Cumbria Way with Contours Holidays

About

Ulverston lies just north of Morecambe Bay and marks the start of the Cumbria Way trail. From here, the route leads you towards the hills, crossing rolling farmland with the scenery becoming more dramatic with every step. It follows the shores of Coniston Water and wanders beneath the craggy slopes of ‘The Old Man’, then visits the famous beauty spot of Tarn Hows and the thunderous cascades of Skelwith Force and Colwith Force, before heading up the Langdale valley to Elterwater, with glorious views of the Langdale Pikes. At the end of the valley, the trail crosses Stake Pass, before descending through the valley of Langstrath to the lovely village of Rosthwaite in the upper reaches of the Borrowdale valley.

From here, the Cumbria Way follows woodland and riverside paths along the valley to Derwentwater, and then follows the shores of the lake to the old market town of Keswick. Then it meanders through the remote, rolling hills ‘Back O’ Skiddaw’ to Caldbeck, before following riverside paths through rich farmland to the historic border city of Carlisle. Here you can celebrate the completion of your walk by exploring the fantastic architecture of Carlisle’s Norman castle and dramatic cathedral, as well as paying a visit to the world-famous Hadrian’s Wall.

As well as being immersed in dramatic mountain scenery throughout, there are several literary highlights along the Cumbria Way for you to enjoy. They include visiting Lowick Bridge, a tiny hamlet mentioned in Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons, and seeing the spectacular land in Coniston that was once owned by Beatrix Potter. There is plenty to discover when traversing the Lake District along the fantastic Cumbria Way.

Contours Holidays offer the following tours along the Cumbria Way:

Cumbria Way — Full Route (73 miles over 5–6 days)

Cumbria Way — Full Route via Bassenthwaite (78 miles over 8 days)

Cumbria Way — Highlights (from Coniston to Keswick — 28 miles over 2–3 days) *Dog Friendly

Cumbria Way — Short Break (from Great Langdale to Keswick — 16 miles over 2 days) *Dog Friendly

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