Coast to Coast English Walking Holiday | Walking Holiday in Britain | Self Guided Walking Holiday

Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk has attracted world renown and welcomes walkers from all over the world. The subject of a recent BBC series fronted by Julia Bradbury, this classic coast to coast walk passes through three National Parks, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors as it makes its way across this beautiful countryside from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire.  Along the route are many places of interest including ancient castles, medieval abbeys and picturesque villages. Although very well known, The Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk should not be undertaken lightly and is graded as demanding. This Coast to Coast walk can be done in two separate one week stages, booked separately.  Please call us to discuss your requirements.

Grade: Difficult

Meals:
You will normally be staying in a town or village where there is at least one place to buy an evening meal. On the rare occasion that this is not possible, we will book you into an accommodation which provides an evening meal (this is not included in the holiday price). Lunches can usually be bought on route and we can advise you of the days when this is not possible. On these days you can book a packed lunch from your accommodation by letting them know the night before or we can book it for you. These usually cost about £5. Alternatively, most of the towns and villages in which you stay have shops where you can buy items to make up your own packed lunch.

When to Go:
April, May and June are when everything comes to life so it is very green, wild flowers are abundant and blossom abounds. July and August tend to be the warmest months, but it is rarely so warm as to be uncomfortable for walking or cycling. September tends to be one of the most pleasant times in the
countryside and is quieter as most people with children have finished their holidays. By October the days are getting shorter and the weather is much more changeable.

Getting there:
The most convenient major city and airport is Manchester, 4 hours by rail from St Bees, changing at Carlisle, (except on Sundays when trains run only as far as Whitehaven, which is 4 miles from St Bees). Travelling from London Euston to Carlisle and then on to St Bees should take approximately five and a half hours.

Departure:
From Robin Hoods Bay take a taxi (approx 30 minutes) or bus (approx one hour) to Scarborough for rail connections to York, Edinburgh and London.

Launderette:

The Horse Shoe Launderette is useful as it is located approx. half way though your walking holiday at the rear of the Horse Shoe Fish & Chip Shop in Kirkby Stephen.

Day 1 Arrive in St Bees.
(St Bees has a railway station, but note that on Sundays trains only go as far as Whitehaven, which is 5 miles away).

Day 2 St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge.
Your journey from coast to coast begins by following a cliff top path around St Bees Head, passing the lighthouse. It is an important site for nesting seabirds and the cliffs and rock formations are quite spectacular. The route then heads inland through Sandwith and Cleator before going over your first hill, Dent. Descending into the beautiful Nannycatch valley you enter the Lake District National Park and continue to Ennerdale Bridge. ~ 15 miles

Day 3 Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite.
You begin today by following a particularly pretty path along the southern shore of Ennerdale Water, then a track through the forest to reach the isolated Black Sail Youth Hostel. From here you climb up steeply to Honister Hause and are truly surrounded by Lakeland peaks before descending to your accommodation in picturesque Borrowdale. ~ 16 miles

Day 4 Rosthwaite to Grasmere.
A shorter day allows you time to savour the beauty of the Lake District as you cross over the fells from Borrowdale by way of Greenup Edge to Grasmere. Time should also allow to see the sights of Grasmere, home to William Wordsworth. ~ 9 miles

Day 5 Grasmere to Patterdale.
Another shortish day if you make the direct crossing from Grasmere to Patterdale. However, having reached Grizedale Tarn there are three alternative routes to choose from: the adventurous route over the summit of Helvellyn and the narrow ridge of Striding Edge, the delightful ridge walk over St Sunday Crag or the easy descent down Grisedale. ~ 8 miles

Day 6 Patterdale to Shap.
An early start is recommended so as to allow plenty of time to enjoy this longer day. The route takes you up over Boredale Hause passing Angle Tarn to the ridge of High Street, where a detour to the summit can be made, before going over Kidsty Pike and descending steeply to Haweswater. The path follows the lake to the dam above the tiny village of Burnbanks. Then a succession of pleasant paths leads you to Shap by way of Shap Abbey. ~ 16 miles

Day 7 Shap to Kirkby Stephen.
Having left the Lake District, today's route is over the Westmorland plateau, where those interested in geology will delight in seeing areas of limestone pavement. It is a long day so once again a fairly early start is recommended. Apart from an optional detour into Orton, you will be struck by how wild and open the countryside is. Beyond Sunbiggin Tarn the route takes you into Smardale, a delightful valley through which a railway once passed and the impressive viaduct can still be seen. Then it's over Smardale Fell and a descent into the small market town of Kirkby Stephen. ~ 20 miles

N.B. Kirkby Stephen has a launderette located behind the Horseshoe Fish & Chip Shop

Day 8 Kirkby Stephen to Keld.
The route today takes you over the Pennines and thus the watershed of northern England. The summit at Nine Standards Rigg is dominated by the group of large stone cairns that give their name to the hill. The view of the coast to coast route from here is wide ranging with the hills of the Lake District visible behind you and the route ahead into Yorkshire close at hand. You enter the Yorkshire Dales National Park and descend into Whitsundale before arriving in the village of Keld. ~ 14 miles

Day 9 Keld to Reeth.
Two alternative routes are on offer today, either the official Wainwright route which keeps high above the valley following old lead mining trails or the route following the River Swale through the meadows with their stone barns and the pretty villages that give Swaledale such a deservedly good reputation. ~ 12 miles

Day 10 Reeth to Richmond.
An easy day today as you continue down Swaledale to the market town of Richmond. On the way you will pass the ruins of Marrick Priory and the pretty village of Marske before the pleasant approach to Richmond. 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. ~ 12 miles

Day 11 Richmond to Ingleby Cross.
The longest day of Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk is at least mostly flat as you make your way across the Vale of York between the national parks of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is farmland that accompanies you today with the route being partly on field paths and tracks and partly on narrow country lanes. You pass through the villages of Bolton on Swale and Danby Wiske with the hills of the North York Moors ahead getting closer as you approach the end of the day's walk in the twin villages of Ingleby Arncliffe and Ingleby Cross. ~ 23 miles

Day 12 Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top.
The route now takes to the hills again as you enter the North York Moors National Park. You follow the delightful path along the northern escarpment of the national park, giving sweeping views to the north over the flatter terrain of Teesside, the meeting point of Yorkshire and County Durham. ~ 12 miles

Day 13 Clay Bank Top to Glaisdale.
You cross the large swathes of heather moorland today, a carpet of purple in late August. It is a longish day but the walking is straightforward. The route makes use of the line of an old mineral railway and ancient tracks before the descent down Glaisdale Rigg to your overnight accommodation. ~ 18 miles

Day 14 Glaisdale to Littlebeck.
A short day follows the valley of the River Esk through pleasant woodlands and the villages of Egton Bridge and Grosmont. Here you will cross the railway line at the terminus station of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, from where steam trains take passengers on the 13 mile picturesque route south to Pickering. This is also "Heartbeat Country", home to the popular rural police drama series set in the 1960's. ~ 8 miles

Day 15 Littlebeck to Robin Hood's Bay.
A short last day allows you plenty of time to savour completing the coast to coast walk and even to celebrate! The route from Littlebeck takes you past the waterfall of Falling Foss in its picturesque setting before crossing a last stretch of moorland to High Hawsker and reaching the coast. The last section, like the first, is a cliff top coastal path which 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. ~ 12 miles

Day 16 Departure.

BMI Flights

British Airways

Currency Converter

Easyjet

Flight search/comparison

Hull Rotterdam Ferries

Jet2 Flights

Ryanair

UK Rail Timetables

Useful Rail information

Weather