Coast to Coast Walk
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| Coast to Coast Walk | |
|---|---|
 Doug Sim · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source | |
| Name | Coast to Coast Walk |
| Location | Cumbria, North Yorkshire, County Durham |
| Length km | 307 |
| Length mi | 190 |
| Use | Hiking |
| Highest m | 723 |
| Highest name | Kirkstone Pass |
| Difficulty | Moderate to hard |
| Established | 1973 |
| Creator | Alfred Wainwright |
Coast to Coast Walk is a long-distance footpath in northern England that traverses three historic counties from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. Conceived by Alfred Wainwright and first published in his guidebook, the route links high moorland, upland fells, valleys and coastal plains over roughly 190 miles, crossing Lake District National Park, Yorkshire Dales National Park and North York Moors National Park. The path is a popular challenge for walkers, featured in numerous guidebooks, television programmes and magazines.
Route and stages
The route generally begins at St Bees, Cumbria and finishes at Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire, passing through major waypoints including Ennerdale, Wasdale, Borrowdale, Keswick, Patterdale, Shap, Kirkby Stephen, Ravenstonedale, Kirkby Lonsdale, Sedbergh, Dent, Sedbury, Garsdale, Kirkby Malham, Ingleton, Grassington, Kettlewell, Reeth, Richmond, North Yorkshire, Swarcliffe, Whitby and adjacent villages. Classic staging divides the walk into 12–18 days with overnight stops at towns such as Keswick, Kirby Stephen, Richmond, North Yorkshire and Whitby. Variants skirt or include peaks like Helvellyn, Scafell Pike, High Street (Lake District), Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and traverse passes including Kirkstone Pass, Hardknott Pass and Stainmore. The line of the route crosses rivers and becks such as the River Esk, Cumbria, River Eden, Cumbria, River Lune, River Ribble, River Swale, River Ure and River Esk, North Yorkshire.
History and development
The walk was devised by Alfred Wainwright in the early 1970s and published in his 1973 booklet, inspiring walkers, guidebook authors and outdoor organisations including the Ramblers (organisation), British Mountaineering Council and local tourist boards. Early adopters included notable walkers and authors such as W. H. Murray, Eric Shipton aficionados and members of the Long Distance Walkers Association. Over subsequent decades guidebooks by Mark Richards (author), Paul Groves (walker), Andrew McCloy and publishers like Cicerone Press and Trailblazer refined variations, while mapping by Ordnance Survey editions formalised suggested lines. Local governments such as Cumbria County Council, North Yorkshire County Council and Durham County Council have influenced access, as have conservation bodies like Natural England, National Trust and RSPB.
Preparation and logistics
Walkers plan logistics around transport hubs such as St Bees railway station, Appleby-in-Westmorland railway station, Garsdale railway station, Northallerton railway station and Whitby railway station, and accommodation providers including Youth Hostels Association (England & Wales), private inns, bed and breakfasts and campsites. Essential preparation involves navigation with Ordnance Survey maps, weather briefings influenced by Met Office forecasts and kit standards discussed in publications by Outdoor Council and retailers like Mountain Equipment, Berghaus, Regatta plc and Rohan (clothing brand). Support services include baggage transfer companies, volunteer mountain rescue teams such as Cumbria Mountain Rescue and Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, and medical provision via NHS England trusts in the region. Competitive events and record attempts are logged by organisations such as the Long Distance Walkers Association and covered by media including BBC Television and national newspapers like The Guardian and The Times.
Notable features and landmarks
The route showcases landmark natural features and cultural sites: glacial lakes such as Wastwater, crags like Pavey Ark, passes like Kirkstone Pass and archaeological sites including Castlerigg Stone Circle, Ravenglass Roman Bath House (Roman fort) remains, Hardknott Roman Fort and medieval remains in Rievaulx Abbey, Fountains Abbey environs and Richmond Castle. Industrial heritage appears in former mine workings in the Yorkshire Dales and the Derwent Valley, while villages display vernacular architecture in Grasmere, Hawkshead, Malham and Robin Hood's Bay. Wildlife hotspots include River Derwent (Cumbria) valleys, Mirehouse, upland heaths with red grouse, peregrine falcon territories and merlin sightings monitored by RSPB and county wildlife trusts. Views extend to Morecambe Bay, the Pennines, Yorkshire Dales, the Vale of Mowbray and the North Sea coastline at Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby.
Environmental and land access issues
The route traverses private and common land under access arrangements influenced by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and historic rights of way recorded by Ordnance Survey. Conservation organisations such as Natural England, National Trust and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust manage habitats affected by path erosion, livestock grazing and recreational pressure. Conflicts over permissive paths, footpath diversion orders and access disputes have involved local parish councils, landowners and bodies like Environment Agency and DEFRA, while upland restoration projects have received funding from schemes tied to the European Union's rural development initiatives and British government rural programmes. Visitor management measures include waymarking, repairs by volunteer groups associated with the Ramblers (organisation) and signage coordinated with local highway authorities.
Cultural impact and in literature/media
The walk entered popular culture through Alfred Wainwright's guidebooks and has been featured in television series on BBC Two, newspaper travel columns in The Telegraph and literary accounts by authors such as Colin Speakman, Blake Morrison and walkers documented in magazines like Walk Magazine and Countryfile Magazine. Films and documentaries have highlighted the route for broadcasters including ITV and independent producers; radio features have aired on BBC Radio 4 programmes. The Coast to Coast has influenced literature and tourism, inspiring novels, memoirs and travelogues discussed in outlets like The Guardian and academic studies at institutions including University of Leeds and University of Cumbria. Events celebrating the route involve local festivals in towns such as Keswick, Richmond, North Yorkshire and Whitby and collaborations with organisations like VisitBritain and regional tourist boards.