Wainwright's Pennine Journey

A closed circular walk of 247 miles (398 km) that starts and finishes at Settle railway station in North Yorkshire, split into 18 stages. Distances follow the official 247 mile / 398 km convention, and mapped tracks for all 18 stages come out at roughly 398 km, so the figure is consistent. This is a multi day expedition, not a day walk.

The outward half heads north through limestone country around Horton-in-Ribblesdale and the Pen-y-ghent and Hull Pot area, over into upper Wharfedale at Buckden, past Semer Water and Askrigg, then down into Swaledale near Gunnerside. High moorland by Tan Hill leads to Bowes, the River Tees at Middleton-in-Teesdale, and Weardale at Westgate. From Blanchland and Hexham the route reaches the central section of Hadrian's Wall, including Housesteads, before turning south at Greenhead.

The return runs down the South Tyne to Alston, crosses the shoulder of Cross Fell, then follows the quieter Eden Valley through Milburn, Appleby and Kirkby Stephen. Garsdale Head, the Howgill fringes and Sedbergh give way to Dentdale, the flanks of Whernside and Ingleborough, and finally Ingleton and Settle. The shape is the point: two contrasting halves, a Roman frontier at the far end, and a return through dale country rather than a retrace.

Individual stages are graded from moderate to moderate with steep climbs, but the whole loop is hard. Plan for 18 walking days and roughly 110 to 130 hours of walking, with some long stages and repeated ascent and descent. Cumulative climb figures vary between sources and between route variants, so treat any single number with caution and judge by stage profiles instead.

Expect a mix of walled lanes, field paths, riverside tracks, stone flags and rough moorland. Boggy ground is common on the high crossings, and several sections are open and exposed with little shelter in wind or driving rain. Steep climbs and descents appear on both halves, and the wall section near Housesteads is a sustained switchback over crags.

The route is not waymarked as a whole, although stretches shared with national trails carry their own signs. Carry maps and a compass or GPS and be ready to navigate in poor visibility on the moors. Settle railway station is the natural start and finish, and the loop passes through villages along the way, but remote stretches need planning for food, water and daylight. No permit is needed for ordinary public rights of way, and normal land manager access rules apply.

Dogs are legally permitted on public rights of way. Sheep and cattle are present through much of the route and ground nesting birds use the moorland, so keep dogs under close control and on a lead where signs ask for it.

Walkers who know the Pennine Way will recognise several of the moorland crossings and the same northern terrain, but this loop gives more valley miles, more villages and a route that returns to its start without transport arrangements.