Small Group Tour along the Wainwright Walking trail

Wainwright Walking Trail | Small Group Hike for Seniors

The Wainwright Walking Trail small group program for the active senior has been especially designed for those with the stamina to follow the Wainwright walking trail. This is the best of all England walking tours, the historic coast to coast walk covers some 300 kilometres of often rugged terrain. Your guided trip begins and ends in seaside villages, from St Bees on the west coast of England to Robin Hood's Bay on the east coast. This small group tour walking tour for mature and senior travellers along Wainwright Walking trail also allows, however, for those men or women whether joining as a couple or a solo traveller interested in walking some of the trail, but are unsure of their ability to cover the whole distance, to walk as much or as little as suits their individual interests and ability.

Although we begin our adventure in Carlisle and finish in York, the majority of our time will be spent crossing the country from the west coast to the east coast along a path devised by Alfred Wainwright, early 20th century English fell-walker, guide book writer, illustrator and cartographer.

The landscapes along this trail are spectacular and includes numerous ascents and descents with views across lakes, valleys, moors, rolling hills, the quaint villages, the occasional country house as well as mountain peaks and passes. Your walking experience starts and finishes in beautiful coastal landscapes as we walk from west to east, with the wind typically at our backs. On our walk, which deviates a little from Wainwright's original trail and takes us through three national parks, the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the North York Moors National Park and the Cleveland way.

England walking tours are numerous this though is quintessentially English walk dominated by the three national parks. English history is ever present and makes for a truly fascinating and memorable walk as the local guide shares their knowledge of local flora and fauna, the ancient forests that blanket the rolling hills adjacent to rivers and disused historic sites or a local country house and their stories with the group. As this walking tour for seniors walks over a 27 day period from coast to coast we average between 8 to 14kms/day of walking.

This is not a designated national walking path and the actual route taken may vary with individuals' interests and ability. Finding your way without a local guide can be difficult at times, so our walking tour for seniors includes the services of a local guide.

This program uses four main centres along the path. We stay for up to six nights in each of these centres before moving with all our luggage on to our next destination. Our coach will transport us with our luggage for the day each morning to the point we left off walking in the previous afternoon, and collect us at the end of the day's walk. Those preferring to opt out of that day's walk and rest their feet will be able to explore the local area on their own, or possibly join other non-walkers on an alternative activity such as country house visits of a stroll though the historic Georgian towns or the country lanes that lead into quaint villages such as Reeth, giving you the opportunity to discover hidden gems as you stroll through this part of Northern England. A number of rest days will be built into the program, even for those who intend to walk the whole distance.

This is a guided trip and includes the services of a local guide with expert knowledge of the trail, as well as that of the Odyssey Program Leader. As the weather can be variable, we will rely on the knowledge and planning skills of the local guide for decisions about the desirability of walking on some days. Consequently the exact program and distances walked in each district may vary according to local conditions and the guide's assessment of individual ability.

The local guide's decision on the day's itinerary will be final. The activity level is level 3, moderate to challenging. This link takes you to the activity level guide for Odyssey walking tours for seniors including our England walking tours.

This article published by Odyssey Traveller about the Wainwright Walking trail, which is considered by many commentators as one of the best walking tours in England, may also assist you in preparing yourself for this walk.

Highlights of the Wainwright Walking Trail Tour

• Walk through stunning scenery in three of England’s National Parks.
• Take time out to visit Castle Barnard and the Bowes Museum
• Travel by Victorian steam gondola across Coniston Waters to visit Brantwood, home of John Ruskin.
• Paddle in both the Irish Sea and the North Sea.
• Enjoy the service of a knowledgeable local guide.
• Stay each night in comfortable accommodation.

Articles published by Odyssey Traveller for Walking and Hiking tours for seniors

To help you prepare for any walking program, whether with Odyssey or another company, this list of articles is intended to help you prepare for your holiday.

• articles on Selecting walking shoes for women
• article on footwear and walking shoes
• article on what to pack when travelling.
• article on maintaining muscle fitness in senior and mature age travellers
• article on selecting socks for walking
• article detailing six great short walks in Britain
• article on preparing for a walking holiday
• article on Pilgrim walks in Europe
• article on walking in the Lake District
• article on being an older traveller

Articles about Great Britain published by Odyssey Traveller

The following is a list of articles published by Odyssey Traveller for mature aged and senior travellers to maximise their knowledge and enjoyment of Great Britain when visiting;

• Roman roads in Britain
• Understanding British Churches
• Medieval British life
• Icons of British villages
• Studying Gargoyles and grotesques
• New discoveries about Britain's stone circles
• Victorian Country life
• Britain's neolithic past
• Lumps and bumps, how to read the British landscape
• The Lake district poets
• English village history
• Britain's National trust

See all the articles published on Britain by Odyssey Traveller. We also have more information about England you could research.

External articles to assist you on your walk in Britain

• National trust; Britain's best walks with Julia Bradbury
• National Parks of Britain.
• Ten books about Walking in Britain from the Guardian
• UNESCO World Heritage sites of Britain

Walk with Odyssey Traveller

The Wainwright Walking Trail is only one of many walking tours offered by Odyssey Traveller. These active tours are designed for the mature traveller to enjoy in a small group holiday and learning environment.

For more details, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.