Coast to Coast Walk

The Coast to Coast Walk is a long-distance footpath between the west and east coasts of Northern England, nominally 190-mile (306 km) long. Devised by Alfred Wainwright, it passes through three contrasting national parks: the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the North York Moors National Park.^[1] The current actual measured distance is reported as 182-mile (293 km).^[2]

Not to be confused with Sea to Sea Cycle Route.

Coast to Coast Walk

190 mi (306 km)

Northern England

Long distance footpath, designated a National Trail in 2022

St Bees, Cumbria
54°29′31″N 3°36′43″W / 54.492°N 3.612°W / 54.492; -3.612 (Coast to Coast Walk, St Bees)
Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire
54°26′06″N 0°32′06″W / 54.435°N 0.535°W / 54.435; -0.535

Hiking

Kidsty Pike, 780 m (2,560 ft)

Sea level

Wainwright recommends that walkers dip their booted feet in the Irish Sea at St Bees and, at the end of the walk, in the North Sea at Robin Hood's Bay.

It has been an unofficial and mostly unsignposted trail. However on 12 August 2022 it was announced that the Coast to Coast Walk would become an official National Trail, following a successful campaign by the Wainwright Society (the official Responsible Organisation for the trail^[3]). Work will commence to upgrade the route and officially open it in 2025 (at 197-mile (317 km) long).^[4]^[5]^[6]

From the small seaside town of St Bees, where there is a "C to C" monument by the lifeboat station, the route follows the cliffs of north for a few miles before turning inland to pass through the villages of Sandwith, Moor Row and Cleator in the West Cumberland Plain. It then climbs its first hill (Dent), and follows its first valley (Nannycatch) before reaching Ennerdale Bridge.

St Bees Head

The path goes up the valley of along the edge of Ennerdale Water and past the Black Sail Hut youth hostel. It climbs alongside Loft Beck to the fells north of Great Gable, passes the disused slate workings and mountain tramway of Honister, and descends to Rosthwaite in Borrowdale.

Ennerdale

To leave Borrowdale, the route passes Stonethwaite and follows the stream up to Greenup Edge, before travelling along the ridge and down to Grasmere village.

Helm Crag

From Grasmere the route ascends to the pass of from where Wainwright offers a choice of three routes: via either of the mountains of Helvellyn or St Sunday Crag, or an easier descent along the valley of Grisedale, the three options reuniting at Patterdale village.

Grisedale Hause

From Patterdale, a stiff climb leads to and Kidsty Pike — at 2,560 feet (780 metres) the highest point on the walk. There is then a steep drop to Haweswater from where the route follows the north shore of the lake before leaving the Lake District and visiting Shap Abbey and the village of Shap itself.

Angle Tarn

St Bees Head

The following major headland is traversed by the route:

The following hills are crossed by the route:

Wainwright, Alfred (2003). A Coast to Coast Walk: A Pictorial Guide (Wainwright Pictorial Guides). London, UK.: Frances Lincoln. 978-0-7112-2236-6.

Coast to Coast Walk