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 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.

The guide describes the route in six stages as follows:

• Skipton to Grassington
• Grassington to Buckden
• Buckden to Hawes
• Hawes to Kirkby Stephen
• Kirkby Stephen to Appleby
• Appleby to Penrith

This is quite a demanding pace and a more leisurely itinerary would be to allow eight days.

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.

The origins of the route are best described by its creator, the guide’s author. 'The inspiration for Lady Anne's Way came whilst attending a lecture, where a reference was made to Lady Anne's Highway at Mallerstang. On hearing that this great lady owned many impressive and historic castles scattered all over northern England, I was immediately struck with the idea of a long distance path that would link these beautiful buildings. Scrutiny of the OS maps showed that a walk of 100 miles could be worked out, and so the route was born'.

Brougham Castle Image Attribution

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