St. Bees to Ennerdale Bridge
Distance: 14.0 miles
Height Gain: 3,500 feet
Highpoint: Dent – Long Barrow (1,148 feet)
Walking time: Approx 7-8 hours
Part 1: St. Bees to Moor Row
Walk out of the village of St. Bees, pay your respects to the statue of St. Bega on the way down to the beach where you should dip your boots and collect a pebble. Take the steep path up South Head and follow the cliff path, passing Fleswick and the lighthouse to your right. After another mile or so, turn right past Quarry Bungalows and say goodbye to the sea for about 175 miles. Follow the narrow lane through Sandwith and onto the farm at Demesne (Demain), cross the road and pass Bell House then follow fields down to the railway crossing. From there follow the tarmac path along the disused railway to Moor Row.
Part 2: Moor Row to Ennerdale Bridge
Continue along the disused railway until signposted to Cleator, where you can partake of pies (if you are early enough) and beer in the Three Tuns. Follow the signpost out of the village and onto open moorland behind Black How farm. Here comes the first stiff climb of the walk up to Dent. From Dent, take the forestry track down to the footbridge that leads into Nannycatch. Leave this lovely valley and climb up to the road and Kinniside stone circle. Take the path that runs parallel to the road and follow this all the way into Ennerdale Bridge.
Stedman’s Trailblazer Guide lists stage 1 as 14 miles in 6 1/4 hours, not your 18 miles in 8-10 hours. This is a large anomaly. Who is more correct?
Mark, I think that may well be a typo – it’s certainly closer to 14 than 18 and indeed the itinerary pages have it down as 14.
The time is purely subjective anyway and I don’t think 8 hours is an unreasonable estimate for some, but I will modify the page – thanks for the spot!