While surveying and fixing stiles on the Cumbria Way, we met lots of passing Cumbria Way walkers who when we asked about any problems seen on the route mostly talked about the very poor waymarking. Some had gone astray and had to backtrack to get back onto the route.

So we decided the try to completly renew all the waymarking, not only the waymarks on stiles and gates but also the fingerposts where the route meets a road, which in many cases had rotted of become illegible. And since we already knew of some waymarking problems inside the National Park, and expected there would also be waymarking problems on the Cumbria Way section north of the National Park through to Carlisle, we decided let’s try to get waymarks renewed on the whole route.

Discussions followed with oir local Westmorland and Furness Council, the National Park, Cumberland Council (who cover the northern end of the route) and the Ramblers Association, who originated the Cumbria Way many years ago. And agreement was reached on a new Cumbria Way waymark design to be used on the whole route, with our Furness PathFix group putting up waymarks on the southern half of the route and Ramblers groups in the north of the Cumbria renewing them on the northern half. It’s a big job, but new waymarks are already being put up and new fingerposts for the Ulverston to Gawthwaite section have been ordered.