UK - Pennine Way (SoBo) - Venture
UK - Pennine Way (SoBo) - Venture
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Summary
Summary
A 260 mile route (up to 268 miles if you follow the official trail) that follows the Pennine Way from north to south (SoBo) and completed over a 17 days trek. The journey includes 8 wildcamps, 6 camps at campsites, a night at a bothy (Greg’s Hut) and the luxury of 1 night’s hotel accommodation. The journey includes an optional road walk from Kelso to the official Pennine Way start at Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. It finishes at Edale in the Peak District and mostly follows a southerly direction along the length of the Pennines.
The trail starts in the lonely and remote Cheviots with a high-level 2 day ridge walk across the mountain range. The terrain is then easier, but still remote as it makes way through the forestry, moorland and fields of Northumberland. Hadrian’s Wall provides a historical and interesting interlude as well as a rollercoaster path. At this point I have an alternative version of the Pennine Way for a day that calls in at Haltwhistle and follows the beautiful South Tyne to Lambley. The trail continues southwards crossing the highest point on the Pennine Way at Cross Fell. It then heads to the stunning glacial valley of High Cup Nick before following the River Tees with its awesome High and Low forces. More moorland and field-hopping brings you to the halfway point around the A66. There are then arguably the best 3 or 4 days on the trail as it passes through the Dales with its epic limestone landscape. Eventually the trail reaches its southern end and entry to the final few days of bleaker, but no less beautiful moorlands, reservoirs and lanes of West Yorkshire and then the Dark Peak. The final couple of days traverses Black Hill, Bleaklow and Kinder Scout that are as dramatic and feel as remote as that of the Cheviots at the start of the trail. The final day is the shortest with a descent from the Kinder Scout plateau into the Vale of Edale and eventually into Edale village itself.
Notes
Notes
SoBo Or NoBo?
SoBo Or NoBo?
The Pennine Way is normally tacked from south to north. This is my fifth time tackling the trail and I prefer the SoBo (South Bound) direction. There are advantages and disadvantages either way and I’ve listed the main reasons for my SoBo choice below.
Advantages
I live near the south end of the trail. Accessibility to the northern end of the trail is more difficult for me. Logistically, it is better to getting the difficult travelling to the northern end out of the way first.
The northern end of the trail is the hardest and most remote. It is easier to stock provisions at the northern end of the trail for this initially difficult first section.
You meet more walkers, since most of them are NoBo and it is useful to learn about issues further south on the trail.
I feel as though I’m walking towards home. I feel as though I’m walking towards home.
Disadvantages
You tend to walk towards the sun which can be a little dazzling and perhaps not the best in terms of taking photographs.
You meet more walkers, since most of them are NoBo. All the chatting can be a little time consuming, especially if you are in a rush to reach a camp spot.
You probably will be walking into a southwesterly wind.
You don’t get the free half pint at the Borders Hotel at Kirk Yetholm for finishing the walk.
My Alternative Routes
My Alternative Routes
There were a couple of days where I deviated from the official route:
Haltwhistle Alternative
Pen-y-ghent Alternative
Haltwhistle Alternative
Haltwhistle Alternative
On Day 6 I chose a different route between Winshields and Lambley Common. My route was xx miles shorter than the official one and in effect took a more direct southerly route than the official one. It followed the Haltwhistle Burn into Haltwhistle and then the South Tyne to Lambley before re-joining the official Pennine Way route. I chose this alternative for the following reasons:
The official route continued westwards along Hadrian’s Wall before heading southwards over moors and fields to Lambley Common. I’d walked this section of Hadrian’s Wall many times before and felt it couldn’t offer me anything I’d not already seen.
I don’t find the route from Greenford to Lambley Common (on the official route) that inspiring.
Although I’d walked alongside the Haltwhistle Burn once before, I wanted to return to view its impressive gorge again.
Haltwhistle had a cafe for a pit stope and a supermarket to restock my supplies.
I wanted to investigate the path along the South Tyne that passes Featherstone Castle and Lambley Viaduct. This turned out to be a beautiful route.
Although there is merit in following the official route for this section, especially if you’ve not walked along Hadrian’s Wall before, I found my alternative route to be a more useful and pleasurable option.
Pen-y-ghent Alternative
Pen-y-ghent Alternative
On Day 12, my original intention had been to camp at the campsite in Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Unfortunately, this coincided with a Bank Holiday weekend. Although the site owner was willing to find me a camping spot, he warned me that he was expecting 250 people to camp there. I decided to wildcamp instead, but where? I figured Pen-y-Ghent might also be a popular option for a Bank Holiday weekend too and so I wondered whether the summit of Fountains Fell might be a better option. Given the lateness of the day, it wouldn’t be possible to summit Pen-y-ghent and then summit Fountains Fell using the Pennine Way’s official route. Instead, I bypassed Pen-y-ghent and ascended Fountains Fell directly. I have to admit, that another reason for missing Pen-y-ghent’s summit would mean that I would have had to scramble down its southern ridge with a very heavy backpack. That was a risk I was not prepared to take when I was tired after a long day. This alternative would actually be an option I’d consider in future, especially since I’ve submitted Pen-y-ghent many times in the past anyway.
Other Walkers
Other Walkers
I was quite surprised at how few NoBo walkers I came across. I probably encountered between 50-80. Maybe it was too early in the walking season. About 10 of these were incorporating the Pennine Way into a longer walk such as Lands End To John O’Groats (or Cape Wrath). A few of these were camping, but most were using B&B and/or hotels. A lot were using baggage transfer services.
Honesty Cafes
Honesty Cafes
The Pennine Way hasn’t embraced the idea of Honesty Cafes. I came across 3 altogether:
Bow Hall (half a mile east of Dufton) - small box of drinks.
Colin Hill Farm (half a mile before reaching Grassholme Reservoir) - small selection of items
Clove Lodge (half a mile after Blackton Reservoir) - a tremendous selection of anything you might need. An excellent honesty cafe.
Supplies
Supplies
The Pennine Way traverses some very remote terrain. It does pass the occasional pub and cafe if you want to grab a meal. Ensure that you pre-check opening times to avoid disappointment. As a wildcamper, I carried at most 4 days worth of food. My main re-supply routes en-route were the following:
Day 1 - Kelso - Sainsburys
Day 4 - Bellingham - Co-Op
Day 6 - Haltwhistle - Co-Op
Day 9 - Middleton-in-Teesdale - Co-Op
Day 12 - Hawes - Spar
Day 13 - Gargrave - Co-Op
Day 15 - May’s Shop (Heptonstall)
Water
Water
I was able to filter water along the majority of the trek. The only real ‘dry zone’ was the Cheviots. If you stick to the high level ridge across the Cheviots then water provision can be difficult. I only found one trickle of a source between Mozie Law and Beefstand Hill that I was comfortable to filter. The Routin Well south of Windy Gyle appears to be an option (NT8549 1444 and marked on my map), but please note that I’ve not checked the viability of it myself.
Campsites
Campsites
I stayed at the following campsites:
Day 4 - Bellingham - Brown Rigg - exceptional value.
Day 5 - Hadrian’s Wall - Windshields - basic, but does the job.
Day 10 - Keld - Ruskin’s - basic, but does the job.
Day 11 - Hardraw - Old Hall - basic, but does the job.
Day 13 - Ickornshaw - Whitehouse Barn - basic, but does the job.
Day 14 - Heptonstall - May’s Shop - more of a field shared with sheep. It does have a portable loo though! Camping is free and so amazing value.
Wildcamps
Wildcamps
I wildcamped on 8 days. I could probably have found wildcamps on all the days that I camped on a commercial campsite, but sometimes you want a shower after a day’s walking.
Usual wildcamp rules apply: arrive late and leave early, leave no trace etc.
Bothy
I stayed at the following bothy:
Day 7 - Greg’s Hut - a great bothy with room sleeping space for at least half a dozen people…even more if they are prepared to kip on the floor. Space isn’t guaranteed though and so maybe you need a backup plan in case it is full.
Hotels
Hotels
I stayed at the following hotels:
Day 9 - Middleton-in-Teesdale - Teesdale Hotel - basic, but does the job. Single room cost £58 (2026).
Transport
Transport
Kirk Yetholm
Kirk Yetholm
The easiest way to get to Kirk Yetholm for me (from Sheffield) was:
Train to Berwick-upon-Tweed - very regular along East Coast mainline.
Bus to Kelso - Border Buses No. 67 - every 2 hour
Getting the 8 miles from Kelso to Kirk Yetholm proved more troublesome. I could have got a taxi if I was prepared to wait a couple of hours. In the end, I walked to Kirk Yetholm along the road instead. This turned out to be a reasonable option.
Edale
Edale
Easy access to Sheffield and Manchester using the regular train service from Edale Railway Station.
Route Finding
Route Finding
The Pennine Way is a National Trail and so is reasonably well signed. The signage should definitely not be relied upon though. In some areas it appears to be missing altogether. I’d done the trail 4 times before and so had a pretty good visual memory of where I should be going. Even so, I occasionally ended up going off track. The route goes through high and remote country and so good navigational skills are essential.
Scrambly Bits
Scrambly Bits
There are two scrambly bits where extra care is required if you are carrying a heavy backpack. These are:
Cauldron Spout (Day 8) - descent next to the waterfall.
Pen-y-ghent (Day 12) - descent down its south ridge. I bypassed it by going directly to Fountains Fell.
Guide Books
Guide Books
Trailblazer was the best for general information and planning for the walk. It was too heavy to take with me though.
I did take Cicerone’s 1:25,000 route map booklet with me. It was sometimes quicker to reference this rather than the maps on my phone.
Click on the above map for an interactive map of the routes in this Venture. Use the toggle slider to display the specific routes that you want to see on the map.
The Trails Map (dropdown, top right) is the best free map for displaying footpaths and topography. Expand to full screen (cross arrows, top right) to see route detail. Ordnance Survey maps can be used with a small subscription to Plotaroute.
See the Captain's Log of individual days for details of GPX Downloads, Plotaroute Maps and Map/Directions PDF.
Duration: 17 days
Date: 20/04/2026-06/05/2026
Overall Length: 260 miles
Overall Height Gain: 11,632m
Route: Kelso, Kirk Yetholm, Byrness, Bellingham, Hadrian's Wall, Haltwhistle, Lambley Common, Alston, Dufton, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Keld, Hawes, Malham, Gargrave, Ickornshaw, May's Shop, Wessenden, Black Hill, Kinder Scout, Edale
Day 1 - Kelso To Trowup Burn
A curious start to the Pennine Way Sobo (SouthBound) Venture in that it begins with an 8 mile road walk from Kelso to the trail’s official start at Kirk Yetholm. Anybody who wants to avoid this tarmac start to this epic national trail can alternatively cover the distance via a taxi. The preamble does have the advantage of experiencing some lowland walking before ascending on to the spine of the UK. After inspecting the low key official start at Kirk Yetholm (an information board and a Pennine Way fingerpost pointing southwards), start your 270 mile journey to Edale. The climb up the lower hills may feel arduous due to it being your first day with a heavy pack. Wildcamp in a remote Cheviot valley and contemplate the adventure for the next 16 days.
Day 2 - Trowup Burn To Yearning Saddle
Gradually climb higher into the Cheviot range including a traverse over The Schil. Recuperate at Auchope mountain shelter before attempting the long slog up to Auchope Cairn. Look north to the impressive chasm of Hen Hole. Some masochists may want to include a 2 hour out-and-back to the summit of The Cheviot at this point, but my route continues southwestwards along the magnificent Cheviot ridge. Look north at the stunning views into Scotland. Mark your progress as you click off the hills along the ridge: Score Head, King’s Seat, Windy Gyle, Mozie Law, Beefstand Hill and Lamb Hill. Wildcamp at the remote Yearning Saddle mountain shelter with the advantage of popping inside if the weather is too bad for a night under canvas.
Day 3 - Yearning Saddle To Gibshiel
Continue southwards along the remote Cheviot ridge before its termination at Byrness Hill. Take a moment to consider the miles walked along the ridge. Look southwards to the rolling hills of the Redesdale Forest of the walk yet to come. Descend to Byrness and visit its St Francis’ church which has the interesting Catcleugh Window that commemorates the 64 men, women and children who died during the construction of the Catcleugh Reservoir. Plod along 5 miles of forestry tracks before wildcamping at a secluded spot overlooking the moors.
Day 4 - Gibshiel To Bellingham
A shorter and easier walk today. Start the day with a visit to a wonderfully made cairn on Padon Hill that commemorates the golden wedding anniversary of Sir Charles and Lady Morrison-Bell of nearby Otterburn Hall. Cross open moorland with far reaching open views. Descend into the pretty village of Bellingham and fill your gullet with pasties, cake and coffee from the wonderful Lunch bakery. Inspect the village’s Chinese Gingall, before taking a well deserved rest at the excellent Brown Rigg Caravan and Camping site (reasonably priced too for non-members).
Day 5 - Bellingham To Winshields
A morning of field hopping, including a visit to Shitlington <snigger> Crags and Hall. Take a pit stop at Horneystead Farm for some hot broth (open 24 hours claims its sign). Enter forestry plantations, some still growing and others nuked. Traverse a number of false summits before reaching Hadrian’s Wall and joining its path. Head westwards to inspect the remains of the tree at Sycamore Gap. Climb to Winshield Crags, the highest point on the Hadrian’s Wall Path and marvel at the immense construction of the wall from east to west. Descend to the Winshields campsite and recover from what will have been a surprisingly hilly day (especially along the wall).
Day 6 - Winshields To Lambley Common
Ascend back up to Hadrian’s Wall and follow its rolling route westwards. Reward yourself with coffee and cake at the mobile cafe at Cawfield’s carpark. Today’s route deviates from the official Pennine Way route. Rather than continuing along Hadrian’s Wall to Greenhead and then turning south over Blenkinsopp Common and field-hopping to Lambley Common, the alternative route heads through the town of Haltwhistle and follows the South Tyne Trail to Lambley Viaduct. This alternative has the advantage of visiting the impressive Haltwhistle gorge and some beautiful views along the South Tyne river. It passes the grand Featherstone Castle and then the towering Lambley Viaduct. There is a climb up to Lambley Common for your wildcamp.
Day 7 - Lambley Common To Greg's Hut
A long walk with a fair bit of ascent at the end of the day. The route makes its way along the pretty South Tyne valley by a combination of field-hopping, old railway route and riverside walking. Inspect the remains of the Epicacum Roman fort, before making your way to the town of Alston, with its cobbled streets, quaint shops and roaring motorbikes. Field-hop your way alongside the river South Tyne to the village of Garrigill. Start the 5.5 mile gradual climb along a lonely stone road towards the summit of Cross Fell. Spend the night in the remote Greg’s Hut bothy with its communal sleeping platform and insomniac mice.
Day 8 - Greg's Hut To Cauldron Spout
Enjoy an early morning climb to the summit of Cross Fell and the highest point on the Pennine Way. To be honest, nearly all of the ascent had been achieved in yesterday’s long ascent from Garrigill to Greg’s Hut. Assuming that your eyes aren’t watering from a Helm Wind, you’ll be able to look across the Eden Valley to the lumps and bumps of the Lake District on the horizon. A rollercoaster path takes you over Little Dun Fell to its higher brother, Great Dun Fell where you can wonder at what is going on inside that large white golf ball and mushroom shaped buildings. A long descent is made to the pretty village of Dufton where you can easily consume a week’s worth of calories in one sitting at the Post Box Pantry (pre-check the opening times to avoid disappointment). The afternoon starts with a climb back to the top of the hills again to witness the awesome glacial valley of High Cup Nick. Follow Maize Beck westwards for a secluded wildcamp at the bottom of Cauldron Snout waterfall.
Day 9 - Cauldron Spout To Middleton-in-Teesdale
After a start with a slippery, bouldery section alongside the River Tees, the route field-hops its way eastwards, eventually reaching Teesdale. The path follows the river past the stunning High Force waterfall with its 21 metres drop. Further along the river we reach the equally impressive Low Force waterfalls. Enjoy a brief diversion to the café at the Bowlees Visitor Centre for some coffee and cake. Continue following the beautiful River Tees with its riverside path and lovely hay meadows. Eventually reach the town of Middleton-in-Teesdale where you can treat yourself to a £58 (2026) single room, to recharge your equipment and make use of its unique chocolate brown ensuite bathroom. A bargain if ever there was one.
Day 10 - Middleton-in-Teesdale To Keld
A long and surprisingly undulating day that starts with a field-hop from Middleton-in-Teesdale to a wonderful view at a picnic area at the end of Grassholme Reservoir. Another hill traverse takes you to the next valley and Blackton Reservoir where Hannah Hauxwell forged out a spartan life at her remote farm. Just beyond is one of the best Honesty Cafes that I’ve come across, at Clove Farm. An undulating traverse of Cotherston Moor brings you to the intrusion of the A66 and the halfway point on the Pennine Way. Beyond the busy trans Pennine dual carriageway there’s yet more moor walking to the Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub (528m asl) in Britain, where you can replenish your water levels with a pint of Theakston’s Old Peculiar. It is all downhill from the Tan Hill Inn, along the West Stones Dale to the pretty village of Keld, where you camp at Rukin’s campsite. You definitely feel like you’ve entered the Dales at this point.
Day 11 - Keld To Hardraw
Probably my favourite section of the Pennine Way. A shortish day in mileage, but involves a traverse of the whale like Great Shunner Fell. Starts with a high level walk along the east side of Kisdon Hill with fine views across the valley to Swinner Gill. Wonderful views open up eastwards along the main Swaldale valley. Descend to the twee village of Thwaite where you may time your arrival for the opening of the Kearton Tearoom. Start the long, but gradual ascent to the summit of the mighty Great Shunner Fell. Hope that when you get to the top that there is a spare space in the quadrant of the cross shelter that is protected from the wind. An easy, gradual path takes you down Great Shunner’s south side and delivers you to Hardraw where you camp at the Old Hall campsite. Enjoy a pint of Theakston’s Old Peculiar at the nearby Green Dragon pub.
Day 12 - Hardraw To Fountains Fell
A long day (20+ miles) with a lot of ascent (1000+ metres). Start the day with a short walk to the town of Hawes where you can replenish your supplies. Field-hopping takes you upwards and upwards to Dodd Fell. Join the Roman Cam Road before turning southwards over undulating fields and fells before dropping down into Horton-in-Ribblesdale. My route bypasses the official Pennine Way route to the summit of Pen-y-ghent (reasons given in the Captain’s Log), by traversing the hill’s southern shoulder. Climb Fountains Fell for a remote summit wildcamp. Epic Dales views throughout the day.
Day 13 - Fountains Fell To Cowling
At 25.5 miles, this is the longest day on the Pennine Way and has a fair amount of ascent 794m. Fortunately, it starts with a long, easy descent off Fountains Fell to Malham Tarn. A further descent takes you to the incredible limestone pavements and cliff of Malham Cove. Replenish your energy with a visit to one of Malham’s cafes. Follow the River Aire southwards on a pretty path before branching away and field-hopping into the next pit stop, the town of Gargrave. More field-hopping takes you to East Marton and the Leeds-Liverpool canal before branching away eastwards on a long ascent to Pinhaw Beacon with its excellent views back towards the Dales. From here there’s plenty of more field-hopping over surprisingly hilly and tiring terrain to the village of Cowling and the small campsite at Winterhouse Barn. The landscape now feels very ‘West Yorkshire’, rather than Dales like. A tough day at the office!
Day 14 - Cowling To May's Shop
The good news is that after two days of tough walking, today’s walk is much shorter (13.81 miles). The bad news is that it still encompasses a lot of ascent (744 metres). It starts with a traverse of Ickornshaw moor with its abundance of mysterious huts. It then descends to Ponden Reservoir and heads straight back up to the moors again to join walkers and literary pilgrims to Top Withins, supposedly the inspiration behind Wuthering Heights. Leave the book worms behind as you cross a pass and join a valley with three reservoirs. Traverse yet more lonely moorland towards Hebden Bridge. Drop down from the moor to May’s Shop, a facility that claims to ‘Sells Owt Tha Wants.’ Camp for free in their neighbouring field…although you may have to shoo some of the sheep and shift some of their droppings first.
Day 15 - May's Shop (Heptonstall) To Black Hill
The second longest day on the Pennine Way (23.16 miles) and also has the greatest amount of ascent (1174 metres). It’s another tough day at the office! Starts with an undulating route from last night’s camp at May’s Shop to the pinnacle monument of Stoodley Pike. Enjoy extensive views westwards as you travel southwards past a collection of reservoirs. At the White House (Littleborough’s version rather than Washington’s), the path climbs again to follow the serrated Blackstone Edge, before dropping down to the pedestrian footbridge over the M62. More moorland meanderings take you to Standedge where you cross the A62, another trans Pennine road. The route proceeds over Rocher and Black Moss before dropping down into the beautiful Wessenden valley. Three reservoirs lead you up to its head where you find the path that takes you gradually up to the plateau of Black Hill. Enjoy a wildcamp on its edge watching the twinkling lights of West Yorkshire's towns, as the sun sets.
Day 16 - Black Hill To River Kinder
An easy start with a traverse of Black Hill’s summit. The path crosses remote moorland and then hugs the edge of Laddow Rocks. Drops down towards Crowden where NoBo Pennine Wayers usually spend their first night. Crosses the busy A628 and the dam of the Torside Reservoir, before tackling the prolonged and arduous ascent of Bleaklow via Clough Edge. Take a rest at Bleaklow Head with its large cairn and stake, before heading south on a long meandering, and sometimes boggy path. This leads to a slab-fest of a route across bleak moorland to Mill Hill with only your thoughts for company. A sting in the tail for the day is a steep ascent to the Kinder Scout plateau. Follow the dramatic western edge of the plateau to the ever impressive Kinder Downfall. Follow its river into the plateau to find a suitable remote spot for a wildcamp.
Day 17 - River Kinder To Edale
The shortest day on the Pennine Way is left for the end; just 5.21 miles long and 127 metres of ascent. From last night’s Kinder Scout plateau wildcamp, follow the River Kinder back to the Kinder Downfall on its western edge. Head southwards along the edge with awesome views over the Kinder Reservoir to a distant Manchester. At Kinder Low’s trig point, start heading downhill and join the rocky Jacob’s Ladder into the Vale of Edale. At Upper Booth, an easy path heads eastwards along the valley. Soon, the small village of Edale reveals itself and before you know it you will reach the green plaque and last Pennine Way fingerpost that indicates the completion (or start, if you are NoBo) of this amazing trail. Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. Treasure the memories of 17 amazing days.
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