England's Coast-to-Coast Walk
For our Coast to Coast walk we strongly recommend arriving a day early allowing time to unwind from the journey and enjoy the delights of St. Bees and the surrounding area. Many of the houses in St. Bees date from 17th and 18th century and the magnificent sandstone St. Bees Priory which dates from the 12th century is well worth a visit.
Saturday – Day 1: Meet at 2:00PM. As St. Bees is on the Irish Sea, your introductory walk offers outstanding coastal views around the beautiful St. Bees headland, one of the largest cliff seabird colonies on the west coast of England. Afterwards there will be a welcome reception to discuss the week ahead before dinner.
Walk: 5 miles, 3 hours. Ascent: 300 ft. Overnight St. Bees.
Sunday – Day 2: After a short drive to Ennerdale we walk up this remote and tranquil valley alongside Ennerdale water, through pine forests and up into the magnificent mountain scenery of the Lake District National Park. We descend via old slate quarry workings, evoking the industrial past, to Borrowdale, ‘the most beautiful valley in England’.
Walk: 10 miles, 7 hours. Ascent: 1700 ft. Overnight Borrowdale valley.
Monday – Day 3: A scenic drive through the very heart of the Lake District takes us to Thomas Gray’s “unsuspected paradise” – the valley of Grasmere. There will be time to explore this delightful village with its many Wordsworth connections and visit Dove cottage, the poet’s home before we depart for our walk to Patterdale via the mountain pass of Grizedale Hause. This well trodden path provides a corridor through some spectacular mountain scenery to the valley of Ullswater where we stop for the night. Enjoy a special evening with a chance to meet with local people.
Walk: 7 miles, 5-6 hours. Ascent 1600 ft. Overnight: Ullswater valley
Tuesday – Day 4 This morning we drive along the shores of Ullswater, leaving the Lake District and head for the Yorkshire Dales National Park and beautiful Swaledale with its unique landscape and field barns. Here a high level moorland walk on good tracks takes us by the remnants of a once flourishing Lead Mining industry before descending to the delightful village of Reeth - often referred to as "the capital of Swaledale". A visit to an organic working farm, with time for a tour and tea, rounds off the day.
Walk: 9.5 miles 5 hrs Ascent: 800ft Overnight Reeth.
Wednesday – Day 5: Our walk continues from Reeth along the River Swale where the valley widens on its majestic journey eastwards. We pass the ruins of Marrick Priory en route to the village of Marske and continue above the River Swale through magnificent limestone scenery and woods to the historic market town of Richmond dominated by its medieval castle.
Walk: 11 miles, 6 - 7 hours. Ascent: 500 ft. Overnight: Richmond
Thursday – Day 6: We drive from Richmond to the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. Today is spent walking in the lovely rolling Cleveland Hills, enjoying extensive views over the surrounding countryside as we walk across the moorland footpaths. A short drive takes us to the small village of Ellerby, our home for the last two nights.
Walk: 11 miles, 7 - 8 hours. Ascent: 2000 ft. Overnight Ellerby.
Friday – Day 7: We return this morning to the heather clad moors for a delightful walk and outstanding views and then gradually descend into Esk Dale, via an ancient packhorse bridge and woodland, following the River Esk to lunch at an old coaching inn. Drive to Hawsker for the final part of this memorable journey. A magnificent walk along the cliffs and down past quaint cottages to the sea at Robin Hood’s Bay. Time to celebrate an achievement - you will have walked or traveled through three National Parks and covered just over a third of the 190 mile route on foot.
Walk: 12 miles, 7 hours. Overnight Ellerby.
Saturday – Day 8: Depart after a leisurely breakfast.
Walk highlights: Walking through the magnificent scenery of Three National Parks
Visit Dove Cottage – the home of William Wordsworth
An evening with the locals in the Lake District
Visit a working organic farm
Dates: 23rd – 30th June; 28th July – 4th August; 15th – 22nd September
7 nights bed and breakfast; 5 dinners, 6 picnic or pub lunches; all entrance fees in the itinerary; Professional Blue Badge Tourist Guide; back up transport during walk; luggage transfers
Meeting point: St. Bees - transfers offered from/to Manchester airport or Penrith railway station
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