A walker heads for the highest point of the Pennine Way on Cross Fell. Photo: Bob Smith Photography

England’s oldest long-distance footpath celebrates its 60th birthday on Thursday.

The Pennine Way was officially full opened at a ceremony on Malham Moor in the Yorkshire Dales on 24 April 1965.

The route, officially 268-miles (431km) long, stretches from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders, and makes its way through the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland national parks.

Though less of a popular challenge than it was in its heyday, the Pennine Way is still rated as a tough route, typically taking between two and three weeks, and involves 36,825ft (11,225m) of ascent – enough to test even strong walkers.

The route, now designated a national trail, was the brainchild of journalist Tom Stephenson, who expounded his idea in a newspaper article in 1935. It would be another 30 years before the Pennine Way route was finally completed.

You can read my personal account of a journey up the backbone of England (and a bit of Scotland) in my feature posted in August 2024.