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Duration
9 days
Activities
  • self guided walk
Accommodation
  • 8 nights in hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses
Meals
  • 8 Breakfasts

Price

$1390USD

 
 

Overview

Trip Code: WSK

Coast to Coast Walk Trip highlights


  • Walk the first half of Wainwright's epic trail, from St Bees to Kirkby Stephen
  • Cumberland sausage, traditional steak & ale pies, and Yorkshire pudding
  • Experience a taste of the famous Coast to Coast walk, one of Britain’s best long distance hikes
  • Enjoy the hospitality of your hosts in warm B&Bs along the route
  • Be surrounded by the dramatic landscapes of the Lake District with its majestic lakes & rugged mountains
  • Start your day with a full English breakfast, guilt-free!
  • Appreciate the classic rural countryside of rolling hills and pretty villages of the Yorkshire Dales
  • Spend more time on the route by breaking up the long day between Shap & Kirkby Stephen

Explore the first half of the Coast to Coast trail on this self-guided walk that includes the. Explore the first half of the Coast to Coast trail with the last part between Shap & Kirkby Stephen split over two days. Crossing the stunning national parks of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, you’ll encounter picture-perfect scenes of working hill farms and pretty villages. This itinerary traverses The Lake District National Park and ends at the quaint market town of Kirkby Stephen.

Start your walking holiday at the tiny Cumbrian seaside resort of St Bees on the Irish Sea. Heading east, with the prevailing wind at your back, you’ll make your way into England’s Lake District. Walk through Ennerdale, Borrowdale and Patterdale, pass by some of the UK’s most famous lakes and cross some important passes. If you are feeling fit, there are options to extend with a few days to include a famous peak or two such as Helvellyn.

Emerging from the mountains of Cumbria and looking east towards the Yorkshire Dales you’ll reach your journey’s end with easy connections to the rest of the UK. Look back at a fulfilling week of walking through some of England’s finest mountain scenery.

It is amazing to think that this most famous of routes got classified as a National Trail only in 2022, almost 50 years after its inception and has seen only very little alterations since.

This is your chance to hike part of the famous Coast to Coast walk, getting a taste of Britain’s long distance hikes. There is an 8-day option of this route that does the part between Shap and Kirkby Stephen in just one day (trip code UCT). Scroll down to find an overview of all Coast to Coast walking options to choose from.

Trip Grading

moderate to challenging

More info about grading system

Traveller Rating

 

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.

Meals:  Nil

Take the first steps on this first section of the epic Coast to Coast walk when you climb from the beach at St Bees. Take a footpath along red sandstone coastal cliffs off St Bees Head with England’s only breeding colony of Black Guillimots, then head inland over hilly ground to the edge of the Lake District National Park. Dent Hill is the first real fell that you cross and will give you some indication as to whether you are fit enough for the following days! Although short, there follows possibly the steepest descent of the whole tour down to Nannycatch Gate and Beck. A delightful stroll along which brings you to the final descent to leafy Ennerdale Bridge. // The day’s total ascent 780m / descent 665m. | Accommodation: Overnight at a friendly, family-owned hotel. Enjoy a home cooked meal of local produce including fish and game in season. 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.

Meals:  B

Follow a quiet and scenic footpath along the shore of Ennerdale Water, with a bit of an easy scramble under Angler’s Crag at Robin Hood’s Seat. A long walk on a forest track then continues to Black Sail Hut, which is the smallest youth hostel and originally a shepherd’s hut. A steep climb follows up the Lowther Beck before traversing some of the Lakeland fells, perhaps with views down to Buttermere. 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 a delightful ensemble of hamlets: Seatoller (the wettest place in England), Longthwaite, Rossthwaite and Stonethwaite. Delightful riverside paths connect the 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. // The day’s total ascent 765m / descent 785m. | Accommodation: Tonight you'll stay in a small and long established guesthouse. It is set in a beautiful small hamlet town. It has proven a popular, peaceful retreat for our walkers that went before you. Ensuite facilities are not available here as it is a listed building that changes cannot be made to.

Meals:  B

Enjoy classic Lakeland scenery over Greenup Edge to Easedale and Grasmere. 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! // The day’s total ascent 750m / descent 760m. | Accommodation: Stay at a small, family-run guesthouse that is conveniently placed in the centre of this delightful village.

Meals:  B

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 a reasonably strong walker, 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. // The day’s total ascent: 900m / descent 805m (via the optional route over St Sunday Crag, less if you avoid this).| 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.

Meals:  B

After completing today's walk, some would say this was the most difficult stage on the Coast to Coast walk. The day starts with a steep climb up past pretty Angle Tarn. You'll then hike up and onwards to a critical cairn where you turn off the route to High Street. It will take you up and over Kidsty Pike (780m / 2560ft), the highest point on the Coast to Coast, and then descend steeply to walk along Haweswater. This is a huge body of water that was conceived in 1929 to supply Manchester with drinking water, drowning a couple of villages in the process. You then undulate through fields to Shap Abbey, the most easterly point of the Lake District National Park. This was the last abbey to be founded in England (1199) and the last to be destroyed (1540). It nevertheless is a pretty place to take a break with some new interpretation signs. After this, you continue into Shap, the old granite mining town with several pubs and shops. The village offers an interesting insight to the history of the area. // The day’s total ascent 1174m / descent 1009m. | Accommodation: The proprietors will welcome you to their guesthouse in the village of Shap.

Meals:  B

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. 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: We use a number of guesthouses in this small village. With its attractive architecture, chocolate factory and tea shops.

Meals:  B

Today is a bridging day between Cumbria and the entrance of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, where you'll finish this first section of Wainwright's Coast to Coast. There'll be 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. Continue to ascend over Smardale Fell for the pretty descent into Kirkby Stephen. We recommend adding an extra night to your stay in this attractive market town, with St. Hedda’s Church containing the 8th Century Loki stone relating to Norse mythology. | Accommodation: Stay at a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse full of character, with a friendly relaxed atmosphere. This accommodation has many unusual features, and is of an exceptionally high standard.

Meals:  B

Your Coast to Coast walking experience concludes in Kirkby Stephen after breakfast.

Meals:  B


Map

Elevation

The map and elevation chart are for illustrative purposes only and meant to provide general guidelines.
On self guided trips, actual route information provided before departure will be more detailed.


Inclusions

  • 8 breakfasts
  • 8 nights accommodation in hotels and guesthouses on a twin share basis with ensuite facilities where available
  • One piece of luggage transferred from Inn to Inn, not exceeding 20kg
  • Information pack including route notes & maps (1 pack per room booked)
  • Emergency hotline
  • GPX Files

  • Lunch, Dinner and drinks
  • Entrance fees
  • Travel to the start and from the end point of the trip
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal expenses such as laundry and phone calls
  • Unscheduled transfers required during the trip

Accommodation


Grading

moderate to challenging  

The trip is graded Moderate to Challenging. Some long days and steep climbs and descents. Generally however undulating. Mixed weather can be expected. We would not recommend the route for first time walkers. Note that often the trails, in the Lake District especially, are steep and rocky at times. Despite its justifiable popularity, Wainwright's Coast to Coast is not yet a UK National Trail. When walking early or late in the season, you need to be mindful of shorter daylight hours and be prepared for changeable weather conditions which may include snow.


Departure dates

Daily from 27 Mar to 7 Oct

Notes

DN1
15,16, & 17 day versions available.

Want to organise a private group?

Fundraising events, sporting groups, family treats; learn how you can organise a Private Group from just 6 travellers.

Priceper person from

$1390USD

Options & Supplements*
  • Single SupplementUSD$360
*Prices listed are per person

Coast to Coast Walk Trip reviews


Why travel with us

Making Europe Affordable

We offer different levels of accommodation and comfort so that even the most budget conscious can treat themselves to active holidays on Europe's most celebrated tracks and trails. Our trips are great value for money because you only pay for what you want.  

Self-Guided Specialists

Our wide range of self-guided itineraries embody the UTracks philosophy of exploring Europe your way. We handle the logistics so all that's left for you to do is enjoy exploring Europe at your own pace. Most depart daily with a minimum of two people, meaning maximum flexibility.

Our Wide Range

With close to 400 trips in almost 50 countries, including the largest range of bike & boat holidays in Europe, we're confident that we can organise an Alps walk, Camino de Santiago or Via Francigena experience, Food Lovers' trip or a tour in a lesser-known pocket of Europe that you will love. 

Coast to Coast Walk Videos

Walk England's Coast to Coast with UTracks

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