Coast to Coast Rambler Walk - 20 Days

Make your own way to the starting point, the resort of St Bees on the edge of the Irish Sea where you'll have views across to the Isle of Man (but that's another trip). In St Bees you should have time to visit the Abbey church, which has features on the local history and a display on a mummified knight that was discovered in a lead coffin from the graveyard. If you have booked with us an extra night here, you can follow the coastal path or quiet inland roads to the attractive town of Whitehaven, with its marina and great museum. Whitehaven is famous in the annals of the US navy as the site of an elaborate raid on the British mainland by one John Paul Jones during the American War of Independence. Accommodation: A family-run bed and breakfast in a large modernised Georgian farmhouse in the centre of St Bees.

Take the first steps on the epic Coast to Coast walk when you climb from the beach at St Bees. Follow the footpath along red sandstone coastal cliffs off St Bees Head, home to England’s only breeding colony of Black Guillemots, then head inland over hilly ground to the edge of the Lake District National Park and your overnight stop at Cleator. For this extended itinerary we've begun with a shorter day than most other itineraries so you can find your hiking legs. Accommodation: Overnight at a small hotel on the edge of the Lake District National Park. The day’s total ascent 485m / descent 430m.

Departing Cleator, your walk enters the Lake District National Park as you traverse Dent Hill via the lovely Nannycatch Gate and Beck. A delightful stroll which brings you to the final descent to leafy Ennerdale Bridge. Your second day on the trail is also a short hike so you can begin to relax into the trekking routine. Enjoy a coffee and cake at the cafe in Ennerdale (or a pint at the pub) when you arrive. Accommodation: Overnight at a friendly, family-owned hotel. A traditional feel is retained by the hotel, with its open fire, and the fully licensed bar serves a range of beverages including locally produced ale. If we are unable to book you into Ennerdale then we will secure accommodation for you at Cleator with a return taxi transfer that we will put in place for you (own expense). The day’s total ascent 463 / descent 424m.

Follow a quiet and scenic footpath along the shore of Ennerdale Water, with an easy scramble under Angler’s Crag at Robin Hood’s Seat. A long walk on a forest track continues to Black Sail Hut, which is the smallest youth hostel in England and originally a shepherd’s hut. A steep climb follows up Loft Beck before traversing some of the Lakeland fells with views down to Buttermere on a good day. Finally you reach the ‘drum house’, which marks the descent path to the Honister Slate Mine workings & cafe and Borrowdale. This is perhaps the most delightful valley in the Lakes with its crags and broadleaved trees. Borrowdale is an ensemble of hamlets: Seatoller (close to the wettest place in England), Longthwaite, Rosthwaite and Stonethwaite. Riverside paths connect these places and their pubs together - if you have sufficient energy left for the evening. You might be interested to know that ‘thwaite’ is old Norse for paddock. Note: there is the option to shorten the walk today by taking a taxi from Honister Slate Mine to your accommodation in Borrowdale. If you wish to take this option, please confirm with your booking. This would reduce the walk duration by 5km/3 miles and relieve your knees of the descent into the valley. There is also a bus service, but it does not go directly to most accommodations Accommodation: Your hotel tonight is located in the Borrowdale Valley near the hamlet of Seatoller. It has striking views over the local fells. The day’s total ascent 765m / descent 785m.

Enjoy classic Lakeland scenery over Greenup Edge to Easedale and Grasmere. Its a stiff 500m climb up to the edge via Lining Crag where you may get great views back down into Borrowdale. The once boggy trail over the pass has been improved with the laying down of hundreds of Flagstones. After the pass the trail becomes rough and descends steeply into the flower meadows on the outskirts of Grasmere. There is also a good weather variant to climb Helm Crag with good views over the town. Grasmere is one of Lakeland’s most celebrated villages and you might have time either this afternoon or tomorrow morning to visit the poet Wordsworth's home at Dove Cottage and drop into the famous Ginger bread shop! Accommodation: We use a number of different hotels and guesthouses in the busy village of Grasmere. Grasmere makes a great rest day stop if you'd like to extend your hike and take more time to enjoy the Lake District. Discuss the option of spending an extra night here with your travel consultant when you book. The day’s total ascent 750m / descent 760m

A great walk over Grisedale Pass (609m/2000ft) and around the small mountain lake of Grisedale Tarn to Patterdale. In good weather and if you are feeling strong, we recommend that you take the detour route up St Sunday Crag (add 1½ hours). It will give some exceptional views down across Ullswater on the descend to Patterdale, possibly the most breathtaking of the trip. Another detour option is via the summit of Helvellyn, for this add 2 miles and 2 hours. Accommodation: Tonight’s accommodation is a family-run guesthouse. It is located in the centre of Glenridding alongside Glenridding Beck, situated at the southern top of Ullswater - the second largest lake in the Lake District. The day’s total ascent: 525m / descent 443m or 900m / descent 805m (via the optional route over St Sunday Crag).

The standard Coast to Coast stage from Glenridding to Shap is widely regarded as the most challenging of the entire route. Instead, you may prefer our recommended alternative: a gentler, more scenic journey via Ullswater and Askham Fell. Begin by boarding the historic Ullswater Steamer for a one-hour cruise to Pooley Bridge, with panoramic views of the lake and surrounding fells. Many of these elegant vessels date back to the 1880s and remain in service today, adding to the charm of the experience. From Pooley Bridge, walk across the rolling expanse of Askham Fell, descending towards Bampton and the meandering River Lowther, before continuing on to Shap Abbey – a striking 12th-century ruin dissolved by Henry VIII in 1540. Pooley Bridge to Shap via Askham Fell (16km/10 miles – 309m ascent, 199m descent) Standard Hike via Kidsty Pike (26km/16 m – 1175m ascent, 1009m descent) - details for this will also be provided should you choose to hike this day. Accommodation: A guesthouse or one of the local hostelries in Shap.

From Shap, you cross the busy road and rail routes before tranquilly passing through the high moors. There follows a hilly section across limestone scarps with limestone pavements in places strewn with ‘erratic’ granite boulders moved there by glaciers. There also are a couple of small stone circles slightly off route. Finally, you drop into the gentler climes around Orton*, a quaint picturesque village with Kennedy’s Chocolate factory to lead you into temptation, but yes, you have earned it! Accommodation: The George Hotel is a traditional pub in this small village. The day’s total ascent 199m / descent 222m. *At times, accommodation in Orton may be fully booked. If so, you’ll stay in nearby Tebay, around 3.4km (2.1mi) further along the route. The following morning, you’ll walk back to Orton to rejoin the trail. If you’d prefer a taxi transfer for this section, please speak to our team for details.

A bridging day between Cumbria and The Yorkshire Dales. Mainly farmland walking with a section of moors around Sunbiggin Tarn, which is an important site for birds. A steep descent to the Scandal Beck at Smardale Bridge makes for a nice lunch stop. Then ascend over Smardale Fell for the pretty descent into Kirkby Stephen. This is an attractive market town, with St.Stephen’s Church containing the 8th Century Loki Stone relating to Norse mythology. Accommodation: We use a number of different guesthouses in the village. Kirkby Stephen is also a good place to add a rest day if you would like to extend your trip further. Discuss the option of spending an extra night here with your travel consultant when you book. The day’s total ascent 204m / descent 263m.

Climb out of town to the cairns of Nine Standards Rigg (661m / 2170 feet) with its array of obelisks. This is an ancient, possibly, boundary feature that no one has any real knowledge of. It marks the Watershed of England. Next you cross squelchy moors down to Keld in Swaledale. The trail from the Nine Standards, once the most notorious of the Coast to Coast, has been much improved once again with the placement of hundreds of flagstones. Passing the farm at Ravenseat, where they breed prime rams, the moors then become increasingly gentler as you walk into Keld with its many waterfalls and old stone barns. Accommodation: Keld - A medium-sized guesthouse with traditional Yorkshire fayre served in an attractively decorated dining room, and there are tea & coffee making facilities in all rooms.The day’s total ascent 780m / descent 575m.

There are two options today. The first is the slightly longer, higher alternative over wild moorland with long-abandoned lead mines, a magnet for the industrial archaeologist. The second option is the pretty route via Swaledale, which is a lovely option if you have unfavourable weather or you just prefer a lower level walk and would be our recommendation for this extended itinerary. There is a really nice pub in Gunnerside on this second route. Your day finishes in Reeth, an attractive green village which flourished at the height of the mining age and today does well out of tourism, hence a collection of pubs and tea shops. Accommodation: Your accommodation tonight is the oldest surviving Inn in Reeth, dating from 1680. The day’s total ascent 838m / descent 911m (via the higher route).

Your morning walk is through pretty Swaledale up the Nun's Steps to Marrick and across farm land to the hamlet of Marske and its attractive church of Edmund the Martyr. The route continues along a valley side lined with limestone crags and through forest reaching Richmond with plenty of time for shopping (note most shops closed Sunday) & sightseeing. This extremely picturesque North Yorkshire town, with its cobbled market square and Norman castle, is an ever-popular destination for visitors. You can also follow the Swale to Town Falls, which are quite impressive when the river is in spate. // The day's total ascent 395m / descent 510m. | Accommodation: The extremely picturesque North Yorkshire town of Richmond, with its cobbled market square and Norman castle, is an ever-popular destination for visitors. We use a number of guesthouses or pub accommodation in this busy town. The largest town on the route, Richmond is also a good rest-day option. Discuss the option of spending an extra night here with your travel consultant when you book. The day's total ascent 395m / descent 510m.

A gentle rural day, walking out from Richmond beside the River Swale and across the fields to Catterick Race Course. You'll then be threading your way to Brompton on Swale, an ideal lunch stop in the churchyard. You then trundle along beside tiny streams and quiet country roads reaching the village of Danby Wiske with its village green and single pub offering good home cooking. Accommodation: We use the guesthouses or pub in this small village. The day’s total ascent 35m / descent 135m.

Today has road walking and cross country sections. Then with the North York Moors pressing ever closer you have to carefully cross the main A19 road into Ingleby Cross, which has a popular coffee shop. From here you take a steep but lovely woodland footpath up into the old Flax industry village of Osmotherley. On the way you may want to visit the restored Lady chapel in its tranquil setting. Osmotherley is a quaint hill village with three pubs to choose from plus Britain’s oldest functioning Methodist Church (1754) - John Wesley came to preach here. | Accommodation: Tonight's accommodation is set in an extremely picturesque village on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. The day’s total ascent 183m / descent 58m.

This is a roller coaster walk. A steep stretch from Osmotherley introduces you to the North York Moors and its sandy, heather-clad hills with areas of forest. After coming off Scarth Wood Moor, there is a long ascent up Live Moor and Carlton Bank (408m) before we descend to Lord Stones Café. It's almost hidden in an off-road embankment and comes at the right time for coffee. There then follows the succession of Cringle Moor, Broughton Bank and White Hill - all at or over 400m. You loose and then re-ascend 100-200m between each one. White Hill has an area of sandstone boulders called The Wainstones that we thread through on the way up. Great views in clear weather, incl. Roseberry Topping, Vale of Mowbray and back to the Pennines. We come off the ridge at Clay Bank Top and you will get a transfer to your accommodation (included) from the car park at Clay Bank Top to Great Broughton. Accommodation: In Great Broughton, a hotel that has developed around a former dwelling dating from early 1700. It combines a cafe, quality service with the atmosphere of a ultra modern Yorkshire country inn. The day’s total ascent 741m / descent 640m.

You will be transferred back to the car park (included). Today, the walk follows a moorland ridge up over Round Hill on Urra Moor (454m) and the track maintains its height as it follows the line of the old dismantled Rosedale Railway line. The moor can be bleak in bad weather and is punctured in places by standing stones, some marked with inscriptions. There are enticing views at times into the fertile upper valleys of Farn and Esk dales, but your arrival at the ancient Lion Inn at Blakey can be a great relief. Accommodation: You'll stay at an inn that has been a refuge from the elements for 400 years or so, and very cosy it is too! Normally there are a large number of species of Real Ale and great dining in either the bar or the restaurant. The day’s total ascent 242m / descent 112m.

After a bit of a road perambulation past a white cross called Fat Betty, you follow an easy undulating descent down to beautiful wooded Eskdale. You also get some views opening up to the sea. The latter part of today's walk follows a pretty path through the woodlands on the banks of the River Esk. You come across the ‘Beggars Bridge’ a parabolic stone structure that has a story of love lost and love refound! Egton Bridge features a church with relics of the Catholic martyr, Nicholas Postgate. A really pretty setting, the river is famous for fly fishing and has some interesting stepping stones, which enables you to hop between the two pubs faster than using the road. Accommodation: Egton Bridge or Grosmont - We use a variety of lovely guesthouses/B&Bs in either of these villages. The day’s total ascent 265m / descent 616m. |

Leaving the quiet village of Egton Bridge, today’s walk is short but full of variety. The path follows the River Esk through woodland and meadows, before climbing gently onto open moorland with wide views across the North York Moors to the farm at Littlebeck. You could stop at Grosmont to take a trip on the North Yorkshire Steam Railway to Pickering and back. Accommodation: Overnight in B&B accommodation on a local farm. The day’s total ascent 272m / descent 228m.

Your final day on the Coast to Coast begins with a gentle climb out of Littlebeck into the tranquil woodlands of the Little Beck Valley. Here you pass Falling Foss waterfall, a perfect spot to pause before the path continues across open moorland with sweeping views towards the sea. The trail then crosses heather-clad ridges and quiet farmland, with the landscape gradually flattening as you near the coast. Approaching the North Sea, you descend to the dramatic cliffs above Robin Hood’s Bay, where the sight of the red-roofed village below signals the end of your journey. Tradition calls for walkers to dip their boots (and often a pebble carried from St Bees) into the sea, marking the completion of Alfred Wainwright’s legendary walk across England. With 192 miles behind you, celebrate your achievement in the pubs and cafés of Robin Hood’s Bay, a fitting end to one of the world’s great walks. Accommodation: our final night is spent in an elegantly refurbished Victorian guesthouse with many original features. This is a popular seaside location so one of many similar B&B's may be used. The day’s total ascent 277m / descent 282m.

Your Coast to Coast walk concludes in Robin Hood's Bay after breakfast.