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The Westmorland and Furness Way

The Westmorland and Furness Way

A new long-distance walking route will celebrate the geography and spectacular scenery of Westmorland and Furness.

The Westmorland and Furness Way will run for 120 miles, linking Alston in the north and Furness Abbey in the south, following a route that showcases some of the area’s best countryside in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Yorkshire Dales National Park (Westmorland Dales) and the Lake District National Park.

The route, which is scheduled to launch on 15th September 2026, is being developed by Westmorland and Furness Council and the trail can be divided into six main sections or tackled as a whole long-distance challenge.  Discover more here.

The Westmorland Way will mainly link existing walking routes and the council’s Countryside Access Team is leading on work this year to make sure the paths are clear and well connected,  with upgrades including improvements to stiles and gates to improve accessibility. New signage and interpretation boards will be introduced along the route highlighting key features and local attractions. 

Councillor John Murray, Westmorland and Furness Council’s Cabinet member for Transport and Regulatory Services, said: “We already know that Westmorland and Furness boasts some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in the world, from Lakeland vistas and rolling fells to the beautiful Dales and dramatic North Pennines.

“This new walking route will celebrate that stunning landscape in all its many forms and make it even more accessible, creating a connected path from Alston all the way to Furness Abbey.

“People will be able to walk just a few miles of one section, tackle a couple of sections at a time or undertake the ultimate challenge of walking the whole 120 miles over several days.

“We hope it will eventually become as popular and well-known as other famous long-distance routes, like the Coast-to-Coast path, Pennine Way or Cumbria Way, creating another great reason for walkers from all over the world to come to enjoy our fantastic area."