Coast to Coast Walk

Location: Cumbria; North Yorkshire

OS maps: Explorer™ 303, OL4, OL7, OL5, OL19, OL30, 304, 302, OL26, OL27

This is the classic walk across northern England. Starting on the west coast the route crosses the spectacular mountains of the Lake District, continues through the gentler Yorkshire Dales and finally across the northern Yorkshire Moors; three of England's fabulous National Parks packed into one wonderful walk. Originally devised by A.W. Wainwright, the route is now the most popular long distance path in England; so much so that the OS have published special strip maps of the route and there is a small industry servicing the needs of walkers. This is a wonderful classic walk and one that all walkers should aim to accomplish at some time. Although it is strenuous in places it will reward the effort and, once completed, will stay as a treasured memory for ever.

Many of England's long distance paths are inspired by, and follow, a natural feature of the landscape. Perhaps the best example is the Pennine Way, which follows the backbone of Engand. The Ridgeway and the South Downs Way are examples of routes following limestone ridges. Similarly, many routes, such as the Severn Way, follow river valleys. What makes the Coast to Coast so interesting is that it ignores geology and 'goes against the grain', traversing England from West to East across the Cumbrian mountains, the Pennine watershed and the North Yorkshire Moors. From the very beginning at St. Bee's huge natural barriers confront the walker, providing spectacular dramatic scenery and an invigorating challenge. There are, of course, some gentler interludes along the way. After the sensory stimulus of the Lake District the arrival at Shap is followed by a section of low rolling limestone hills allowing recovery before the ascent of the Pennine range. After crossing the watershed the descent through upper Swaledale into the lovely town of Richmond is followed by the flat contrast of the route across the Vale of Mowbray. The final drama comes from the crossing of the North York Moors and the finish on the National Heritage coast at Robin Hood's Bay.
Regarding the route, Terry Marsh, author of one of the guides listed below, says in his introduction - 'His [Alfred Wainwright's] chosen route was but one of many possibilities, and the man himself encouraged walkers to devise their own. So, the present walk differs significantly in a number of ways. Being environmentally and ecologically more friendly, it ostracises much of the road walking that bedevilled Wainwright's plan, and overcomes the indifference he often displayed towards rights of way, or the lack of them. What results is a tantalising and inspiring excursion to rank with the finest of this country's long distance walks, and all of it on established right of way or permissive paths.'

	Guide Books: [Click for further information or to purchase]
	Coast to Coast Walk by Paul Hannon. England's most popular long distance path strides for 190 glorious miles from the Cumbrian coast across to the Yorkshire coast. From the cliffs of St. Bees to the sands of Robin Hood's Bay, discover some of the North's most stunning and diverse scenery. This classic trek crosses three outstandingly beautiful National Parks, The Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. Packed with information, this carefully researched guidebook is a perfect companion to what can be the walk of a lifetime. An introduction covers planning and practicalities, and throughout the guide the text is accompanied with sketch maps, gradient profiles and numerous illustrations of features of interest along the way.
	Coast to Coast Walk by Terry Marsh. The guide is in three sections. The first gives the route description, from west to east, annotated as appropriate with notes of geological, historical, industrial, sociological and natural history interest. The second section gives the route description only in an east to west direction, cross-referenced to the points of interest. The final section comprises practical information including an accommodation listing and even names of doctors. The guide has OS mapping of the route and includes numerous full colour photographs taken by the author.
	Coast to Coast Path by: Henry Stedman. A complete guide, describing the classic route from St Bees on the Irish Sea across the width of Northern England to the North Sea at Robin Hood's Bay. One of the strengths of Trailblazer guides is the mapping, and this guide includes 108 detailed sketch maps at the large scale of just under 1:20,000, making route finding easy. The unique mapping features include walking times, directions, tricky junctions, places to stay, places to eat and points of interest. These are not general purpose maps but fully edited maps drawn by walkers for walkers.
	Coast to Coast Walk West - St Bees to Reeth in Swaledale This full colour footprint map is divided into eight sections, each displayed on a seperate panel, and folds easily to show a particular part of the walk. The route is marked in miles starting from St Bees and text clearly describing the route accompanies the map sections. Printed on waterproof paper, this map will remain legible even when wet and can easily be dried and re-used. Useful information for planning transport and accommodation are included on the map, as well as the location of all the services walkers need to enjoy the Coast to Coast Walk.
	Coast to Coast Walk East - Keld in Swaledale to Robin Hood's Bay. This full colour footprint map is divided into seven sections, each displayed on a seperate panel, and folds easily to show a particular part of the walk. The route is marked in miles starting from St Bees and text clearly describing the route accompanies the map sections. Printed on waterproof paper, this map will remain legible even when wet and can easily be dried and re-used. The plastic sleeve affords even further protection from wear and tear. Useful information for planning transport and accommodation are included on the map, as well as the location of all the services walkers need to enjoy the Coast to Coast Walk.

The Sherpa Van Project provides a back-up service to walkers along this trail. They will transfer your luggage between overnight stops so that you can travel light. They also provide an accommodation booking service from B&B to hotels and can help with journey planning. For full details go to www.sherpavan.com