Cumbria Way

Ulverston to Carlisle
112km/70 miles

A well-loved route through the heart of the Lake District National Park, linking two historic Cumbrian towns via Langdale and Borrowdale, Coniston, Derwent Water and Caldbeck with plenty of scope for high-level detours. There are a few sections of high, exposed ground but mainly the route keeps to the valleys, providing an excellent introduction to the area.

The Way was originally devised by local Ramblers' Association members in the mid-1970s. It is now signed with named posts, although the waymarking may not be as comprehensive as on some other routes.

The Allerdale Ramble is a connecting 87km/54-mile signed route starting at Seathwaite in central Lakeland. It shares the route of the Cumbria Way from Seatoller to near Keswick, then offers alternative high and low level options in the area of Skiddaw, before reaching the coast on the Solway Firth and joining the Cumbria Coastal Way as far as Grune Point.

Connects with

• Cistercian Way
• Coast to Coast Walk
• Cumbria Coastal Way
• Eden Way
• Hadrian's Wall Path
• Inn Way to the English Lake District

Highway Authority

• Cumbria

Parks and countryside

• Lake District National Park
• Solway Coast AONB (on Allerdale Ramble)

Tourist Information Centres

at Ulverston, Coniston, Hawkshead, Waterhead, Grasmere, Ambleside, Keswick, Southwaite and Carlisle. For details click here.

Accommodation

Click here to find bed & breakfast accommodation on this path.

Accommodation Booking/Luggage Carrier

• Brigantes
• Sherpa Van (no service north of Caldbeck)
• YHA Booking Bureau (hostel accommodation booking)

Holiday providers

include Ramblers Holidays, Contours, Discovery, Explore Britain, Freedom, Mickledore, Sherpa, Walking Women, YHA

Public transport.

First NorthWestern trains connect Ulverston with Barrow-in-Furness, and with Lancaster on the West Coast main line for trains to Manchester, Birmingham, London, Carlisle, Scotland and other parts of the country. There is also a direct service to Manchester Airport. Carlisle is also on the West Coast main line. The Allerdale Ramble joins the coast at Maryport where there are rail services to Carlisle. There are National Express coaches serving Ulverston, Carlisle and Keswick.
For more on finding out about national rail and coach services, click here.
For more on public transport in Cumbria, including buses to other points of the route, click here.

Maps

• Explorer maps OL4, OL5, OL6, OL7, 315 and 314 for Allerdale Ramble
• Landranger maps 85, 90, 97 and 89 for Allerdale Ramble

The Cumbria Way and Allerdale Ramble are marked on recent editions of these maps.

• Strip map of Cumbria Way, ISBN 1 85137 334 9. Harvey £9.95. Order here!

Publications

• The Cumbria Way by John Trevelyan, ISBN 1 855681 97 8. Dalesman £2.99 + p&p. Order here!,
  Lake District Ramblers' official guide, revised 2002, with clear route descriptions, background information and sketch maps.
• The Cumbria Way by Anthony Burton, ISBN 1 85410 615 5. Aurum Press £12.99
  Recreational Route Guide including OS 1:25,000 map extracts.
• The Cumbria Way and Allerdale Ramble: a walking guide by Jim Watson, ISBN 1 85284 242 3. Cicerone £6.99.
  Combined guide to both paths, with sketch maps.
• The Cumbria Way information leaflet. Notes on highlights, practical information and so on. Not a complete guide but could be used in conjunction with OS or Harvey map. Free from Ulverston TIC (see above).