Cumbria, otherwise known as the Lake District, is an area only 30 miles square and with a great variety of scenery. The rugged mountains, wooded valleys and lakes were an inspiration to great poets and painters. A. Wainwright, author of the well known books on “fell walking” spent much of his life exploring and mapping these hills.

The Yorkshire Dales is also a small area. In spite of that, you'll find mountains and valleys, high moors rich in birds and wild flowers, lovely unspoilt villages, stately homes and gardens, some of the finest monastic ruins, nature reserves and waterfalls, and even caves. In fact when the Dales became a fashionable destination for visitors in the late 18^th century it was almost named the “Cave District”. The area is virtually hollow - riddled with caves and underground passages. Between the Dales and the Scottish border lies Northumberland - an area low in population and well known for the famous wall built by Emperor Hadrian during the Roman occupation.

The self-governing Isle of Man is 32 miles long and is known for the “rumpy” - its tailless Manx cat which enjoys protected status. The rugged west coast of the island is spectacular. Deep ravines called the Chasms run down to the shore, and a rocky island known as the Calf of Man is a bird sanctuary. On a fine day, the Irish coast and the Mountains of Mourne are clearly visible.

The eastern side of the Isle of Man has lush farmland in the north and the island's longest beaches. Further south are rugged cliffs, and looming above all is Snaefell - at 2034 feet, the highest mountain. From here, on a clear day, you will see the Lake District coastline. Racing enthusiasts flock to the island every year for the motor-cycle races, so our visit must be early in May to enjoy the tranquillity of the island. Douglas is the capital of the island and is famous for its horse-drawn trams which run along the promenade. It is also the terminus of the Manx Electric Railway and the Victorian Steam Railway. These will be incorporated into our walks and sightseeing trips.

THE DALES VILLAGES (CIRCULAR WALKS)
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LOW IMPACT DALES VILLAGES (SHORT CIRCULAR WALKS)
Colin Speakman, who writes about the Dales, says “I do not apologise for starting with the beauty, the sheer breathtaking, exhilarating physical beauty of the landscape of the Yorkshire Dales...” You may recognise the countryside (mostly now devoted to sheep farming) if you saw the much loved television series of James Herriott's veterinarian stories. We stay in Bed and Breakfast accommodations in 4 Dales villages. We'll visit the sites of interest and take circular walks through river valleys and villages, over moors and sometimes follow ancient trails used by monks or drovers.

A COAST TO COAST WALK (LINEAR WALK)
This is a grand and adventurous walk! It begins at St Bees on the Irish Sea coast and links three National Parks ending at Robin Hood's Bay on the North Sea coast. It is 190 miles long. I have several reference books on long-distance walks in Great Britain, and they all agree that it is a strenuous walk suited to experienced walkers. Choosing the best 100 miles, our journey will take us through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Lake District, across the Pennines into Swaledale, and finally over the Cleveland Hills and the North York Moors.

YORK EXTENSION York has been an important town in England for 2000 years. It was established as a Roman town and military base, and it continued to play an important role throughout the Saxon, Viking and Medieval periods that followed. Traces of all these periods are evident in York, and during our stay, we'll walk the ancient walls, and visit the magnificent cathedral. We'll see Jorvik - an experiential museum depicting life in the old Viking city - and still have time to explore the medieval streets which have changed very little.

RAILWAYS AND ROMAN WALLS (CIRCULAR WALKS)
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LOW IMPACT RAILWAYS AND ROMAN WALLS (CIRCULAR WALKS)
Our trip in the far North of England includes an exploration of a Roman wall. We explore the exquisite valley of the River Eden, and to add to your enjoyment of the region, we'll take one of the most scenic rail journeys in Britain - The Settle Carlisle Line. The Roman wall was built in AD 121 by Emperor Hadrian, as a barrier and an outpost. It stretched 80 Roman miles (73.5 miles) from coast to coast and had its own temples, forts and villas to serve those Roman soldiers who were based there. The Eden Valley is a gem, lying on the Western edge of the Yorkshire Dales. Because it is sandwiched between the Dales and the Lake District, very few people discover it.

THE DALES WAY (LINEAR WALK)
This 84 mile walk passes through gentle valleys, lush countryside, pretty villages and will surprise you with spectacular views. Unlike any of my other linear walks, it follows rivers. We enjoy the Yorkshire Dales National Park, cross some undulating hills and end up in the Lake District. It is less demanding than any of the other linear walks, but still is more strenuous than a village tour. We'll walk 8-10 miles a day. Paul Hannon writes of this walk “...one is never far from some feature of architectural or historic interest, including a stone circle, a Roman road, a fourteenth century fortified manor house, a fifteenth century shooting lodge and a seventeenth century Quaker meeting house. Add to this a wealth of churches and bridges of all ages...”

THE ISLE OF MAN (CIRCULAR WALKS)
The self-governing Isle of Man is 32 miles long and is known for the “rumpy” - its tailless Manx cat which enjoys protected status. The rugged west coast of the island is spectacular. Deep ravines called the Chasms run down to the shore, and a rocky island known as the Calf of Man is a bird sanctuary. On a fine day, the Irish coast and the Mountains of Mourne are clearly visible. The eastern side of the Isle of Man has lush farmland in the north and the island's longest beaches. Further south are rugged cliffs, and, looming above all is Snaefell - at 2034 feet, the highest mountain. From here, on a clear day, you will see the Lake District coastline. Racing enthusiasts flock to the island every year for the motor-cycle races, so our visit must be early in May or September to enjoy the tranquility of the island. Douglas is the capital of the island and is famous for its horse-drawn trams which run along the promenade. It is also the terminus of the Manx Electric Railway and the Victorian Steam Railway. These will be incorporated into our walks and sightseeing trips. The island is small enough to allow us to stay in one location for the duration of the tour. This means that we venture out each day in a new direction and our walks will include shoreline rambles, cliff-top walks, a stroll atop Snaefell having arrived by train, and gentle walks in the lush valleys of the north. We will ride the horse-drawn trams in Douglas, as well as the steam train and the electric railway, incorporating some of these rides into the walking routes. There are interesting diversions for us to enjoy after our walks, including a Folk museum, gardens, the Laxey Wheel, a castle, and a wildlife park where you will see the tailless Manx cat and the many horned Manx sheep known as the loaghtan.

THE ISLE OF MAN (LINEAR WALK)
The island is small enough to allow us to stay in one or two locations for the duration of the tour. Our total walk takes us 96 miles all around the island. We walk the shoreline, the cliffs and through coastal towns and harbours. Many of the attractions described above can be included after our walks and on the two half days of rest.

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