A pilgrimage hike from coast to mountains — St Bega’s Way and Back

The mountainous regions of our planet have always inspired a kind of spiritual reverence. The laws of nature are played out on a huge scale, with towering peaks, great lakes, crashing waterfalls and dazzling displays of wildlife. It is no wonder that, around the world, these places draw millions of pilgrims to their slopes and summits every year.

The Lake District’s unique and romantic beauty draws more people than any other national park in Britain. In many ways, its picture-postcard lakes and rugged fells are the most worshipped of all the mountainous regions of Britain.

It is into the Lake District’s western reaches that St Bega’s Way and St Bega’s Way Back explore. Totalling 86 miles (138 km) when taken together, the Ways start and finish at two places where Christian worship has taken place for over a thousand years. Whether you choose to embark upon this great trek for religious reasons or merely as a disciple of the natural beauty found along the route, you are sure to feel invigorated.

The original St Bega’s Way follows the imagined route of St Bega, starting and finishing at the two churches with strong connections to her. She was the daughter of an Irish chieftain who fled an arranged marriage to a Norse prince. Her audacious escape took her across the sea to St Bees, where she tended to the sick and helped the community in a variety of ways. She then travelled to Northumbria, possibly via Bassenthwaite, where a church in her name now stands.

St Bega’s Way is a 36-mile (58 km) journey on foot from the priory church at St Bees on the west Cumbrian coast to St Bega’s church on the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake in the northern Lake District. It passes through the gorgeous valleys of Ennerdale and Borrowdale, crosses the Honister Pass and summits Dent, one of Wainwright’s Outlying Fells.

The 50-mile (80 km) St Bega’s Way Back swaps start and end points, starting at St Bega’s church at Bassenthwaite Lake and taking a longer and more challenging route back to St Bees. You ramble through Vale of Lorton, Buttermere and Wasdale, summiting the Wainwright of Graystones and crossing the high passes of Scarth Gap and Black Sail. Each stage of this wonderful pilgrimage ends at a village church.

In this Collection, I have joined the two Ways into one great figure-of-eight through western Lakeland. Whether you choose to complete the Ways separately, or to complete the stages as day trips is entirely up to you. All the stages end near accommodation and amenities specifically tailored to walkers, though do book in advance if you are planning to overnight.

Taken separately, the Ways are a good warm up to some of the classic long-distance trails in the region, such as the Coast to Coast or the Cumbria Way. The route follows a mixture of minor roads, farmers’ tracks, public footpaths and fellside trails and for the most part is easy to follow, though it is not waymarked like some of the more established trails.

Most of the hiking is through the valleys of Lakeland, rather than over the tops. However, both Ways summit a medium sized fell and there are considerable ascents to mountain passes at Honister, Scarth Gap and Black Sail.

The mixture of terrain calls for sturdy, waterproof boots. Warm layers and waterproofs should still form a part of your pack even when the sun is shining. The mountain passes and fell summits are likely to be windier and it will certainly be colder up high. Don’t forget your sun cream, something that often catches people out in the Lakes. Provisions can be stocked up en route, but you will need plenty of water and snacks when on the walks.

For most, this is a trail for the warmer months, with long daylight hours, the sun reflected on the shimmering surface of the lakes and wildflowers in the woodland. Experienced hikers and those familiar with Wainwright bagging might enjoy the challenge posed by winter. If this is you, just be aware that the high passes may require the use of an ice axe and crampons after heavy snowfall.

The start point of St Bees is on the A595 west coast road, about an hour’s drive from the M6 at Penrith, via the A66. There is a regular train service from Carlisle, which takes about an hour and twenty minutes. Bassenthwaite Lake is a short drive from Keswick on the A66, also best accessed from the M6 at Penrith. Half of the stage end points are near bus routes, the ones not are the head of Ennerdale, Wasdale Head, Gosforth and St Bees (though there is a train station here).