Walking Forum

Main Boards => General Walking Discussion => Topic started by: forgotmyoldpassword on 11:23:19, 27/05/20

Title: Ravenber Way - Cumbria to the Borders
Post by: forgotmyoldpassword on 11:23:19, 27/05/20
Curious if anyone has done this or considered it?  I'm sure we're all looking at 'stay at home' tourism this year and being able to get out and about in some of the quietest countryside south of the border made this an attractive one.


https://ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Ravenber+Way (https://ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Ravenber+Way)


Starts at Ravenglass and goes to Berwick-upon-Tweed - tempted to book a couple of rooms via air bnb to mix up the wild camping/restock food/have a (hopefully) clean room and shower to myself.
Title: Re: Ravenber Way - Cumbria to the Borders
Post by: Islandplodder on 15:28:15, 27/05/20
I'd never heard of it, but followed your link and started considering it immediately. It looks very good, and maybe a bit quieter than the other coast to coast!
Title: Re: Ravenber Way - Cumbria to the Borders
Post by: richardh1905 on 17:01:58, 27/05/20
Never heard of it before, but it looks like a very appealing route. Sty Head to Langdale, High Street, High Pennines, Cheviot, River Tweed - great stuff. Me being me I would be tempted to modify the route, particularly to take in Cross Fell.


Not sure about the airbnb bit right now though, but hopefully things will settle down eventually (goodness knows when).
Title: Re: Ravenber Way - Cumbria to the Borders
Post by: forgotmyoldpassword on 18:24:53, 27/05/20
I'd never heard of it, but followed your link and started considering it immediately. It looks very good, and maybe a bit quieter than the other coast to coast!


That's the main problem with most of the longer distance routes for me - they get boring once you start walking alongside roads and loads of them seem to do that for a substantial part of the route.  Perhaps I'm spoiled, but after walking Hadrian's Wall years ago I've decided I'd rather leave a long distance route unfinished than spend time walking alongside traffic - would rather keep to the 'good bits'.  Definitely the quieter, more scenic variety are best. 


Never heard of it before, but it looks like a very appealing route. Sty Head to Langdale, High Street, High Pennines, Cheviot, River Tweed - great stuff. Me being me I would be tempted to modify the route, particularly to take in Cross Fell.


Not sure about the airbnb bit right now though, but hopefully things will settle down eventually (goodness knows when).


For sure, going past a half dozen tarns during the first couple of days and then getting through the Eden Valley and into the Pennines as soon as possible tempted me.  Cross Fell should definitely be included, you're right, and could be potentially an extra day of bimbling around the Pennines away from any roads which would bring you out a little further west on Hadrian's Wall for my liking - but agree, overall it's the remoteness of much of it which appealed. 


Also occurred to me that there are a significant number of Roman forts en-route.  Eskdale holds a roman fort, High Street is known for being a roman road which linked between forts and of course Hadrian's wall may make it a bit of a mini tour of the northern forts if I have time.

Not sure what to think about accommodation at the moment, agreed, but hopefully once it becomes 'de rigueur' to properly clean between guests I'll have a lot more confidence.


For those interested:


(http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/north_east/assets/roman_military_disposition_ad1304.png)
Title: Re: Ravenber Way - Cumbria to the Borders
Post by: vghikers on 20:09:09, 27/05/20
The Ravenber Way rings a faint bell, maybe I saw it at the LDWA. It's the first mention of another route I've seen that starts and ends at our coast-to-coast (https://v-g.me.uk/Trips/T0719/T0719.htm) backpack points.
Our route also took in the Cross Fell range and the Cheviots, those shouldn't be missed.

I've just loaded it up and it looks very appealing, especially the North Pennines sections that follow non-obvious lines and look very remote.

Nah, don't break the spell by notions of rooms and showers, wild camp it all the way  :)
Title: Re: Ravenber Way - Cumbria to the Borders
Post by: forgotmyoldpassword on 09:06:49, 28/05/20
The Ravenber Way rings a faint bell, maybe I saw it at the LDWA. It's the first mention of another route I've seen that starts and ends at our coast-to-coast (https://v-g.me.uk/Trips/T0719/T0719.htm) backpack points.
Our route also took in the Cross Fell range and the Cheviots, those shouldn't be missed.

I've just loaded it up and it looks very appealing, especially the North Pennines sections that follow non-obvious lines and look very remote.

Nah, don't break the spell by notions of rooms and showers, wild camp it all the way  :)


Oh your blog definitely covers a fair few of the similar areas, from reading it through seems like you had a lovely route.
The wild camping is the first choice for sure, I'll just have to tell myself to keep away from the accommodation.. but perhaps drop in to check out the pub beer gardens if I'm passing  ;)


With so much time in the Pennines and Cheviots it's definitely one for the summer and not the boggy autumn (rarely have I walked the Pennines and not wished I had brought wellies instead of boots)
Title: Re: Ravenber Way - Cumbria to the Borders
Post by: snoopdawg on 20:22:27, 29/05/20
Took an interest in this a couple of years back. I'm sure I followed a previous post on here about it. There is a published book on this written by Ron Scholes which contains a written guide for the section and drawn maps. I bought a copy but haven't got round to reading it yet.
Title: Re: Ravenber Way - Cumbria to the Borders
Post by: Doddy on 15:06:34, 02/06/20
It does look a fine walk. I live in Lincolnshire so I think I would do it from North to South; wild camping for me. Possibly could do it the other way; after a Pennine Way finish about five o`clock I shared a taxi from Kirk Yetholm to Berwick and then managed a train to get home in Nth Lincs at about eleven for the wife to pick me up.