St Bega's Way is a 36-mile (58 km) walk through rural

West Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...

and the north west corner of the English Lake District. It is usually completed as a leisure walk over 3 days, but has also been used as the basis of a single day competitive Ultramarathon.

Background

The route:

St Bees Priory St Bees Priory is the parish church of St Bees, Cumbria, England. There is evidence for a pre-Norman religious site, and on this a Benedictine priory was founded by the first Norman Lord of Egremont William Meschin, and was dedicated by Archb ...

* - Ennerdale Bridge -

Borrowdale Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland. It is sometimes referred to as ''Cumberland Borrowdale'' ...

Derwentwater Derwentwater, or Derwent Water, is one of the principal bodies of water in the Lake District National Park in north west England. It lies wholly within the Borough of Allerdale, in the county of Cumbria. The lake occupies part of Borrowdal ...

- St Bega's Church *

Bassenthwaite Bassenthwaite is a village and civil parish in the borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, historically part of Cumberland, within the Lake District National Park, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 412, increasing to 481 ...

. It is usual to walk in the easterly direction, given with the prevailing wind on the back. However, when running, it is frequently done in the opposite, westerly, direction. Although the route is named after St Bega it is entirely the invention of Rosalinde Downing, who described it in a small booklet. Several commercial organisations offer guided or assisted vacations based on the walk.

References

External links

St Bega's Way
official website.

the St Bega's Way Ultramarathon.
The entry
in the

LDWA The Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) is a British not for profit, volunteer-led association whose aim is "to further the common interests of those who enjoy long distance walking". The LDWA is an association of people with the common inte ...

website.
St Bega's Church
Bassenthwaite. Long-distance footpaths in England Footpaths in Cumbria {{Cumbria-geo-stub