furnessway.co.uk is an independent, reader‑focused guide to walking the Westmorland and Furness Way — the 120‑mile (193 km) long‑distance route across Cumbria from Alston to Furness Abbey. We publish detailed, stage‑by‑stage route notes, difficulty ratings, planning advice and free GPX downloads. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official channel of Westmorland and Furness Council.
Who runs this site
furnessway.co.uk is an independent project run by a keen long‑distance walker based in the United Kingdom. It's a single‑walker effort rather than a corporate travel brand: the routes here have been researched, walked and mapped first‑hand across the Lake District, the Howgill Fells and the North Pennines. We keep the focus on the walking rather than on personalities — but everything published here comes from real time spent on these hills and with these GPX tracks.
Why this site exists
The Westmorland and Furness Way is a new trail, being developed by Westmorland and Furness Council with an official launch planned for Autumn 2026. Until the official waymarking and materials are complete, walkers researching the route online find very little joined‑up, practical information. We built this site to fill that gap: one place with a clear overview, honest stage descriptions, and route files you can load straight into your mapping app — free, and without a sign‑up wall.
How we compile our route information
Our stage guides are built from the underlying GPX tracks for the route, combined with publicly available information published by Westmorland and Furness Council and cross‑checked against Ordnance Survey mapping and on‑the‑ground knowledge of these areas. Distances and key coordinates are computed directly from the GPX files rather than copied from secondary sources. Because the route is still being finalised ahead of its official opening, some details (waymarking, diversions, facilities and opening dates) may change — so we tell you where something needs checking and we always recommend confirming current conditions before you set off.
Our editorial approach
We aim to be accurate, practical and honest. We flag anything that is provisional or unverified rather than presenting it as certain, and we update pages as the route develops. If you spot something that is wrong or out of date, please tell us — see our contact page — and we will correct it.
How the site is funded
The content on this site is free to read. To help cover hosting and the time spent researching and maintaining the guides, we may display third‑party advertising. Advertising never influences our route advice or recommendations. See our privacy policy for how advertising and cookies are handled.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections, or your own experience of the route are always welcome. Email us at blacktipsheets@gmail.com or use the contact page.