Lady Anne’s Way
Lady Anne’s Way is a 100 mile long distance path from Skipton Castle to Broughham Castle at Penrith, through the Yorkshire Dales and the Upper Eden Valley. The walk is one of great beauty and historical interest. Lady Anne’s Way passes through the wonders of the Yorkshire Dales, including Wharfedale and Wensleydale, with their unspoilt villages and limestone pavements, and progresses through the remote and rugged fellside of Mallerstang to enter Cumbria (old Westmorland) and the romantic delights and hidden haunts of the Eden Valley.
This is a walk for anyone who is reasonably fit, with a sense of adventure and a love of our countryside. It will appeal both to seasoned walkers and those seeking their first experience of a long distance path.
Lady Anne Clifford was a powerful landowner with a vast estate including a number of castles, and this walk follows in her footsteps, re-tracing routes that she may well have used as she travelled between her many homes.
She was born in 1590 at Skipton Castle, the starting point for the Way, and she died at Brougham Castle, the finishing point.
Summary of the route :
- Skipton to Grassington. Leaving Skipton, passing Embsay, Eastby, Halton Edge, Barden Tower. Follow the River Wharfe through traditional Dales landscape to Grassington.
- Grassington to Buckden. The route climbs high above the valley giving views of spectacular limestone scenery before dropping down to the village of Kettlewell, then up the valley to Buckden.
- Buckden to Hawes. Out of Wharfedale dropping down into Wensleydale, passing Nappa Hall before reaching Askrigg, famed for its connections with the TV series ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. Then on to Hawes (for some cheese!).
- Hawes to Kirkby Stephen. A high route over the fells from Wensleydale into Mallerstang, known as Lady Anne’s Highway. Alongside the River Ure, a climb up Cotter End, then into Mallerstang and the beginning of the River Eden.
- Kirkby Stephen to Appleby. Following the Eden Valley passing Brough Castle, through old fashioned villages and farmland with views to the hills. The almshouses built by Lady Anne are an oasis of tranquillity.Appleby to Penrith. Superb views of the North Pennine hills. Delightful villages of soft red sandstone. And finally the ancient ruins of Brougham Hall are passed before reaching the magnificent ruins of Brougham Castle by the River Eamont. A short riverside walk leads you to the end of the walk in the market town of Penrith.
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