Penrith (North Lakes) to Lazonby and Kirkoswald
A station-to-station walkCumberlandNorth of England
Leaves Penrith on well-trodden woodland paths over Beacon Hill (not rights of way but well used), then a fairly level track to a road. Quiet, undulating, peaceful lanes with good views, a short busier stretch on the A686, then quiet roads and a narrow woodland track and riverside fields beside the River Eden. Passes Long Meg and her Daughters, a spectacular ancient stone circle (with docile cows), and the Beacon Tower viewpoint is a short diversion. Langwathby, near the midpoint, has a pub, café, shop, buses and a station on the Settle-Carlisle line.
Hilly: a quarter on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.
Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.
Lunch: Langwathby, near the midpoint, has a pub with food, an outdoor café on the green and a convenience store.
Warnings: Follows a busy road for a sixth of the walk. One point on the route off Beacon Hill has been blocked off by a wall and barbed wire with private signage; access is difficult. The A686 stretch is busy for about half a mile (good verge and a separated section on the bridge). Motocross bikes have churned up the narrow woodland track near the stone circle, making it muddy.
Credits
Walk details: Slow Ways.