Cumbria Way Crossing, Stonethwaite, Coast to Coast
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Coniston Water
The Cumbria Way – Ulverston to Carlisle, via Stonethwaite
The Cumbria Way is a 70-mile long-distance footpath running south to north through the Lake District National Park. It offers a varied walking experience through picturesque valleys, with mostly low-level terrain interspersed with occasional high and more exposed sections.
The route begins in Ulverston on the Furness Peninsula and ends in Carlisle, following a natural line through some of Cumbria’s most scenic countryside. It is traditionally walked in five stages:
1. Ulverston to Coniston
2. Coniston to Great Langdale
3. Great Langdale to Keswick
4. Keswick to Caldbeck
5. Caldbeck to Carlisle
The Coast to Coast Path joins the Cumbria Way for a brief but beautiful segment near Stonethwaite, where both routes traverse the wooded valley floor beneath Eagle Crag.
Coniston Water Cumbria Way Section 1
The first leg of the Cumbria Way follows the wooded shore of Coniston Water. To the north, the Coniston Fells rise steeply, with the Old Man of Coniston forming the highest point of the ridge. The route here is peaceful and low-lying, tracing the lake’s edge before climbing gradually toward Tarn Hows and into the Langdale valleys.
Elterwater View Point Cumbria Way Section 2
Elterwater is encountered during the second section of the Cumbria Way. Elterwater and the nearby village of the same name are in the Great Langdale valley. From the lakeside there is a decent view of the Langdale Pikes.
Eagle Crag Stonethwaite Cumbria Way Section 3
Approaching from Langstrath, the Cumbria Way executes a sharp turn westward as it skirts Eagle Crag and enters the Stonethwaite Valley. Across the beck, the imposing wall of cliffs forming the eastern valley side is known as Long Band.
Lonscale Fell Keswick Cumbria Way Section 4
Lonscale Fell is north of Keswick. It has a precipitous eastern face, but the Cumbria Way finds its direction below the steep crags. Lonscale Fell is a Wainwright with a summit at 715m.
River Caldew Carlisle Cumbria Way Section 5
The final leg of the Cumbria Way follows the River Caldew for 15 miles from Caldbeck into Carlisle. This gentle valley route concludes where the Caldew merges with the River Eden, which flows onward into the wide estuarial waters of the Solway Firth.
Take the Coast to Coast Guide With You
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