The Pennine Way is naturally busiest in the summer months, when most people take their longest holiday of the year. This is a fine time to walk, as all facilities and services are available, and the weather is generally warm and sunny, with plenty of daylight hours. In early summer, flowers are in bloom, while later in the summer, the heather moors are flushed purple. There is a chance that boggy parts might be drier underfoot, and when the blue sky is flecked with little clouds, the Pennine Way becomes very appealing.
Spring and autumn can feature many fine days, and both seasons have their own particular charms. Spring sees the gradual greening of the landscape and the first flowers of the year, but there might be a late flurry of snow. Hawthorn buses burst into bloom while new-born lambs bleat plaintively in the lower pastures. Autumn sees the gradual ripening of seeds, hedgerow fruits at their best and many species of fungi pushing strange fruiting bodies into view. The days, however, are notably shorter and there may well be cooler, wetter weather.
Winter can be severe in the Pennines, especially when occasional falls of deep snow blanket the path and make route-finding particularly difficult. While winter traverses of the Pennine Way are rare, those walkers possessing the skills and stamina to complete the trek also have to cope with the fact that many facilities and services are absent. Hardy walkers need to be experienced and self-sufficient to backpack the route in the winter months. The hardiest of all are those who enter the Spine Race, thespinerace.com, whose elite entrants are capable of running the Pennine Way in the deep midwinter in less than 100 hours!
A dusting of snow in winter near Gorple Lower Reservoir (Day 4)
Travel to and from the Pennine Way
By air
For overseas visitors, the handiest access for the start of the Pennine Way is Manchester Airport, www.manchesterairport.co.uk, served by flights from around the world. Catch a train from the airport to Manchester Piccadilly and change for Edale and the start of the Pennine Way.
Leaving the northern end of the route isn’t as simple, requiring careful study of local bus and train timetables, but the airports at Edinburgh, www.edinburghairport.com, and Newcastle, www.newcastleairport.com, can be reached for homeward flights.
By rail
Regular daily Northern trains, www.northernrailway.co.uk, serve Edale from Manchester and Sheffield. Northern train services can be used to reach the Pennine Way via Hebden Bridge, Gargrave and Horton in Ribblesdale. Greenhead, near Hadrian’s Wall, no longer has a station, but Northern trains can be caught off-route at Haltwhistle. There are no railways near Kirk Yetholm, so if intending to travel home by rail, it is necessary to catch buses to Galashiels, for ScotRail, www.scotrail.co.uk, trains to Edinburgh, or to Berwick-upon-Tweed for Virgin Trains East Coast, www.virgintrainseastcoast.com, and CrossCountry trains, www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk, to Edinburgh or Newcastle.
By bus
There are several local bus routes crossing the Pennine Way. Where useful buses exist, either connecting with other parts of the route, or leading off-route to nearby towns and villages, there is a brief mention of them in the daily route descriptions. To check details of local buses in advance, useful websites include Traveline, www.traveline.info, and Traveline Scotland, www.travelinescotland.com, tel 0871 2002233 for either service. It is also possible to search Google Maps for bus services by using the ‘directions’ feature. Always obtain up-to-date bus times a day or two before needing them, as some services are sparse. Bear in mind that there are no bus services to or from Kirk Yetholm on Sundays.
Travel along the Pennine Way
Most railway lines and bus routes cross the Pennines from east to west and vice-versa, and only a few routes run parallel to the Pennine Way. Getting to and from the route is reasonably straightforward, but using public transport to get ahead by a stage or two can be quite awkward. Most stages have some form of public transport, but it varies from regular daily services, to one bus per week, and sometimes there is nothing at all. However, there are plenty of services that are worth bearing in mind, and particularly the minibus service offered into the heart of the Cheviot Hills towards the end. Sometimes, it may be necessary to call a local taxi, and it is also worth noting that some accommodation providers offer pick-ups and drop-offs, if given advance notice.
First and last nights
Most 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