By David Drake, Director for People and Nature, Natural England
On 24 April 2025, I had the privilege of joining a remarkable celebration - the 60th anniversary of the Pennine Way. As Britain’s first National Trail, the Pennine Way remains a powerful symbol of our need to access the outdoors and our deep, lasting connection with the natural world.
Natural England is the body responsible for proposing National Trails and I’m proud of the role we and our founding bodies have played in shaping and supporting the National Trails network since the opening of the Pennine Way back in 1965.
These trails are now enjoyed by millions of users every year, and we are excited at the prospect of adding the completion of the King Charles III England Coast Path and Wainwright’s Coast to Coast path to this family in 2026, bringing the total length of our National Trails in England and Wales to almost 4,500 miles.
But the story of the Pennine Way - and its significance today - is about more than miles on a map. It is rooted in a powerful history of access, perseverance, and people coming together to make something extraordinary.
Origins of Our National Trails
This year’s celebration also marks 93 years since the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass of 1932. That bold act of civil disobedience, led by the Ramblers Association and others, was a turning point in the fight for public access to our uplands. It sparked a movement that would inspire generations and ultimately lead to the landmark National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949.
That visionary piece of post-war legislation not only sought to define and protect our most cherished landscapes, but also to ensure they could be enjoyed by all - through the creation of high-quality, well-managed access routes. It is this vision that the family of National Trails continues to uphold today.
The Pennine Way also owes its existence to the foresight of Tom Stephenson, whose 1935 article in the Daily Herald imagined a trail that would uplift the spirit and strengthen both mind and body. His dream became reality 30 years later, with an official opening on Malham Moor in 1965.
Since then, the Pennine Way has not only welcomed walkers from across the globe, but it has also inspired the creation of 14 more National Trails across England and Wales.
A Personal Journey
This year’s anniversary is personally meaningful to me as well. It marks 40 years since I first walked the entire Pennine Way as a 19-year-old – under-equipped but inspired by an old guidebook my dad bought in the 1960s.
Back then, the trail was a tough, unforgiving trek. I remember trudging through waist-deep bogs, battling hail on Cross Fell, and even suffering food poisoning near the end. And while I nearly made it, my friend and I skipped the Cheviot summit on the final day, lured by the promise of a free pint at the Border Hotel.
For four decades, that missing summit haunted me - until last month, when I finally returned and completed the final steps. I can now honestly say: I’ve walked every inch of the Pennine Way.
A Model for Partnership
The Pennine Way’s success has always depended on collaboration. Originally coordinated through an informal group, it became the blueprint for today’s National Trail Partnerships - a model Natural England has advocated and supported since 2013. The current Pennine Way Partnership, led by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, has flourished for over a decade.
Together, partners are committed to making the trail more inclusive and accessible – maintaining pathways, creating circular routes, and ensuring people of all backgrounds can enjoy its landscapes.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on this incredible milestone, it’s vital we also look forward. National Trails are more than lines on a map - they’re living examples of how access, conservation, and community can come together to make people’s lives better. They help restore nature, support rural economies, and offer powerful health and wellbeing benefits.
The challenges we face today - climate change, biodiversity loss, health inequalities - echo the struggles of the past. But just as the Pennine Way emerged from grassroots passion and a national vision, so too can we use these trails to reconnect people with the land, support nature recovery, and create inclusive, sustainable futures.
1 comment
Comment by Stuart Taylor posted on
Many thanks for this uplifting article. My wife and I completely share your sentiments, and agree that trails such as the Pennine Way are vital in so many ways. As members of the Ramblers and RSPB, and residents of Oxenhope near Haworth, we welcome the addition of Penistone Hill as part of the new Pennine Gateway initiative, and its designation as as a Nature Reserve. We are, however, deeply concerned about the proposed wind-farm at Walshaw Moor, less than 2 miles from Penistone Hill. This area of 9sq miles of blanket bog is an incredible existing natural resource .It's peat stores up to four times as much carbon as a rain-forest, it's sphagnum moss helps to mitigate against the frequent flooding in the Upper Calder Valley, and it is home to several species of red-listed birds. In addition, thousands of visitors (many from abroad) are attracted to the ruins of Top Withens, boosting the tourist economy of Haworth and the Worth Valley. The site is "protected" as an SSSi, SPA and SAC.
If this were not enough to safeguard the Moor, you will be well aware that the Pennine Way runs through the heart of Walshaw Moor,and as such will be literally "over-shadowed" by the blades of over 40 turbines standing taller than Blackpool Tower. Once in situ the " flicker effect" and noise from the turbines and battery storage would transform an otherwise tranquil and serene walk into a disturbing and distracting experience.
The character and atmosphere of this section of the PW would be ruined once the construction is completed, and during the work there would be inevitable disruption and closures.
Finally, it is ironic to say the least, that Walshaw Moor is the subject of a Restoration programme which should be running up to 2042, and has been in place since 2017 ( a total of 25yrs. ) Sadly, due to lack of funding and man-power this programme has not been adequately monitored and over-seen.
We would be very grateful for any comments or support you would able to offer.