St Oswald's Way

St Oswald's Way

A deeply historic walk featuring important landmarks associated with the 7th century King of Northumbria.

4 to 13 nights
48-101 miles
Easy to Demanding / Strenuous

From £540 per person

Find your holiday

About the trail

St Oswald’s Way links some of the most important sites associated with St Oswald, the 7th century King of Northumbria. Commencing from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, St Oswald’s Way follows the coastline of Northumberland past many impressive castles, fishing villages and old market towns, exploring a varied landscape of sandy beaches, heather-clad moors, pine-scented forests, rich farmland and tranquil riverbanks.

The walk also boasts a wealth of history to be discovered, including the ancient town of Bamburgh, St Oswald’s Church in Heavenfield, an Iron Age hillfort at Lordenshaws and even parts of the iconic Hadrian’s Wall are visited along the way.

We offer multiple holiday options along this trail. If you wish to experience the entire trail, simply select the first option from the list below.

Choose your route

  • This route includes dog friendly tour options St Oswald's Way
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options St Oswald's Way - Countryside Section
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options St Oswald's Way - Coast Section

Dog friendly tours available

Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.

About this route

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

From £560 per person

St Oswald's Way - Countryside Section

The countryside section of St. Oswald’s Way begins in the ancient village of Warkworth and continues inland towards Hadrian’s Wall and the village of Chollerford. The walk links some of the places associated with St. Oswald, passing through pretty valleys, agricultural land and charming towns and villages along the way, before joining with the iconic Hadrian’s Wall Path.

The trail then follows the famous wall to the holiday’s end point in Chollerford, where the Roman Fort of Cilurnum provides a fascinating end to a walk rich in history. 

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
OSWI1 From Warkworth to Chollerford(L) 4 nights, 3 days walking Demanding / Strenuous £560
OSWI2 From Warkworth to Chollerford(L) 5 nights, 4 days walking Moderate / Demanding £690
OSWI3 From Warkworth to Chollerford(L) 6 nights, 5 days walking Moderate £830

St Oswald's Way - Countryside section 4 nights, 3 days walking

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

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

Day 1

Warkworth to Rothbury. 18 miles (28.5km)

Day 2

Rothbury to Kirkwhelpington(T). 15 miles (24km)

Day 3

Kirkwhelpington(T) to Chollerford(L). 20 miles (32km)

Finish

Depart from Chollerford(L) 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
£65.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£55.00 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 St Oswald's Way - Countryside Section map
Warkworth to Chollerford
53 miles (85 km)
2nd January to 24th December

Holiday highlights

Tracing the rolling countryside of rural Northumbria from Warkworth to Chollerford.

Discovering the wonderfully peaceful Coquet valley in the heart of the Northumbrian countryside.

Arriving at St Oswald’s Church in Heavenfield and walking the final stretch to Chollerford on Hadrian’s Wall Path. 

What's included?

  • 4 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

The ancient village of Warkworth is a fascinating place to visit. The village is dominated by Warkworth Castle and perched on a rocky spur close to the mouth of the River Coquet. Just a short walk from the castle is the Warkworth Hermitage, a 14th century chapel carved out of the rock, while there are a series of craft shops, cafes and pubs along the village's main street.

The charming town of Rothbury is a delightful place to spend a rest day. Situated on the banks of the River Coquet, there are stunning views of the surrounding countryside, with plenty of walks around Coquetdale and lovely shops to explore.

Consider an extra night at Chollerford if you would like to explore Chesters fort in depth. It is a wonderful fort with some outstanding remains including the ornate headquarters building, the commanding officers residence, barrack buildings and military bath-house. The site also has a unique museum that contains some of the finest Roman artefacts to be found anywhere in Britain.

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

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

Tour Facts

Total distance: 53 miles (84.5 km)
Duration: 4 nights, 3 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 15 miles (24 km)
Maximum daily distance: 20 miles (32 km)
Code: OSWI1 Grade: Demanding / Strenuous
Season: 2nd January - 24th December
Start of holiday: Warkworth
End of holiday: Chollerford(L)

Route Profile

St Oswald's Way - Countryside section 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 Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

By Rail - The nearest rail station to the start of the trail (Warkworth) is at Alnmouth (about 4 miles away). The nearest rail station to the end of the trail (Chollerford) is at Hexham (about 6 miles away).

By Bus - Buses run from Alnmouth to Warkworth and from Chollerford to Hexham.

From London - Trains run from London Kings Cross station to Alnmouth. From there a bus/taxi will be required to Warkworth.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail is to take a taxi, as public transport options are extremely lengthy.

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.