The only place to start if you are making your own arrangements.
The walk was devised in 2007 by Tony and Chris Grogan. Their Dales High Way website is the definitive online resource for anyone wishing to complete the walk.
It pulls together a wealth of information, including details of the route, accommodation along the way a forum and an inaluable 'news' section with updates on any recent route changes.
As this relatively new route is the brainchild of Tony and Chris, it is not surprising that there is only one source of information ... but what an excellent source that is.
For a self-made project the two publications, A Dales High Way Companion and A Dales High Way Route Guide, are stunning. Congratulations to the authors and to the publisher, Skyware. If only all guides were this good ...
Not only has the route been thoroughly researched and described, both in words and depicted on annotated maps, but the accompanying background information and photographs provide an impressive level of knowledge and detail. These guides are a labour of love, and it shows.
We did, on occasion, question the need to produce two separate publications - when the route was not clear on-the-ground, checking both descriptions in combination with the map always alowed us to head in the right direction, but I imagine a lone walker might find manipulating and cross-referencing two books somewhat cumbersome?
As this relatively new route is the brainchild of Tony and Chris, it is not surprising that there is only one source of information ... but what an excellent source that is.For a self-made project the two publications, A Dales High Way Companion and A Dales High Way Route Guide, are stunning. Congratulations to the authors and to the publisher, Skyware. If only all guides were this good ...Not only has the route been thoroughly researched and described, both in words and depicted on annotated maps, but the accompanying background information and photographs provide an impressive level of knowledge and detail. These guides are a labour of love, and it shows. We did, on occasion, question the need to produce two separate publications - when the route was not clear on-the-ground, checking both descriptions in combination with the map always alowed us to head in the right direction, but I imagine a lone walker might find manipulating and cross-referencing two books somewhat cumbersome?
In preparing for the walk, I created a Memory Map tracklog for each day and converted them to standard ".GPX" files.
You are welcome to download the individual tracklogs (Right click on the title, and select 'Save Target As...'), or download them all bundled in a zip file.
Most people will have to make their own travel arrangements for reaching the start of the walk, and for getting back home from Windermere.
We chose to travel by train, as there are stations at both Leeds and Windermere (indeed, one of the main reasons for starting at Leeds was it's location on the main east coast line, making it very easy to get to from Peterborough).
Online Booking
We have always found the Traveline journey planner to be very useful. It allows you to check a given route for train or bus options in addition to the more traditional depart and arrival times. Great for deciding how best to get to your destination, but unfortunately contains timetabling information only.
In previous years I have used the National Rail or Stagecoach websites to find the cost of tickets, however, I was recently alerted to the Cheap Train Tickets article on Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website. This suggests lots of ways to reduce the cost of rail travel, but just booking early (12 weeks seems to be optimum, but any time before you travel will likely bring a saving), and using the Virgin East Coast or TaketheTrain websites (which not only show the train times for your journey, but also find the cheapest tickets available and let you book online with no booking fee) will likely save you pounds.
We have also invested in a Two Together railcard which costs £30 per year, but gives us a third off the price of rail tickets ... including those already discounted by booking ahead.
Using a combination of booking early, online booking and railcards can result in some staggering savings. It's a no-brainer - use these options to their full potential !!
Chevin End Guest HouseWest Chevin RoadMenstonIlkleyLS29 6BEtel. 01943 876748WebsiteNGR: SE 184 439 (on route)
The New InnMain StreetAppletreewickBD23 6DAtel. 01756 720286WebsiteNGR: SE 051 602 (400 m from path)
West Winds CottageBuckdenNorth YorkshireBD23 5JAtel. 01756 760883WebsiteNGR: SD 943 773 (300 m from path)
The Station HotelRibbleheadIngletonLA6 3AStel. 01524 241274WebsiteNGR: SD 764 792 (~1.5 km from Path)
The Dalesman Country InnMain StreetSedberghLA10 5BNtel. 01539 621183WebsiteNGR: SD 65657 92165 (1 km from path)
Hillcrest B&BWinter LaneBowstonLA8 9HHtel. 01539 821489WebsiteNGR: SD 487 968 (800 m from Path)
Greenriggs Guest House8 Upper Oak StreetWindermereLA23 2LBtel. 01539 442265WebsiteNGR: SD 415 982
DALES HIGH WAY PAGES Photo Album Recommendations
Dales High Way Home Page Day 1 - Saltaire to Addingham Day 2 - Addingham to Hetton Day 3 - Hetton to Settle
Day 4 - Settle to Chapel-le-Dale Day 5 - Chapel-le-Dale to Sedburgh Day 6 - Sedburgh to Newbiggin Day 7 - Newbiggin to Appleby