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A large proportion of Cumbria is the stunning Lake District National Park. The beautiful landscape of dramatic hills and deep lakes are interwoven with footpaths connecting the various quaint villages and market towns.

The Cumbrian Way is a 71 mile (112km) long distance trail linking Ulverston to Carlisle in Cumbria, UK. This trail goes straight through the heart of the Lake District National Park and is traditionally walked South to North passing through Keswick and numerous beauty spots.

This trail is a much loved classic thru trail in the UK for good reason. It is beautiful enough to justify return visits whether to do sections or the whole thing and as a mostly lowland route on bridalways making it a very accessible through hike or most people.

The trail passes through at least one village each day so you can buy supplies as you go, and if you don’t fancy camping then you can do the entire trail staying in B&Bs. There are even porter services along the route so you never have to carry more than a day rucksacks on your back if you plan ahead.

The official route is walked from Ulverston to Carlisle, but I decided to walk it backwards from Carlisle to Ulverston. I loved the walk but would I do it this way round again?

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Route Overview Of The Cumbrian Way

You can create a route yourself, counting the kilometres and elevation gains but it never really prepares you for what’s on the ground. Terrain, the weight your carrying and how you feel on the day can all change the time in which it takes to get to the next stop.

The table below is what it took me according to Strava. You may get different results from using your own map due to any discrepancies between Strava and my Garmin watch or from changes in the trail from choice, going the wrong way or diversions in the route. They are still a useful guide to adapt to your own walking pace. They don’t include lunch breaks.

Route From	Route To	Distance/ km	Time/ hours	Elevation/ metres
Carlisle	Caldbeck	27	6	430
Caldbeck	Keswick via High Pike	25	6.5	810
Keswick	Great Langdale	29	7.5	730
Great Langdale	Coniston	19	4.5	460
Coniston	Ulverston	26	7	630

Day 1- Carlisle to Caldbeck

I arrived in Carlisle the day before. I had some time to explore the city but just walked around the city centre and found my starting point so I knew where I was going the following morning.

If you are spending some time there, the tourist information has some good history of the city. There are also some parks to visit and the substantial Carlisle Castle. For those who arrive late, you do walk past the castle at the very start so can at least see the walls. This city is also an end point for the Hadrian’s Wall Path.

I chose to start in Carlisle as many other hikers have said the last few kilometres coming into Carlisle are the least scenic of the entire route which is not what you want when you are already tired. I can say they are probably correct, but starting out this way it is a nicer walk than I expected.

The ‘end’ of the Cumbrian Way is the clock tower by the tourist information in the city centre so make your way to there and take the obligatory selfie. When I was here in 2024 there was a lot of building work coming along so hopefully when you visit the city centre will be a more vibrant hub. You then head past the cathedral and castle and over the river.

You then follow the River Caldew on a tarmac path for several kilometres so it is easy walking and you will have a good pace. It is a nice river walk with a few weirs and you pass through the village of Dalston.

If you wanted to skip the tarmac walk, then Dalston does have a train which will get you into the city. If you haven’t picked up food from Carlisle, then Dalston is your last good stop for this. There are also a few cafes but don’t rely on these as they aren’t always open and it is pretty early into your hike so snack up for later!

Once you are past Dalston, the real fun appears. You continue to follow the river but it becomes a beautiful woodland walk as the hills start rolling around you. There is also a bike trail that follows parts of the Cumbrian way and these are marked more obviously than the official Cumbrian way markers. You can follow these but there is a turn off (that I missed) to follow the river more closely. They do rejoin each other again but it is a bit of a detour along muddy tractor lanes.

There are also some patches where the river has decided it didn’t like the path being there and you may need to get creative with the route, climb over some fallen trees and use boards to cross flooded sections or accept some wet feet. This section is short though and the majority of the Cumbrian Way is excellently maintained.

You continue to follow the river for the whole day and when you get a glimpse through the trees you can see the rising hills of the lakes district in the distance which is an awesome feeling of anticipation and excitement for day one. In good time you should make it to Caldbeck.

I spent the night at The Oddfellows Arms and absolutely loved this Inn. The room was lovely and cosy, food was excellent and such nice hospitality. I think it may have been my favourite of the entire trip. The village also has a small shop and cafe to resupply for the following day.

Day 2- Caldbeck To Keswick (via High Pike)

In case you are wondering, I am specifying High Pike in the title because there are two official routes you can choose from today. There is a route where you can go around Hike Pike instead of up and over. Those who have chosen to walk the longer route usually recommend the High Pike route unless the weather does make it dangerous to go over as it is shorter and more scenic.

Fill up on a glorious breakfast and off you go, finally crossing into the Lake District National Park. Mentally prepare yourself for today because it is up, up and up some more. The good thing about doing it this way around is that you get the summit done at the start of the day.

Once you reach the summit of high pike (650m) there is a rock cairn marking your achievement. I also assume that there would be a lovely view but sadly for me this was the day it chose to rain all by the last hour.

The visibility was poor but with the use of the compass I managed to choose to correct trails (as there are a few possible choices but maybe they all lead to the peak). You hit a nice wide path to follow for a while before changing directions down again.

This part of the walk was beautiful but the terrain was difficult. It was steep, rocky and wet when I went. You are supposed to follow a river down but be careful with your map once it has been raining because the path also becomes a river. You also need to cross several streams, but in heavy rain be careful and move to a spot you can safely step across even if it means back up the hill.

Once you’re into the valley you meet a wide gravel path and pass along some abandoned mines complete with information boards. Then there is a bit more climbing to do before you reach the top of Bruntholm woods and get your first glimpse over Keswick. Follow the steep decent into the town and enjoy your well earned rest.

Day 3- Optional Rest Day In Keswick

I chose to spend a rest day in Keswick, which was perfect timing for me as it allowed me to dry out my very soggy kit! I enjoyed a nice leisurely morning before heading up to the Castlerigg Stone Circle. It’s only a few kilometres from the centre of town and the views on top of the hill are lovely. If you’re feeling up for it then there are extensions to the walk but I headed back after taking it all in and explored the town.

If you are feeling up to it there are plenty more hikes through the woods, along Derwent water and of course the Catbells. For those looking to give their legs a rest consider just exploring the cafes and markets in the town or visit Derwent Pencil Museum to get out of that rain!

Keswick is also probably the best place since Carlisle for any snack or food top ups as there is a supermarket here.

As for filling up on good food, The Square Orange is definitely worth a visit. They offer some weird combinations but their cocktails and pizza are so good. The whole place offers a lovely vibe too. The Wild Strawberry is more traditional and in one of the oldest buildings in Keswick. Of course, being a large town there are many other pubs, restaurants and take outs to choose from.

Not everyone chooses to take a rest day here, but accommodation options which only allow people to stay for one night are quite limited but if you stay two nights then you have a large choice of places for every budget. Otherwise there are campsites outside the town but you are facing the arguably the hardest day of the hike past Keswick.

Day 4- Keswick to Great Langdale

I found this the most challenging leg, albeit one of the most beautiful. Derwent Water is one of the prettiest lakes you will walk past on this hike. The walkway is well maintained and raised so easy going. Which is good news as you will be too busy taking in the views of the water and the Catbells to watch your footing!

You leave the other side of the water loosely following the River Derwent through High Hows Wood. It was here that there was a diversion due to a landslide. The sign on the road implies that there is no way through but the diversion for hikers is further up so if the signs like this then don’t panic.

The people who maintain the trail are pretty good at finding suitable alternatives. Also always worth checking trail websites so you don’t walk straight into one and I was lucky the locals offered me their advance.

Should you fancy shortening the hike and spreading it out across multiple days you can stay in Rosthwaite. I think this is a good option especially if you are not taking a rest day and likely what I would do when I do this trail again.

If you are not staying then carry on but this time following Stonethwaite Beck onto Langstrath Beck. Navigation here is easy and you simply follow the valley and then turn into another crossing cute bridges.

This peaceful walk does not last forever as Great Langdale is in a different valley so up and over you have to go. Stake Pass is so steep you zig zag up 250m alongside a waterfall.

The pass itself is pretty, not the highest point and pretty boggy. The only time I stood in a puddle deep enough to go over my boot was up there. You then reach the other side and look down the Great Langdale valley. A steep decline but then again simply following the valley until your accommodation.

Great Langdale is small and accommodation is limited. I stayed at the Great Langdale Bunkhouse which was perfectly comfortable with my private room with bunkbed and kettle. The bathroom was communal but everything you need. There is another hotel there is you want some more luxury and of course an old style pub (Lanty Slees) right outside. As for picking up lunch there is a basic campsite shop but it would be better to pick up snacks from Keswick for lunches for the next this day and the next.

Day 5- Great Langdale To Coniston

After some long days hiking, this day was a nice relaxing stroll in comparison. You follow the Great Langdale beck to Elterwater along the sides of the valley. The route is well marked here, and goes through some popular parks and woodlands.

I completely recommend taking a short detour to Chesters by the River for lunch and pass by Skelworth falls on the way. This bakery is right on the river and offers delicious yet unusual flavours, although if you’re strapped for time the queue can be quite long.

Once you’re well fed and watered, you carry along the valley alongside River Brathay in the woodlands. A few steps off the official trail is Colwith Force. Perfect little spot for lunch if you have stuff with you watching the waterfall. This section is quite steep so although you never really gain any height, you do go up and down the sides of the valley at points in short sharp sections adding the the elevation.

Enjoy the different woodland from plantations to more native diverse stretches and look out across Tarn Hows and onwards towards Coniston. Here I stayed in the Yewdale Inn which is a friendly pub and definitely the social hub of the village. If you are travelling solo, the room they offer as a single is huge and is only sold as a solo room because the shower is in the bedroom hence lack of privacy should you share.

Unless you slept in, there should be plenty of time to explore this little village and I admit I do like a good tourist information centre. Again there is a Spar so top up for the following day before enjoying a well earned late afternoon rest.

Day 6- Coniston to Ulverston

The final day! The last leg! This is a relatively straight leg towards the finish. You start following the very long Coniston Water, shadowed by the Old Man of Coniston before turning off about three quarters of the way down the water into the rolling hills.

You walk through wider, glacial valleys and over small bridges to other smaller bodies of water such as Beacon Tarn. A word of warning, the path is less obvious away from the village and the edges of the Tarns can be quite boggy. You continue to wiggle you way between the hills and before long you are out of the official National Park.

You cross a few more roads out at this point and gain some height before finally crossing a style to a rocky field full and sheep and you see it. You see the vast expanse of Morecambe Bay. You see Ulverston and the Sir John Barrow monument in the distance. The final decent through woodland to The Gill river.

The houses appear but continue for a few hundred metres before in the middle of a car park the official “start” point of the Cumbria way. The pointed tower with swirling benches marks the end of your trip.

Settle into your accommodation or head to your campsite and take that nice hot shower and put your feet up. Like Keswick and Carlisle there is plenty to choose from for meals from pubs to take aways but especially on the weekend nights they can all get busy so if you have somewhere in mind it is worth booking ahead with a reservation.

For Ulverston I stayed in the Old Daltongate house which was lovely and had one of the nicest bathrooms I have ever seen. I would have the host design my bathroom any day of the week.

It is a fairly long stretch so you probably won’t be up for exploring the town that night but in the morning consider booking a later train and spend a few hours exploring this festival-happy town. The shops are quaint and lots of cosy pubs to relax in. If your feet allow you, consider the walk up to the Sir John Barrow monument for views of how far you have come and across the majestic bay.

Otherwise, hop on your train and either head back up to Carlisle if you left your car there (about an 1 hour 40 minute trip) or head on home, saying goodbye to the beautiful Lake District and treating your legs to a well earned rest!

Would I Walk The Cumbrian Way Backwards Again?

I did like that instead of being straight into the hills allowed me to build a sense of excited anticipation of the dramatic landscape yet to come. There is also a slow build up into the hills, so it feels like a gentle introduction. Whereas, starting from Ulverston its a very steep start straight of the bat.

Although this positive can be seen as a negative. Firstly you start easy so end hard when you are more tired. I also think that you end the day with a steep decline especially coming into Keswick, Great Langdale and Ulverston.

When your legs are dead it’s quite a challenge and sometimes worse than the uphill. I slipped a few times on the final stretch because I started to rush wanting to get into my accommodation and on one day I was loosing light. Nothing more than annoyance and some dirty clothing but you would start with these uphills early on if you did it the other way. Overall, you will be going up and down the same, but its just choosing what hills when.

Also if navigation is not a strong point it would help doing it the way the guide books tell you. I also found that the signs were sometimes on the back of fences from my direction so it would have been easier to spot in the other direction. Although when you are near a town the signs are really easy to spot anyway.

Personally, if I was to walk it again I would do it the traditional way (Ulverston to Carlisle) purely because it would look different and I have done it that way already. Also my hotel in Carlisle had a bath and that would have been well received after several days of hiking!

As for other people it is entirely personal preference. If it is your first time on a thru hike and you aren’t the most experienced then I would do it the traditional way because when you are knackered on the last day it is an easy, simple shared river path into Carlisle with all the city comforts. Although if you want the feel of walking into the wilderness Carlisle to Ulverston means you don’t end on the least prettiest part of the hike.

So in summery:

Pros for walking Carlisle to Ulverston:

1. Get the “ugliest” part of the hike over and done with whilst your fresh
2. Builds excitement as you get into the hills
3. You get to be different from everyone else
4. End with a beautiful view over Morecambe Bay

Cons of walking Carlisle to Ulverston:

1. Steep incline then decline into Ulverston when you are the most fatigued
2. Against the flow of guide books and route descriptions
3. Some route markers are less visible from this direction of travel

Helpful Tips For Hiking The Cumbrian Way

Whatever direction you decide to hike the Cumbrian way, then there is always some useful trips and tricks that can make the journey easier. So here are some of the things I found helpful and lessons I learned.

1. Bring A Head torch

You can walk the Cumbrian way any time of year, however, in the shoulder season or winter there simply will not be enough hours of daylights for the entire route. I did my hike in October forgetting that the clocks change so I lost an hour and some days I was coming in at dusk.

If anything had gone wrong such as I got lost or had to take an alternative route I would have arrived in the dark. A head torch is essential as you don’t want to waste your phone battery and want to use your hands if you slip.

2. Allow Extra Time For A Lunch break And Rest Stops

This is time on top of the hiking hours and can be as short or as long as you make it. There are some places where you can stop off at cafes along the way and this would add even more time. As nice as an extra coffee would be, be sure to keep an eye on the clock and sunset.

3. Bring A Map And Compass

I used OS maps on my phone for this hike as for most of it I could use the location on the map. If you haven’t used it before think google maps with topographic maps. It is super useful. Of course, ensure that you have enough battery (power banks or an alternative phone) in case of emergency. You should always carry some form of paper map too as a back up.

On the whole the path is well marked but in some places it is not labelled the Cumbrian way and there are several bridalways to choose from and in some places it isn’t that clear at all such as up High Pike. In the poor weather conditions too, I did use a compass to get myself going in the right direction as I could not see up the hill.

4. Check Your Kit Before You Go

You are going to be spending a lot longer than usual in your kit. When I went it turned out that my waterproof was not as waterproof as I thought. The age had gotten to it and even though it used to hold up amazingly well it only took twenty minutes of torrential rain for me to feel damp.

Then on the last few days I started to have an issue with my boots pressing on my Achilles tendon causing pain. They also started to give me blisters. Turns out in short durations they don’t cause issues but the slightly incorrect fit over that distance started to show.

5. Get Public Transport To The Start

There are train stations in both Carlisle and Ulverston making connecting to most places easy. If you do drive to the start, you will need to leave your car for at least five days and get the connecting train back up to the start point which is about an hour forty.

Yet these trains require a change at Birmingham International. It may be more efficient depending upon where you live to get the train back home as Birmingham is well connected as it is on the main line.

6. Consider Using Baggage Transfers

Whether you are staying in B&Bs or camping, you dont need to carry everything you want with you for the whole time. You simply drop it off at you accommodation by the allocated time and it will appear at your next stop. This makes the trek so much easier as you only need to take a day sack with you. A lighter pack makes for an easy more enjoyable hike.

7. Check B&B Breakfast Times

Nearly everywhere I stayed along the route offered breakfast in the morning which I highly recommend taking advantage of especially on the legs where there is no cafe or shop stops along the route.

The only downside is sometimes the breakfast timings are later than you would like, especially on weekends. On those long days, especially if the daylight is still fairly short it may be worth skipping this or asking if the B&B can offer something to grab and go.

Conclusion

The Cumbrian Way is an amazing thru hike. It is simply stunning for both experienced and new thru hikers to enjoy alike due to its low level route offering a good amount of challenge. Walking it backwards is definitely a good choice for those who need beautiful scenery for motivation as it does not disappoint at the final hurdle. It also allows those who wish to walk it again to see it with a whole new angle. I hope this helps. Happy Hiking!