Coast to Coast

Arrive in St Bees on the shores of the Irish sea and spend the evening at your first night’s accommodation.

Your journey from coast to coast begins by following a footpath along the impressive sandstone cliffs of St Bees Head before it turns inland and over farmland. There are fine views from the summit of Dent before you descend to Ennerdale Bridge and the edge of the Lake District National Park.

You begin today by following a lovely path along the shores of Ennerdale Water. The route takes you through forest to reach remote Black Sail Youth Hostel, situated in one of the most dramatic and awe-inspiring locations in the Lake District. From here climb up steeply to Honister Hause (1900ft) and you are truly surrounded by Lakeland peaks before descending to picturesque Borrowdale, considered by many to be England’s finest valley.

A short day allows you time to savour the beauty of the Lake District as you cross over the fells from Borrowdale to Grasmere. Grasmere is a really charming village situated right in the heart of the National Park. Visit Dove Cottage, the best-known home of William Wordsworth, the school where Wordsworth once taught, now home to a famous Gingerbread Shop and St. Oswald’s church, the last resting place of the Wordsworth family.

From Grasmere there is a lot more climbing to do – the route lies over the Helvellyn range either over the pass at Grisedale Tarn (2000ft), or for the more adventurous, via the summit of Helvellyn, England’s 3rd highest mountain. The route drops down to Patterdale on the shore of Ullswater. Add 2 miles and 2 hours if you include the detour via the summit of Helvellyn.

The route takes you up to the ridge of a peak called High Street before going over Kidsty Pike, the last Lakeland summit on this route. This involves the largest daily ascent and descent of the walk, reaching 770m at Kidsty Pike. The four mile walk along the peaceful shores of Haweswater Lake can also be quite tiring. The path then follows the lake to the dam above the tiny village of Burnbanks, before continuing to Shap along grassy riverbanks, through parkland and across pastures.

From Shap, the scenery of limestone cliffs, moorland, pasture and scattered farmsteads is quite different from any other stage of the walk. Your destination today is Orton, a pretty village with a welcoming pub and a chocolate factory.

Beyond Sunbiggin Tarn the route takes you into Smardale, a delightful valley through which a railway once passed and an impressive viaduct can still be seen. Then it’s over Smardale Fell and a descent into the quaint market town of Kirkby Stephen.

The route today takes you over the Pennines. The ‘normal’ route is over the summit of Nine Standards Rigg but be prepared for substantial seasonal diversions. These diversions are due to excessive erosion on the original Wainwright route and the presence of grouse-shooting close to the public footpath in Ney Gill.

The view here is wide ranging with the hills of the Lake District behind you and the route ahead into Yorkshire close at hand. You enter the Yorkshire Dales National Park as you descend to Keld, approximately the half way point of your Coast to Coast walk.

There is a choice of routes on offer today. Either follow the official Wainwright route which keeps high above the valley following old lead mining trails, or the valley route that follows the River Swale through the meadows with their stone barns and unspoilt villages. There are pubs along the valley route at Gunnerside and Low Row where you can stop for lunch. If the cloud is low we recommend taking the low level route.

Enjoy a short walk today through pretty Swaledale to the bustling, market town of Richmond, the largest settlement on the route. On the way you will pass the ruins of Marrick Priory and the pretty village of Marske. You should have ample time to explore the town in its delightful setting above the River Swale. There is plenty to see, not least the impressive Norman castle and the ancient cobbled market square with its wonderful shops.

This is the longest and flattest day of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk as you make your way across the Vale of York between the Dales and North York Moors National Parks.

The route is a mixture of quiet country lanes and footpaths, often very muddy, across the fields, where the going is slower. Many Coast-to-Coasters opt to divide this stage into two, taking an overnight stop at Danby Wiske which has a great pub built in the 1600’s. The hills of the North York Moors are getting closer as you approach the end of the day’s walk in the village of Ingleby Cross.

Beyond the arable farmland of the Vale of York are the heather moorlands of the North York Moors. After visiting the delightful village of Osmotherley, the route takes to the hills again and enters the North York Moors National Park. This is a strenuous section for many people, with numerous ascents and descents over the Cleveland Hills. There is no accommodation at Clay Bank Top, but is available a couple of miles downhill at Great Broughton.

This is a long stage but the going is surprisingly easy after the ascent from Clay Bank Top to Urra Moor, the highest point on the North York Moors. Stop for lunch at the pub in Blakey before continuing to Glaisdale and your overnight accommodation. This is the best stage to enjoy easy walking combined with long vistas and purple moorland during late August.

This is the final leg of the journey and one to savour and enjoy. The final stage of the Coast to Coast is long with two sustained ascents. Many walkers will split this day into two by stopping at Littlebeck and finishing off with a short day into Robin Hood’s Bay.

Follow the valley of the River Esk through pleasant woodlands to Egton Bridge and from Littlebeck the route takes you across heather moors. The last section is three miles of magnificent cliff-top footpath along the coastal cliffs overlooking the North Sea. This leads you to the finish in the very steep old fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay, a really quaint place that deserves time to explore.

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful walking holiday on the Coast to Coast.