A new long distance walking trail will be launched in Cumbria later this year.
The 120-mile Westmorland and Furness Way will link Alston to Furness Abbey , following a route through the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Lake District National Park.
The route, which is scheduled to launch in the autumn, is being developed by Westmorland and Furness Council.
The trail can be divided into sections or tackled as a whole long-distance challenge, taking an estimated eight to 17 days to complete.
It is hoped it will prove popular with walkers of all abilities.
The six main sections of the Westmorland and Furness Way are:
- Section 1: Alston to Milburn – Over the Pennines (16 miles, taking an estimated 1 to 2 days)
- Section 2: Milburn to Kirkby Stephen – Following the Eden (23 miles, taking an estimated 2 to 3 days)
- Section 3: Kirkby Stephen to Sedbergh – Exploring the Dales and Howgills (16 miles, taking an estimated 1 to 3 days)
- Section 4: Sedbergh to Bowness – From the Dales to the Lakes (27 miles, taking an estimated 2 to 4 days)
- Section 5: Bowness to Ulverston – Through Furness woodlands and foothills (21 miles, taking an estimated 1 to 3 days)
- Section 6: Ulverston to Furness Abbey – Along the Furness Coast (17 miles, taking an estimated 1 to 2 days)
The council said it would mainly link existing walking routes.
Its Countryside Access Team is leading on work this year to make sure the paths are clear and well connected, with upgrades including improvements to stiles and gates to improve accessibility.
New signs and interpretation boards will be introduced along the route highlighting key features and local attractions.
A marketing campaign and website will help to showcase the new route to a wider audience.
Councillor John Murray, Westmorland and Furness Council’s Cabinet member for transport and regulatory services, said: “We already know that Westmorland and Furness boasts some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in the world, from Lakeland vistas and rolling fells to the beautiful Dales and dramatic North Pennines.
“We hope it will eventually become as popular and well-known as other famous long-distance routes, like the Coast to Coast path, Pennine Way or Cumbria Way, creating another great reason for walkers from all over the world to come to enjoy our fantastic area.
“As well as being an excellent way to exercise and keep fit and healthy, the route will also provide opportunities for regenerative tourism and economic boosts for communities along the route, with walkers looking for places to eat, drink and sleep as they navigate their journey.
“We’re looking at lots of creative ways to make sure local communities really feel the benefit of this exciting project and we’re also considering opportunities for future expansions of the route to add ‘loops’ or ‘spurs’ to take in some of the larger towns, like Kendal, Penrith and Barrow.’’
