elderly man on off-road wheelchair parked by coniston water lake shore on a bright day

Miles without Stiles accessible routes

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Our 50 Miles without Stiles more accessible routes

Miles without Stiles are walking routes for everyone. They take you along lake shores and riversides, to tarns and through woods, historic remains, and fell summits with amazing views.

As well as not having any stiles to climb up and over, they are more accessible routes suitable for people with limited mobility. This includes wheelchair users, families with pushchairs, the visually impaired, and anyone who wants an easier walk with no scrambling, climbing or steep hills. Use our routes feed below to explore where the routes are and the facilities available.

Path conditions can change and be damaged, or eroded, by rain and bad weather. We do our best to carry out repairs quickly, but occasionally a route is closed, or diverted, for essential repairs. Check the individual route pages for up to date information on route conditions. Facilities such as toilets or bus timetables are also subject to change.

Please note that mobility scooters must be class 2 or 3 on the routes. See also the UK government website page on using mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs, classes of mobility scooter and powered wheelchair.

white adult female walking next to white adult male wheelchair user. On wide gravel path, surrounded by grey and green woodland and fells

Miles without Stiles (MWS) routes in the Lake District

Plan your day using our routes feed. Filter by duration, facilities, surroundings and more.

List of MWS routes

What are route grades and what do they mean?

Our grading system: for ‘all’, ‘many’, ‘some’ and ‘challenging’, is based on gradients and surface conditions. The grades are a guide only, our aim is to give you information about the route and the terrain, so you can decide if it is suitable for you. Please be aware of your own, and your equipment’s capabilities and ensure your batteries are charged sufficiently if you need them. If you are unsure, maybe try a ‘for all’ route first, then a ‘for many’ route, before attempting a ‘for some’ route and finally, a ‘challenging’ route.

A man in a electric wheelchair and women walking alongside him on a tarmac path surrounded by lush green trees and bushes and pink flowers

'For all'

Suitable for: Everyone, including pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters
Gradient: No more than 1:10
Surface: Tarmac or smooth, compacted stone with a diameter of 10mm or less. Path width a minimum of 1m with passing places

landscape view of green fells and grassy verges next to Loughrigg Tarn on a partly sunny day. a close wooden waymarker points down the wide gravel track

'For many'

Suitable for: Many walkers, pushchairs, wheelchair and mobility scooter users with more robust all terrain equipment
Gradient: Existing gradients no more than 1:10, newly built gradients can be up to 1:8
Surface: The path surface will be rougher stone of 4 cm diameter or less

A man in a hand-wheelchair pointing into the distance talking to a women who is stood beside him. Large woodland areas in the distance

'For some'

Suitable for: Some walkers, and confident pushchair, wheelchair and mobility scooter users, who may find routes ‘for some’ within their abilities, if they have suitable more extreme all terrain equipment.
Gradients: not limited, but slopes over 1:6 have improved surfacing or handrails
Surface: There may be some low steps or breaks in the surface up to 10cm in height. Stone surface material may be up to 10 cm in diameter

adult female on an off-road mobility scooter enjoying green woodland and wild grass surroundings on a sunny day down the Millwood Trail. the path is wide with large stones

'Challenging’

Only suitable for: Very confident users. They have no barriers other than rougher surfaces and steepness
Gradients: Slopes up to 1:4 for short lengths (<10m) and up to 1:6 for longer lengths. There may not be any handrails
Surface: may have longer sections of rough ground for some or most of route. May be soft, muddy with tree roots and rutting occasionally exceeding 100mm but not exceeding 200mm

Wheelchair users in Staveley on a paved path with metal barriers

Staveley Riverside, a short circular route along the River Kent.

View across a circluar Loughrigg Tarn with grass field. A tall skinny tree stands to the left of the tarn with snow-capped fells in the distance

Take a circular route around beautiful Loughrigg Tarn.

You can get right to the water's edge on the Monk Coniston route.

A young woman in a red jumper sat on a wooden bench at the top of Latrigg looking down across Keswick town and the fells in the distance.

View from Latrigg of Keswick, Derwentwater and surrounding fells.

A women in a yellow jacket on a electric wheelchair with a man walking beside her. They are at the shore of Derwentwater with canoes sat on the pebbled beach

Derwentwater lake shore on the Friar's Crag Miles route.

A couple sat on the bench at the top of Orrest Head looking across to the Lakeland fells over Windermere

The newly restored viewpoint at Orrest Head fell looking over Windermere lake below.

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Miles without Stiles

Planning your visit

keswick 555 double decker bus driving down road with stone cottage to left and dry stone wall with blossom tree to right

Getting to and around the Lake District

Find transport options across the Lake District.

A women on a electric wheelchair going along a path by the river and a man sat on a bench

Wheelchair and mobility scooter hire

Lake District mobility tramper and wheelchair hire is available.

Three people walking across bridge towards camera, one pushing a pushchair.

Accessible for all

There are adventures for everyone in the Lake District.

rydal water lake surrounded by snow covered grasses, reeds, trees, a close wooden fence, distant woodland and low hill. The snow landscape and evening blue partly cloudy sky is reflected in the still lake water

Lake District weather

Weather is changeable, no matter where you are. Wear appropriate footwear, consider waterproofs, food and drink.

A thanks to...

Thanks to the many organisations who have helped us create these routes including:

Cumbria County Council, National Trust, Forestry Commission, Tourism and Conservation Partnership, Bassenthwaite Reflections, Environment Agency, Friends of the Lake District, United Utilities, Parish Councils and private landowners