The Coast to Coast

The coast to coast classic hiking route was originated and described by A. Wainwright, author of a well-known series of mountain-walking guide books on the Lake District. The coast to coast starts on the Irish Sea coast of Cumbria near the huge red sandstone cliffs of St. Bees Head. You cross three National Parks before reaching the North Sea at the pretty fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay on the rocky coastline of the North York Moors.Coast to coast walk tradition has it that you dip your boots in the Irish Sea and take a pebble to deposit in the North Sea at the end of your walk. That should confuse geologists a few thousand years hence.

The first few days of the coast to coast walk take you over some of the most rugged, beautiful terrain of the Lake District, by way of the idyllic Lakeland valleys of Borrowdale, Grasmere (Wordsworth lived here) and Patterdale, close to Ullswater Lake. The coast to coast also passes Helvellyn, England's most popular mountain, and the mountain oddly named High Street, along which the Roman Legions marched on their way to Hadrian's Wall.

After leaving the Lake District the coast to coast crosses a gentler landscape round Shap and Orton. Beyond the quaint market town of Kirkby Stephen the coast to coast then enters the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Two days are then spent walking through the long valley of Swaledale, with its dry stone walls and unspoilt villages. The coast to coast then reaches the historic town of Richmond with its cobbled streets, sloping market square and famous castle perched above the River Swale.

Beyond the arable farmland of the Vale of York, the coast to coast ascends to the heather moorlands of the North York Moors, a region of long vistas and easy walking. After crossing the wooded valley of Eskdale you reach the dramatic cliffs of the North Sea Coast. The last few miles of the coast to coast follow the scenic clifftop path to the red-roofed village of Robin Hood's Bay. With an extra night here, you can relax on the beach or visit nearby Whitby with its ruined abbey (associated with the Dracula legend) and its Captain Cook Museum.

General Coast to Coast Information The coast to coast trail takes from 11 to 15 days to complete depending on your chosen route. The best season for the coast to coast is April to October. The coast to coast starts at St Bees and ends at Robin Hood Bay.

Sherpa Van Coast to Coast support services
The Sherpa Van Project offers a door to door baggage moving service for the coast to coast hiking route, so that you can take the weight off your shoulders and enjoy the countryside without a heavy pack.  We will move your bags for you, door to door, from hotels, B&Bs or campsites along the trail. From £5 per day stage for walking routes our service is affordable and reliable. The Sherpa Van Project also offer an Accommodation Booking Service for the coast to coast hiking route, to take all the worry and hassle out of organising your trip.  All you need to do is tell us where you would like to stay each night, and we will do the rest.

For more information about the Sherpa Van Project and our support services please click here. Alternatively, book our daily baggage transfer service for the coast to coast hiking route here, or your coast to coast hiking route accommodation here.

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