The Heart of the Lakes

Julia Bradbury follows in the footsteps of legendary guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright by walking across the whole of northern England from the west to the east coast . This was Wainwright's last great venture and has become his greatest legacy - a beautifully simple proposition, linking three national parks that lie between the Irish and the North Sea. 36 years after its creation, Julia is off, through sunshine, wind and rain to cross the changing landscape, understand the history and meet the people that make up almost 200 miles of northern England. Over three mountain ranges and across three valleys, the second stage of Julia's journey is a grand traverse of Wainwright's much-loved Lake District. Having shrugged off the rain, Julia ends with the epic 17-mile final day in the Lakes, including the length of Haweswater and the highest peak on the entire walk.