The story of the Roof of England Walk
The idea of a grand walking tour of the North Pennines was originally dreamt up by the first chair of what was then the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership, Councillor Bob Pendlebury. Bob was a leading light in Crook Ramblers, a keen walker and he was enthusiastic about developing a circular walk around the North Pennines – a landscape he loved.
The North Pennines National Landscape team began work to identify a possible route in 2020. Close working followed over the following years with the area’s four Rights of Way Teams (Durham County Council, Northumberland County Council, Westmorland and Furness Council and Cumberland Council), user groups, and representatives from tourism bodies – all under the auspices of the National Landscape Partnership’s Access & Recreation Working Group and Tourism Working Group.
Funding in 2024/25 from Defra’s Farming in Protected Landscapes grant programme enabled the North Pennines National Landscape team to develop and waymark the route further. The route was launched in summer 2025.
Route management
The route is managed by the Rights of Way teams who manage the areas through which the route passes – Durham County Council, Northumberland County Council, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and Westmorland and Furness Council. In due course, when the route is further developed with an additional ‘Cumberland Loop’ it is anticipated that Cumberland Council will join this list.
Future development, including promotion, this website and all associated social media is managed by the North Pennines National Landscape team. The National Landscape team is supported in this endeavour through its two Working Groups – Access & Recreation and Tourism.
The Working Groups bring together a range of interests, including: Local Visitor Economy Partnerships; tourism associations; attractions; Access Authorities; and user groups.
Exploring vibrant natural beauty
The North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark is one of England’s most special places – a stunning, upland landscape of wide open moors, flower-rich hay meadows, intimate woods, inky-black night skies, charismatic wildlife, fascinating industrial heritage, tumbling rivers and dramatic waterfalls.
Here you will find a peaceful, unspoilt landscape with a rich history and vibrant natural beauty.
National Landscapes
The North Pennines was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1988. In November 2023 the area changed its name to North Pennines National Landscape in recognition of the area’s national significance. National Landscapes are outstanding landscapes whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so precious that they are safeguarded in the national interest.
Natural beauty encompasses much more than the scenic: it includes plants and animals, landform, geology and hydrology, cultural heritage and socio-economic and landscape character.
There are 46 ‘National Landscapes’ – covering 14% of the land of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UNESCO Global Geopark
In recognition of its world class Earth heritage and efforts to make the most of this for tourism and education, the North Pennines is also designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark. The impressive landscape of the area – from High Force on the River Tees to the sweeping valley of High Cup Gill above Dufton – are the product of millions of years of geological processes.
