|
Pennine Way National
Trail
Edale to Kirk Yetholm:
This is the oldest and most demanding of National
Trails. Originally over 314 miles long, the trail now stretches for over 250
miles along the central spine of England. The walk can be
quite challenging, not least
because accommodation can be hard to come by. There are plenty of youth
hostels near the path, but you are well advised to book
before starting to avoid unpleasant disappointments.
You can
start the walk at either end but in most guide books the path begins at Edale in
the Peak District National Park.
Before it reaches Kirk Yetholm just
across the Scottish border it passes through two more National Parks
(Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland) and one Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty (North Pennines) wher you will find some of
Northern England's finest scenery. NOTE: This is not a walk for novices, and good
all-weather gear is essential.
Walkers
planning to walk the full route should allow at
least two full weeks to cover the entire length of the path. Water may be
hard to come by on the high moors, and temperature can be extremely cold,
even in summer. May to September generally provides
the best walking weather with June being the peak month,
though conditions are VERY changeable, and the harsh
conditions always provide unexpected problems.
Further
information:
The YHA operates a Pennine Way
booking bureau out of its Northern Region Offices at:
PO Box 11, Matlock, Derbyshire,
DE4 2XA
Send a large SAE.
Pennine Way National Trail Office
Clegg Nook, Cragg Road
Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire HX7 5EB
Tel: 01422 885649 Fax:01422 886381
Web
www.pennineway.demon.co.uk
For what
to see in this area click here
Cleveland Way
National Trail
The Cleveland Way is a walk of
contrasts. For most of its route the 108 mile path runs through the wild beauty of the North
York Moors National Park. Reminders of a colourful past abound along the
trail, from the remains of the marvelous Cistercian abbey at Rievaulx to the
ruins of Roman signaling stations that dot the coastline.
The journey begins from the
market town of Helmsley and quickly gains height in
the moors in the Hambleton Hills and then the
Cleveland Hills. This gives panoramic views over the Vale of Mowbray to the
Pennine Hills and heather-filled glimpses into the heart of the moorland.
The moors are a place of wild
beauty, lush with purple heather in summer, and home to red grouse and
curlew. At the
edge of the moors you'll find grasslands and scattered woodland, with
sheltering displays of bluebells in the spring, and the occassional wild
garlic. If you want a break from walking, take a ride on the North York Moors
Railway.
Past Kildale, the
path makes a beeline for the coast at Saltburn and
then continues its lofty progress southwards along the coastal cliffs. The
highest point on England's eastern seaboard is crossed over Rock Cliff at
203m (666 feet).
The rugged coastline, from Saltburn-by-the-Sea
to Filey, is a place of craggy beauty and isolated fishing villages, such as
Staithes and Robin Hoods Bay. Take care when walking along the coastal cliffs
- they are steep, liable to slips and the path can be slippery in wet
weather. Captain Cook first set out to sea from the port
at Whitby, and his ships were built there.
There are links from the Cleveland Way to two
more Long Distance Paths: the Wolds Way and the Coast to Coast Walk.
Further
information:
North York Moors National Park Authority
Official website:
http://www.clevelandway.gov.uk/
E-mail m.hodgson@northyorkmoors-npa.gov.uk
For what
to see in this area click here
Offa's Dyke National
Trail
Chepstow to Prestatyn
A fascinating if sometimes challenging path that
runs for 177 miles from Sedbury Cliffs on the Severn Estuary near Chepstow to
the North Wales resort of Prestatyn on Liverpool Bay. Closely following the border between Wales and England,
it crosses from one to
the other 9 times. The trail follows
70 miles of the 8th century
Offa's Dyke and
earthen wall built by the Anglo-Saxon King Offa of Mercia (757 to 796) to
protect his territory from marauding Welsh raiders. The bank reaches 20 feet
in height in some sections, even after the wear and tear of 12 centuries.
Beginning at Chepstow, the path
climbs a ridge and then follows the River Wye passing
through historic towns and isolated hamlets along the way.
En route can be seen hill forts, castles, abbeys and surviving remains of the
habitations of former occupants. Most notable are the ruins of Tintern
Abbey and the fortified town of Monmouth with its Norman Castle and
the famous Bridge Gatehouse. Ten miles further along the ruins of the moated
12th century White Castle are directly on the path.
The path then climbs Haterall
Ridge, some 1000 feet high. The views are superb and
the flora and fauna
are as rich and as varied as the scenery, but then there is a steep
descent into picturesque Hay-on-Wye.
The earthworks of Offa's Dyke are
most noticeable around Knighton, which is home to the Offa's Dyke Association
and
the
Offa's Dyke Centre with its Interactive
Exhibition for the Dyke and a range of services for walkers.. The way is rough just north of Knighton, but then
the path descends into the level ground of Montgomery Plain. There the path
follows the course of an old Roman road past the Iron Age earthworks of
Beacon Ring Settlement and then along the Montgomery Canal towpath. Powis
Castle in Welshpool is just off the path.
Further
information:
Offa's Dyke Association
Offa's Dyke Centre, West Street, Knighton, Powys, LD7 1EN
Tel: 01547 528753
or
E-Mail
For what
to see in this area click here
Wolds Way National Trail
Hessle, Kingston upon Hull to Filey
A curving route around and across the Yorkshire Wolds via Market Weighton,
linking the North Sea to the Humber. The path follows the crest of the chalk
escarpment overlooking the Vales of York and Pickering. The landscape is
dominated by farming and grazing fields separated by long, straight hedgerows
and lanes.
The southern half of the Wolds
Way features gentle scenery, but with excellent view towards the Humber
estuary and the river Ouse. The section between South Cave and Goodmanham
(near Market Weighton) is popular and good road links mean that it is
reasonably easy to walk one way and catch a bus back, since you are never far
from the main York to Hull road which runs parallel to the escarpment of the
Wolds.
The northern half is more
dramatic, and more isolated. The section between Nurburnholme (near
Pocklington) and Huggate, and also the section between Fridaythorpe via
Thixendale to Wharam-le-Street will give you a good feel for the steep-sided
green dales and the vast open skies of East Yorkshire. Although the land appears
relatively gentle, the escarpment of the Wolds is cut by numerous steep
valleys, making for a very "up and down" walking experience! The landscape
abounds in chalk-loving plants, such as the rare Bee Orchid and Yellow Worts.
Whilst you are never far from a farm, hamlet, or country lane, the section
from Pocklington to Wintringham is very much "off the beaten track" and
crosses countryside which has very few villages.
The solitude is one of the great appeals of the Wolds Way. This
sense of solitude may be emphasized by the large number of deserted medieval
villages near the path.
Some of these have been excavated
and interpreted, as at Wharram Percy. Others lie undisturbed beneath the
pasture turf. Many of these villages were abandoned at the time of the Black
Death in the mid-14th century.
Even more ancient are the
numerous Bronze Age burial mounds which decorate the Wold tops. Down in the
valleys there are long stretches of earthworks dating from the same period.
Several ruined abbeys can be found along the path, notably Warter Priory and
Watton Abbey.
Further
information:
Tel:
01437 764636
e-mail:
m.hodgson@northyorkmoors-npa.gov.uk
Web:
www.woldsway.gov.uk
For what
to see in this area click here
|
