Where to base yourself
76 villages and towns across the Lake District, Eryri, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, Bannau Brycheiniog and Scotland, each one listed with what you can reach from it on foot, not only with a photograph and a postcode. 22 of them work without a car.
The station named under each base is the nearest one on the national network and the distance is by road, which is not the same as walking distance. Ambleside's nearest is Windermere, 7.8km away, so the train gets you to a bus rather than to the village. Where the figure is under a kilometre, the platform really is in the town.
The Lake District
19 bases
Ambleside
Windermere's head, and the easiest Lakeland base without a car.
Windermere station, 7.8km by road
1116 to stay
Braithwaite
Coledale's village, under Grisedale Pike and the Whinlatter road.
Penrith station
529 to stay
Broughton-in-Furness
Cumbria's smallest town, a market square beside the Duddon.
Foxfield station, 3.9km by road
152 to stay
Buttermere
Two lakes, one village, and Honister at the top of the pass.
Workington station, 29km by road
429 to stay
Caldbeck
Back o' Skiddaw, with High Pike from the car park.
Wigton station, 13km by road
75 to stay
Cockermouth
Wordsworth's birthplace, on the quiet edge of the northern fells.
Maryport station, 11.3km by road
185 to stay
Coniston
Slate, copper, and the Old Man rising straight from the village.
Windermere station, 19.4km by road
1122 to stay
Ennerdale Bridge
The quiet western door to Ennerdale, with no bus and few hills.
Whitehaven station
72 to stay
Eskdale
Mainline train to Ravenglass, then narrow gauge up the valley.
Ravenglass station, 15km by road
97 to stay
Glenridding
Ullswater's steamer pier, and Helvellyn straight up the valley.
Penrith station, 20.9km by road
296 to stay
Grasmere
Wordsworth's village, with Helm Crag and Loughrigg at the door.
Windermere station
871 to stay
Great Langdale
Pikes at the door; Ambleside for the shopping.
Windermere station, 20km by road
753 to stay
Keswick
Derwentwater, Skiddaw, and buses into four valleys.
Penrith station, 27.4km by road
521 to stay
Newby Bridge
The foot of Windermere, for low fells and a boat north.
Newby Bridge station
599 to stay
Pooley Bridge
Ullswater's quiet end, a boat or bus ride from the fells.
Penrith station
175 to stay
Staveley
A branch-line village at the mouth of Kentmere.
Staveley station
931 to stay
Threlkeld
Blencathra at the back door, four miles east of Keswick.
Penrith station
528 to stay
Wasdale
Highest summit, deepest lake, and barely a bus.
Seascale station, 15km by road
82 to stay
Windermere
End of the line from Oxenholme, and a first view three minutes out.
Windermere station
1186 to stay
Eryri (Snowdonia)
12 bases
Bala
Llyn Tegid's northern shore, and the base for the Arans.
64 to stay
Barmouth
The beach, the viaduct, and a flat path to Dolgellau.
Barmouth station, in the village
249 to stay
Beddgelert
A quieter route onto Yr Wyddfa, with Moel Hebog at the door.
Porthmadog station, 12.5km by road
341 to stay
Betws-y-Coed
A station on the Conwy Valley line, and forest walks from the door.
Betws-y-Coed station, in the village
131 to stay
Blaenau Ffestiniog
A slate town with two railways, and its hills a drive away.
Blaenau Ffestiniog station
147 to stay
Conwy
A UNESCO castle and an easy summit, both a walk from the station.
Conwy station, in the village
253 to stay
Dinas Mawddwy
A quiet Dyfi village under the Aran, for drivers only.
Machynlleth station
77 to stay
Dolgellau
Cadair Idris at the door, the Mawddach Trail running from the town.
Morfa Mawddach station, 13km by road
174 to stay
Harlech
A castle on a crag, and the rough Rhinogydd behind it.
Harlech station
230 to stay
Llanberis
Wales's main gateway onto Yr Wyddfa, on foot or by rail.
Bangor station, 14.5km by road
281 to stay
Machynlleth
A railway junction town on the south side of Cadair.
Machynlleth station
97 to stay
Tywyn
Seaside town, steam railway, the quiet south side of Cadair.
Tywyn station
159 to stay
The Peak District
10 bases
Ashbourne
Five miles south of Dovedale, at the foot of the Tissington Trail.
Uttoxeter station, 20km by road
165 to stay
Bakewell
A market town at one end of an old railway.
341 to stay
Buxton
A market town at 300m, and one bus ride from Edale.
Buxton station, in the village
202 to stay
Castleton
Caves, a castle, and the ridge that closed a road.
Hope station, 3km by road
201 to stay
Edale
The end of the road, and the start of the Pennine Way.
Edale station
174 to stay
Hartington
Duck pond, cheese shop, three limestone dales on the doorstep.
280 to stay
Hathersage
A station, a pool, and Stanage Edge a couple of miles north.
Hathersage station
199 to stay
Hayfield
The Mass Trespass village, at Kinder Scout's western foot.
New Mills Central station
89 to stay
Leek
A market town below the Roaches, with the gritstone 6km off.
Congleton station
94 to stay
Matlock
Derwent gorge base on the Derby railway, High Tor on foot.
Matlock station
343 to stay
The Yorkshire Dales
10 bases
Grassington
Upper Wharfedale's market town, with its hills a drive away.
Skipton station
46 to stay
Hawes
Wensleydale's market town, on the Pennine Way.
Garsdale station
139 to stay
Ingleton
Under Ingleborough, with the waterfalls trail on its edge.
Bentham station
115 to stay
Kettlewell
Beneath Great Whernside, with Buckden Pike a day away.
Skipton station
77 to stay
Kirkby Stephen
Eden market town below Nine Standards Rigg.
Kirkby Stephen station
42 to stay
Malham
Cove, gorge and waterfall on one circuit from the village.
Settle station
124 to stay
Reeth
Swaledale's principal village, with no railway for miles.
96 to stay
Sedbergh
A book town below the Howgills, with the hill from the door.
Oxenholme station
49 to stay
Settle
Ribblesdale's market town, on the Leeds to Carlisle line.
Settle station
110 to stay
West Burton
A Bishopdale village green under Penhill.
Leyburn station
118 to stay
Abergavenny
Mainline station, market town, and Sugar Loaf and the Skirrid beyond.
Abergavenny station
109 to stay
Brecon
Market town on the Usk, with Pen y Fan eight miles south.
Merthyr Tydfil station, 32km by road
125 to stay
Crickhowell
Under Table Mountain, with a hillfort walk from the high street.
Abergavenny station, 13km by road
129 to stay
Hay-on-Wye
The border book town, five miles below Hay Bluff and the Gospel Pass.
Hereford station, 33.8km by road
90 to stay
Llanddeusant
A hamlet below the Black Mountain, with one lake and ridge.
Llangadog station
37 to stay
Talybont-on-Usk
A canalside village below the Neuadd valley and Fan y Big.
Merthyr Tydfil station, 28km by road
135 to stay
Scotland
19 bases
Aberfeldy
A gorge walk from the square and Schiehallion up the road.
Pitlochry station
250 to stay
Arrochar
At Loch Long's head, with a station and the Cobbler near.
Arrochar and Tarbet station
183 to stay
Aviemore
The Cairngorms' main railhead, walking distance from pine forest.
Aviemore station
185 to stay
Braemar
Upper Deeside's hill village, with Lochnagar 25 miles round.
71 to stay
Broadford
Skye's second village, below the Red Cuillin and near Blà Bheinn.
Kyle of Lochalsh station
47 to stay
Brodick
Arran's ferry port, with Goatfell behind the bay.
Ardrossan Harbour station
126 to stay
Callander
The Trossachs' front door, an hour from Glasgow.
Stirling station
215 to stay
Cannich
The last village before Glen Affric, at the end of the A831.
Inverness station
110 to stay
Fort William
Below Britain's highest mountain, on the line from Glasgow.
Fort William station
123 to stay
Glencoe
The classic Highland glen, with a village at its foot.
Fort William station
155 to stay
Killin
At Loch Tay's head, nearest village to the Ben Lawers range.
Crianlarich station
144 to stay
Kirriemuir
Where the Angus glens begin, and the hill is a drive.
Dundee station, 28.2km by road
127 to stay
Lochinver
Assynt's fishing port, with Suilven's path on the doorstep.
Lairg station
61 to stay
Pitlochry
Ben Vrackie from the edge of town, with a station on the line.
Pitlochry station
208 to stay
Portree
Skye's main town, and the base for the Trotternish peninsula.
Kyle of Lochalsh station
20 to stay
Strathpeffer
A Victorian spa village below Ben Wyvis, five miles from Dingwall.
Dingwall station
166 to stay
Taynuilt
Below Ben Cruachan, on the Oban line by Loch Etive.
Taynuilt station
163 to stay
Torridon
Below Liathach, with no fuel pump and hardly a bus.
Strathcarron station
84 to stay
Ullapool
The North-West Highlands' one town of any size, ferry port for Lewis.
Garve station
38 to stay