StreetMap
Web Sites: North West Way

Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook North West Way : Long Distance Walk Preston To Carlisle  (Plackitt & Booth  - 2023 )
Guidebook North West Way  (Trailguides  - 2013 )

Maps:

You can use the interactive controls to zoom in and out and to move around the map, or click on a path or a marker for more info.(interactive map help)

Show Connected Path Outlines
E Routes
National Trails (England & Wales)
Paths Marked on OS mapping
Other Paths
Anytime Challenges

Show Accommodation
Hostel Accommodation
Camping Barn
Bunk House
Camp Site
Group Accommodation

Show Points of Interest
Walkers are Welcome

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2016.
© OpenStreetMap contributors under Open Database Licence.
Rights of way data from selected Local Authorities.
Large scale digital mapping is provided by John Thorn.
At high zoom levels the route is indicative only.
Purchase Ordnance Survey Maps:
OS Landranger 85, 86, 87, 91, 92, 98, 102, 103
OS Landranger Active 85, 86, 87, 91, 92, 98, 102, 103
OS Explorer 2, 19, 21, 30, 31, 41, 43, 286, 287, 315
OS Explorer Active 2, 19, 21, 30, 31, 41, 43, 286, 287, 315

Accommodation within 5 km of this Path:

 
 
From
Path
Along
Path
Hostel Accommodation
4 km
78 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
78 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
83 km
Bunk House
5 km
90 km
Bunk House
< 1 km
101 km
Bunk House
3 km
107 km
Camping Barn
5 km
121 km
Camping Barn
5 km
121 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
122 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
122 km
Bunk House
< 1 km
143 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
193 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
212 km
Bunk House
< 1 km
237 km
Camping Barn
4 km
237 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
243 km
Walkers are Welcome
< 1 km
243 km
Bunk House
4 km
268 km
Camp Site
4 km
268 km
Hostel Accommodation
4 km
268 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
274 km
Bunk House
< 1 km
279 km
Camping Barn
< 1 km
279 km
Group Accommodation
< 1 km
279 km
Bunk House
< 1 km
289 km
Walkers are Welcome
3 km
290 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
307 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
307 km

Click to show 28 more Accommodations


Additional Images:


Connected Paths:

Other Paths
Airedale Way Alternative Coast to Coast Blackpool to Bridlington (Aerospace Way) Bowland-Dales Traverse Coast to Coast (Wainwright) Cumbria Coastal Way Dales Fells Horseshoe Cam High Road to Arten Gill Moss Link Dales Fells Horseshoe Great Shunner Fell to Thwaites Dales Walk Dales Way Watershed Alternatives Durham Round Eden Way Forest of Bowland Walk Friends Way 1: George Fox's Journey Hadrian's High Way Hadrian's High Way - Ardale Beck to Alston Alternative Head to Head Herriot Way Historical Walks through Lancashire and Yorkshire Hodder Way Howgills and Limestone Trail Joining The Seas Kendal Limestone Way Lady Anne's Way Lake to Lake Walk Lakeland to Lindisfarne Lancashire Monastic Way Upholland to Sawley Abbey Lancashire Way - 50 mile route Lancashire Way - Central Loop Lancashire Way - Southern Loop Lancashire Witches Walk Leeds and Liverpool Canal Walk Miller's Way Miller's Way 2 Moss Troopers' Trail North of England Way Northern Crossway Palatine Plod Pendle Witches Way Pennine Journey Pennine Odyssey - Garrigill to Cross Fell via Fallow Hill Pennine Odyssey - Garrigill to Cross Fell via Pennine Way Pennine Odyssey - Garrigill to Cross Fell via Tees Head Pennine Odyssey - Langdon Beck to Dufton Pennine Odyssey - Langdon Beck to Garrigill Pennine Odyssey - Main route Preston Guild Wheel Rail To Trail Walk - The Bentham Line Ravenber Way Red Rose Trail Ribble Valley Platinum Jubilee Trail Richmond Way River Tyne Trail - River South Tyne Roman Ring Settle To Carlisle - Hill Walk Settle to Carlisle Way Six Peaks Trail Sixty Mile Walk around Wensleydale St Alkelda's Way St Alkeldas Way - Off Road Version Swale Way Thirlmere Way Three Feathers Walks (Kettlewell) Three Ridings on Foot Tidewater Way Tolkien Trail Tops of the North (Three Shire Heads to Carlisle) Trans Pennine Way Trevine Trail Tributaries Walk Two Centre Trek Two Roses Way Tyne - Estuary to Source Villages of the Ribble Valley Wainwrights Way Walk The Eastern Side of the Ribble Valley Way of the Roses West Craven Way Westmorland Heritage Walk Whalley / Waddington / Wiswell Wander Wild Yorkshire Way Wild Yorkshire Way Goredale Scar Alternative Wild Yorkshire Way Tan Hill Inn Alternative Yoredale Way Yorkshire Rhino Click to show 82 more Other Paths

Downloads:

Reminder: Material downloaded from this website is for personal use only. Commercial use, reproduction, modification of all content is strictly prohibited without prior approval by the LDWA. Please Contact Us if you have any requests.

GPX Route File
North West Way GPX Exchange Format Route File
Last Updated 18/01/2024 11:50:44 - Includes re-route near Ribchester
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(Members Only)
MemoryMap Route File
North West Way Memory Map Route File
Last Updated 18/01/2024 11:50:44 - Includes re-route near Ribchester
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(Members Only)
Tracklogs Route File
North West Way Tracklogs Route File
Last Updated 18/01/2024 11:50:49 - Includes re-route near Ribchester
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(Members Only)

Route Profile:

308.4 km (191.6 miles)
6,423 m (21,073 ft) ascent
890 m (2,920 ft)  maximum height

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