Walking in the Lune Valley and Howgills: a complete planning guide

What is Walking in the Lune Valley and Howgills?

Walking in the Lune Valley and Howgills is a Cicerone guidebook collecting 40 circular day walks across the valley of the River Lune, from its Howgill Fells headwaters near Kirkby Stephen down through Sedbergh, Kirkby Lonsdale and Lancaster to the tidal marshes of Morecambe Bay. The routes climb onto the hills overlooking the main valley, wander into tributary dales such as Dentdale and Borrowdale, and trace the Lune itself as it changes character from moorland stream to estuary.

The book covers a landscape that lacks the single-identity branding of a national park but overlaps three protected areas: the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Lake District National Park, and the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, alongside the Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape near the coast. At its heart stand the Howgill Fells, a distinctive, unfenced massif rising to 672m at The Calf, cut off from its neighbours by the Lune Gorge and the Dent Fault.

Unlike better-known walking areas nearby, the guidebook's authors are candid that "there are no 'highest peaks' to climb or 'longest ridges' to traverse" in and around the Lune, and present the valley instead as a place of quiet, unfrequented hills and villages, rewarding for exactly that obscurity. This planning guide answers the most common questions walkers have before setting out. For complete route descriptions and mapping, see the Cicerone Lune Valley and Howgills guidebook.

How does the guidebook divide the Lune Valley?

The 40 walks are arranged geographically, starting in the north of the region and following the river southwards to the sea. They fall into five broad groupings:

• The upper Lune and Howgill Fells (Walks 1–15): from Weasdale and Newbiggin-on-Lune, traditionally reckoned near the river's source, through Orton and Bretherdale to the high Howgill tops, including Bowderdale and The Calf and the gorge scenery of Carlin Gill
• Sedbergh and Dentdale (Walks 16–21): routes based around Sedbergh and the River Rawthey, into Dentdale and Garsdale, and over Calf Top and Frostrow Fells
• Kirkby Lonsdale and the middle Lune (Walks 22–27): Casterton, Kirkby Lonsdale itself, and the river as it winds past Leck Beck and Melling
• The lower tributary valleys (Walks 28–31): Roeburndale, Littledale and Clougha Pike, on the northern fringe of the Forest of Bowland
• Lancaster and the estuary (Walks 32–40): riverside and canal walks around Lancaster, out to Glasson Dock, Cockersand Abbey and the coastal points of Overton and Sunderland Point

Who is Walking in the Lune Valley and Howgills suitable for?

The guidebook is aimed at walkers of all abilities, and the majority of its 40 routes are lowland walks that present no particular difficulty. Families, dog walkers and less experienced walkers are well catered for among the riverside, valley and canal-side routes, particularly those around Kirkby Lonsdale, Sedbergh and Lancaster.

A smaller number of routes venture onto the higher moors and hills of the Howgill Fells and the Bowland fringe, and here competent navigation skills and reasonable stamina become necessary, especially in winter conditions. None of the 40 walks demands scrambling or climbing ability, though some involve brief steep sections.

How difficult are the walks?

Difficulty across the collection ranges from easy to moderate. The lowland and valley routes are generally straightforward and well waymarked. On the open tops of the Howgills, the absence of fencing or walls, combined with a scarcity of unambiguous landmarks, means navigation can be genuinely challenging in cloud, and the guidebook flags competent compass use as a requirement on these sections. Good waterproof footwear and windproof, waterproof clothing are treated as basic equipment throughout, and none of the routes should be attempted underequipped in poor forecast conditions.

When is the best time to walk in the Lune Valley?

• Spring and early summer: the woodlands, meadows and hedgerows are at their most colourful, generally alongside the best weather of the year
• Late summer: the moors come into their own as the heather flowers
• Autumn: turning leaves bring rich colour to the valley, and it is also the best season for fungi
• Winter: crisp days can open up long-distance views from the tops, but conditions on the Howgills and Bowland fells can turn challenging quickly, even for experienced walkers

There is no single best shoulder season beyond the general recommendation to favour spring through autumn for the higher routes, reserving winter for the valley and lowland walks.

What accommodation is available?

Hotels, bed and breakfast and self-catering cottages are available at the main centres of Lancaster, Kirkby Lonsdale and Sedbergh, as well as in many of the surrounding villages, with a good selection of camping and caravan sites throughout the valley. Tebay and Dent also serve as useful bases for the upper valley and Dentdale respectively.

Some smaller hamlets along the Lune have lost their shops and pubs entirely, so it is worth basing a multi-day visit around one of the main centres and driving or walking out to the more remote routes, rather than relying on facilities en route. The guidebook's Appendix C lists accommodation contacts and websites in full.

How do I get to the Lune Valley?

The valley is readily accessible from the M6 motorway, and Lancaster, Oxenholme (on the eastern edge of Kendal) and Penrith stations all sit on the West Coast Main Line. Local bus services reach some villages, though rural timetables do not always suit walkers' needs, and checking Traveline in advance is recommended. Anyone driving should be aware that the valley's lanes are narrow and winding, shared with slow-moving farm traffic, pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists.

What wildlife might I see while walking in the Lune Valley?

With little industry or heavy habitation along its course, the River Lune is one of England's cleanest rivers and correspondingly rich in wildlife. It is an important salmon river, with sea and river trout also present, and rare colonies of white-clawed crayfish and pearl mussels survive in places, supported by ongoing conservation projects.

Otters have holts along the river from Halton up to Tebay, with the Crook o'Lune a favoured spot for sightings, while roe deer, badger, fox and hare are widespread across the surrounding countryside. Britain's native red squirrel survives precariously near the top of the valley around Newbiggin. Birdlife is abundant throughout: herons, oystercatchers and kingfishers along the river, dippers and wagtails in the wooded side-valleys, and merlin and hen harrier on the Bowland moors, the latter adopted as the emblem of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape. The estuary at the valley's foot draws flocks of waders, geese and swans according to the tide.