Details for Coast to Coast Walk

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 Yorkshire 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.