The Coast to Coast runs for a challenging 184 miles (296 km) across the north of England from St Bees on the Cumbria coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea. It passes through the varied scenery of three National Parks – the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. Many walkers complete it within 12 to 16 days, although some divide it into two separate week-long walks.
Devised by the legendary Alfred Wainwright, the Coast to Coast is famous as England’s most popular walk. You pass many historic buildings, prehistoric sites and interesting heritage. It is generally waymarked, albeit not within the Lake District National Park, and it has plenty of accommodation and welcoming pubs. Both its ends and its two ‘midpoints’ (Kirkby Stephen and Richmond) are accessible by public transport.
The 2018 edition features many photographs by the award-winning landscape photographer Karen Frenkel, freshly commissioned mapping, and many more route options than before. It contains all that a walker needs:
– concise directions (revised 2018) for the route walked west to east
– 25 pages of easy-to-follow mapping (at 1:55,000)
– altitude profiles for each section and for route options
– background on geology, history and wildlife
– pros and cons of high-level route options
– ten top tips from experienced Coast-to-Coasters
– bonus content free to download
– contact details for accommodation and transport
– features on St Bees, Grasmere, Richmond and Robin Hood’s Bay
– over 150 superb colour photographs
– rainproof, rucksack-friendly format.“A model of what a practical and enticing guidebook should be … an attractive, clear, and above all, eminently practical guide.” – Outdoor Focus Autumn 2018, p4
