Coast to Coast sounds an awful long way, but the beauty of these long distance walks is that you can do as much or as little as you like. Stop off at some delightful towns and villages for refreshments, or even stay the night at one of the many hotels or guest houses en route.
The brainchild of Alfred Wainwright, the well-known writer and hill-walker, the Coast to Coast Walk crosses 3 National Parks; undoubtedly some of England's finest scenery.
Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk, often referred to as Wainwright's Way, ranks amongst the most popular of long distance walks in the UK, with walkers coming from all over the world to complete the spectacular journey across England.
It was originally called ‘Wainwright’s Way’, as it was created and documented by Alfred Wainwright the author of a range of hill and mountain walking books.
Walkers usually travel from West to East (for no apparent reason), commencing at St Bees on the Irish Sea coast and completing the journey at Robin Hoods Bay on the North Sea coast. The journey passes through some of the most wonderful, varied and spectacular scenery you could ever wish to see, including The Lake District National Park, The Yorkshire Dales National Park and The North Yorkshire moors National Park. You will experience beautiful lakes and rugged mountains of the Lake District, the rolling patchwork valleys of the Dales and the stunning expanse of moor land heather in the North York Moors, with dramatic coastal scenery at each end.
Coast To Coast Walk is not one of Britain's designated National Trails, however it is by far one of the most popular long distance footpaths in the country. Overall the walk takes from 11 to 15 days to complete depending on your...
chosen route. The best season for the coast to coast is April to October, however it is walked throughout the year with some hardy souls preferring to walk through the snow covered mountains and fells in the midst of winter!
It passes through some of the most beautiful and varied scenery in the country: the rugged mountains and beautiful lakes of the Lake District, the rolling hills and pretty valleys of the Yorkshire Dales and the expansive heather moor land of the North York Moors, with some dramatic coastal scenery at each end.
The coast to coast is one of Britain’s most famous hiking routes. Traditionally at the start of your walk you are obliged to dip your feet into the Irish Sea, and take a pebble from the shore and throw it(carefully) into the North Sea at the completion of your walk.
Section 1 - The Lake District: The first section of the coast to coast walk will take you over some of the most rugged and beautiful landscape of the Lake District, and down through idyllic Lakeland valleys of Borrowdale, Grasmere and Patterdale, close to Ullswater Lake and also past Helvellyn, England's most popular mountain.
Section 2 – The Yorkshire Dales: On leaving the Lake District the coast to coast walk crosses a much gentler landscape around Shap and Orton. Beyond the market town of Kirkby Stephen the walk then enters the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and passes through the valley of Swaledale, with its unspoilt villages and dry stone walls. The coast to coast then passes through the historic town of Richmond with its cobbled streets, fine array of shops; selection of pubs, spectacular River Swale, market square and a famous castle perched above the river.
Section 3 – The North York Moors: The next section passes through the arable farmland of the Vale of York (the toughest walking section), before it climbs to the heather covered North York Moors National Park, a region of long rolling footpaths and ‘relatively’ easy walking. Then on through the wooded Eskdale valley until finally reaching the rugged and spectacular cliffs of the North Sea Coast – the views will take your breath away and you will almost certainly want to sit a while and take it all in.. The last few miles of the walk follow the scenic east coast cliff top path to the red-roofed village of Robin Hood's Bay. Here you can relax on the beach, visit the pub or visit nearby bustling Whitby with its ruined abbey (associated with the Dracula legend), its Captain Cook Museum and fine array of shops and attractions.
