Lady Anne's Way

Lady Anne's Way

A walk through Wharfedale and Wensleydale, following in the footsteps of Lady Anne Clifford.

6 to 11 nights
100 miles
Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous

From £730 per person

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About this route

6 to 11 nights
100 miles
Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous
2nd January to 24th December
Includes Dog-Friendly Tours

From £730 per person

Lady Anne's Way

Lady Anne's Way is a deeply historic walk in the Yorkshire Dales, visiting all of the important buildings associated with the story of Lady Anne Clifford, who lived in the 17th century. The trail runs from Skipton Castle, where Lady Anne was born, to Brougham Castle where she died. It meanders through Wharfedale and Wensleydale, following an ancient green lane known as Lady Anne's Highway through Mallerstang and the Eden Valley. 

Along the way it visits attractive villages and market towns, each offering their own insightful history. In addition to the many castles along the route, the walk passes other sites of historic interest including Nappa Hall, Hell Gill and Brougham Hall.

Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Lady Anne's Way map
Skipton to Penrith
100 miles (160 km)
2nd January to 24th December

Holiday highlights

Admiring the impressive castles restored to their former glory by Lady Anne Clifford, including Skipton Castle, Pendragon Castle and Brougham Castle.

Following in the footsteps of Lady Anne Clifford as she travelled between her homes in the fine old castles of the Yorkshire Dales.

Absorbing the idyllic atmosphere as you pass through Wharfedale, Wensleydale and the rugged Mallerstang valley in the Vale of Eden.

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
LAW0 From Skipton to Penrith 6 nights, 5 days walking Demanding / Strenuous £730
LAW1 From Skipton to Penrith 7 nights, 6 days walking Demanding / Strenuous £845
LAW2 From Skipton to Penrith 8 nights, 7 days walking Demanding £965
LAW3 From Skipton to Penrith 9 nights, 8 days walking Moderate / Demanding £1080
LAW4 From Skipton to Penrith 10 nights, 9 days walking Moderate £1200
LAW5 From Skipton to Penrith 11 nights, 10 days walking Moderate £1320

Lady Anne's Way 6 nights, 5 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather
  • Holiday Highlights

Important information

Please note that during early June, one of the oldest fairs in Europe takes place. The Appleby Horse Fair is visited by travellers who come to trade their horses. It attracts thousands of visitors and as a result, the area becomes very busy and can have an impact on availability of accommodations and the ease of luggage transfers.

If you are considering walking during this time, please telephone us to discuss your options.

Start

Travel to Skipton where your first night's accommodation will be booked

Day 1

Skipton to Kettlewell. 23 miles (37km) / 2884 ft (879 m) ascent

Day 2

Kettlewell to Hawes. 23 miles (36.5km) / 2287 ft (697 m) ascent

Day 3

Hawes to Kirkby Stephen. 17.5 miles (28km) / 1637 ft (499 m) ascent

Day 4

Kirkby Stephen to Appleby. 16.5 miles (26.5km) / 948 ft (289 m) ascent

Day 5

Appleby to Penrith. 20 miles (32km) / 984 ft (300 m) ascent

Finish

Depart from Penrith after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.

Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£60.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£50.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night
Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Lady Anne's Way map
Skipton to Penrith
100 miles (160 km)
2nd January to 24th December

Holiday highlights

Admiring the impressive castles restored to their former glory by Lady Anne Clifford, including Skipton Castle, Pendragon Castle and Brougham Castle.

Following in the footsteps of Lady Anne Clifford as she travelled between her homes in the fine old castles of the Yorkshire Dales.

Absorbing the idyllic atmosphere as you pass through Wharfedale, Wensleydale and the rugged Mallerstang valley in the Vale of Eden.

What's included?

  • 6 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

An extra night can be the perfect way to extend your holiday. Whether you spend it exploring some of the fantastic attractions along the trail, writing postcards or simply relaxing and browsing through shops, a rest day is a wonderful addition to your walking holiday.

Kettlewell is a good choice for a rest day. It is an attractive village with miners' cottages lining the banks of the stream trickling through the village. There is a church, shops and no less than three inns, reflecting its former importance as a river crossing on the old Wharfedale coach road.

The bustling town of Hawes offers a range of craft shops and cafes, as well as England's highest, single-drop waterfall, Hardraw Force.

The old market town of Kirkby Stephen is also a good place to take an extra night. Don't miss the unusual 'Bound Devil', a figure of Satan chained and horned in the ancient church of St. Stephen.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 100 miles (160 km)
Duration: 6 nights, 5 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 16.5 miles (26.5 km)
Maximum daily distance: 23 miles (37 km)
Code: LAW0 Grade: Demanding / Strenuous
Season: 2nd January - 24th December
Start of holiday: Skipton
End of holiday: Penrith

Route Profile

Lady Anne's Way Route Profile

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Manchester and Leeds Bradford.

By Rail - There is a rail station at the start of the trail (Skipton) and at the end of the trail (Penrith).

By Bus - Various bus services run to Skipton and from Penrith.

From London - Trains run from London Kings Cross & St Pancras stations to Skipton.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail, is to catch the train from Penrith to Skipton.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.
"Coming into Brough" by Miranda Ibbetson (2021) "Coming into Brough" by Miranda Ibbetson (2021)
"Pendragon Castle" by Blais Brancheau (2019) "Pendragon Castle" by Blais Brancheau (2019)
"The High Way" by Blais Brancheau (2019) "The High Way" by Blais Brancheau (2019)
"Approaching Hawes" by Blais Brancheau (2019) "Approaching Hawes" by Blais Brancheau (2019)
"Brougham Castle" by Blais Brancheau (2019) "Brougham Castle" by Blais Brancheau (2019)
"Barden Tower" by Blais Brancheau (2019) "Barden Tower" by Blais Brancheau (2019)

Customer reviews from the Lady Anne's Way

“A good walk combined with historical interest and high standard accommodation.”
Mrs Ibbetson, UK
“One of the best holidays I have ever had. An excellent holiday. Thanks for your great organisation. Special thanks also to the luggage transporter and the taxis - they were marvellous. The walks were so varied and the content of the days so surprising that it was impossible to pick one day out as best. The features that I loved were the birds overhead, the rivers, the buttercup meadows, the awesome scenery and the great welcomes that we received at the end of long day.”
Kath Harrison-Jennings, UK
“Excellent service; all worked well. We have already recommended you to other people!”
Mr Jackson, UK
“It was a great walk and your arrangements were second to none. Another excellent holiday, thank you.”
Mr Betterton, UK
“We have enjoyed all of our holidays with Contours. My wife and I find these self-guided walking holidays our favorite vacation. The route information, accommodation booking and luggage transfer services by Contours makes it so much easier and more enjoyable. We would recommend this holiday. If anything, we feel that the information and photos of the holiday understate the beauty and variety of the locations through which one travels. The varied scenery, history and cultural aspects were far better than we expected (and we had been in Yorkshire and Cumbria before on the Coast to Coast walk). We have booked several holidays with Contours in the past and intend to continue to do so in the future.”
Mr Brancheau, USA
“It went without a hitch. Everything went smoothly and we had good weather. Difficult to find any serious faults.”
Mr Welch, UK
“Excellent B&BS and the luggage transport worked like a clock.”
Mrs Grimsberg, Sweden
“Good accommodation, well organised. Highlighted route a big help as some parts/paths seldom used.”
Mrs Howard, UK
“Great walking with many scenic highlights. The Highway from Hawes is spectacular.”
Mr Ogden, UK
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