Unwaymarked Route: Cumbria/Yorkshire
St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay
304km/190 miles
CHALLENGING
Devised by the late Alfred Wainwright in 1973 to link the Irish Sea and the North Sea via the hills, moors and valleys of northern England. The route crosses three National Parks: the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is scenic, but high-level, including some fairly demanding upland stretches, and visits only two towns of any real size, Kirkby Stephen and Richmond. It is also extremely popular, and has consequently suffered from erosion.
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Walking Advice | Status of the route | Accommodation/Practical Info | Maps, Books, Links
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Advice on walking the route
The route is traditionally walked from west to east (St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay), so that the prevailing weather will be coming from behind. But others choose to begin on the Yorkshire coast, so as to have the Lake District section as a grand finale. Similarly, the walk can be as long or as short as you want. Some people prefer to walk it in weekend sections, but most walk it continuously, averaging between 10-14 days in total.
Scenery and terrain is varied. The valleys and arable land make for straightforward walking, but the hills – particularly in the Lake District – are high and the gradients sometimes steep. Many stages are bare and exposed, such as the North York Moors, and help may not always be close to hand. Unless you are an experienced long-distance walker, it is advisable to take a companion. And before you set off, make sure you have the necessary:
- map and compass skills – see Practical advice
- fitness and stamina – walk and exercise as much as possible beforehand
- clothing and equipment – even in summer, conditions on the tops can change dramatically, so take appropriate warm and wet-weather clothing, sufficient food and drink, and make sure your boots are broken-in and comfortable. See Practical advice
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Status of the route
The Coast to Coast Walk is not an official promoted route: it exists only as a published route description taking advantage of existing paths and access land. It is generally not waymarked in its own right and can only be followed in its entirety with the aid of a guidebook and map. It is not officially recognised by the local authorities responsible for footpaths, although countryside, walking and tourism professionals are aware of the route and have had to respond to the problems caused by its great popularity.
Numerous problems have emerged with the exact route alignment described in early editions of Wainwright's book, which included lengthy sections along roads now much busier than in 1973, and some sections where rights of way were in dispute. The popularity of the route has also contributed to erosion problems at certain vulnerable sites.
Subsequently other authors have published guidebooks with details of alternative routes that attempt to address these problems, and more recent editions of Wainwright's own guidebook now include revisions to the original route. Some completely different routes between the two coasts have been described to help relieve pressure on Wainwright's (see below). In fact, Wainwright himself did not intend to establish a fixed, definitive route: he pointed out that his was only one of an infinite number of alternatives, and encouraged people to devise their own variations.
Walkers are advised to ensure they think carefully about the various alternatives, that they always use the most up-to-date editions of guidebooks and maps, and proceed with caution and in accordance with the Country Code.
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Accommodation and practical information
Accommodation is never plentiful, especially towards the eastern end (from Richmond to Glaisdale), and in summer you should book well in advance, even for youth hostels. You can search for B&B accommodation along the route in our database using the link below. Additional listings are available in the accommodation guide listed under maps, guides and contacts below. The St Bees website (see Contacts below) has a list of accommodation in the village at the start of the route.
Click here to find bed & breakfast accommodation on this path.
There are 13 YHA youth hostels on or near the route, and YHA camping barns at the eastern end where the hostels are less numerous.
There are a number of good campsites particularly in the Lake District, but elsewhere sites become more scarce. Remember to seek the landowner's permission before camping on private land. A useful guide to camping facilities on the route is listed below.
Accommodation Booking and Luggage Carriers
Tourist Information Centres
- Ambleside, Egremont, Grasmere, Keswick, Kirkby Stephen, Seatoller, Whitehaven and Workington - see Cumbria TICs
- Dandby 01287 660792 / 01439 772737
- Northallerton 01609 776864
- Reeth 01748 884059
- Richmond 01748 850252
- Whitby 01947 602674
Holiday Providers include Avalon, Contours, Countrywide, Discovery, Explore Britain, Footpath, Freedom, HF, Mickledore, Northwestwalks, Sherpa, UK Exploratory, Wayfarers, YHA
Transport
St Bees is served by First North Western rail services from Carlisle (on the West Coast Main Line from London to Scotland) or Barrow-in-Furness. Although there is no station at Robin Hood's Bay, there is a fairly frequent bus service to Whitby and Scarborough, which has rail services to York (on the East Coast Main Line).
For more on finding out about public transport, see Public Transport for Walkers.
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Maps, guides and contacts
Explorer maps OL4, OL5, OL19, OL26, OL27, OL30, 302, 303, 304
Landranger maps 89, 90. 91, 92, 93, 94, 99
Strip maps of whole route Coast to Coast (West) - St Bees to Keld, ISBN 1 85137 410 8
Coast to Coast (East) - Keld to Robin Hood’s Bay ISBN 1 85137 440 X
Harvey £9.95 each. 1:40 000 scale weatherproof with additional notes on features and facilities along the route. Order here!
Coast to Coast Walk Part 1 - West: St Bees to Swaledale, ISBN 1 871149 63 0.
Coast to Coast Walk Part 2 - East: Swaledale to Robin Hood's Bay, ISBN 1 871149 64 9.
Footprint £4.50 each. Approx 1:45 000 scale with additional notes on features and facilities along the route, weatherproof.
Pennine Way strip map, Explorer digital map on CD-ROM. memory-map £99.95.
Publications
- A Coast to Coast Walk by A Wainwright, ISBN 0 711222 36 3. Frances Lincoln, £11.99
Latest edition of Wainwright's original route guide with detailed sketch maps - Coast to Coast: The original bed & breakfast accommodation guide by Doreen Whitehead. Doreen Whitehead £3.
Includes campsites, camping barns and self catering as well as hotels and B&B. - Camping It Up! on the Coast to Coast Walk by Ray Moody and Pauline Moody, ISBN 0 9541793 1 5. Rockumentary £2.99.
Detailed guide for camping backpackers, with official sites, shops and facilities, practical suggestions and itineraries. - A Northern Coast to Coast Walk from St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay by Terry Marsh, 2nd edition, ISBN 1 85284 367 5. Cicerone £12
Alternative guidebook mainly following Wainwright's original route but with alternatives to avoid road walking and sticking to paths with proper public access, some of which have been incorporated into more recent editions of Wainwright's own guide. Overall distance 300km/178 miles. Book has OS 1:50 000 map extracts and accommodation listings. - Coast to Coast Path St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay 2nd edition by Henry Stedman, ISBN 1 873756 92 5. Trailblazer Publications £9.99.
Detailed compact publication with route description, extensive background notes, clear sketch maps, accommodation suggestions, public transport information. [09/06] - The Coast to Coast Walk by Paul Hannon, ISBN 1 870141 55 5. Hillside Publications £8.99 + 50p p&p
Detailed maps and route guide to classic route - The Alternative Coast to Coast by Denis Brook & Phil Hinchcliffe, ISBN 1 85284 202 4. Cicerone £9.99
307km/192 mile parallel route from Walney Island to Holy Island - On Foot from Coast to Coast: The North of England Way by David Maughan. Penguin, out of print but still available from YHA booking service
330km/206 mile parallel route from Ravenglass to Scarborough
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