Wainwright’s Coast to Coast in Style – 14 Days

Make your own way to St Bees at your leisure and settle into your hotel on the seafront, with the afternoon free to walk the beach, climb up to the lighthouse, or explore the Priory, founded in 1020AD, before wandering the pleasant township and its handful of pubs. In the evening, meet your group for welcome drinks and a trip briefing, followed by an included dinner together before setting off on the Coast to Coast tomorrow.

Meals: Welcome Dinner
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in St Bees

Today the Coast to Coast begins in earnest, following the trail along the coast and inland to Sandwith before continuing on to Honister. The afternoon brings a short walk down into Borrowdale, a gentle introduction to the trail split comfortably across the morning and afternoon. Settle in for the night at your accommodation, deep in the heart of the Lake District.

Walks: 12.5 km
Meals: Cooked breakfast, walkers’ lunch & dinner
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Borrowdale

A gentle start through Stonethwaite Valley follows the beck of the same name, with Eagle Crag looming across the valley. The gradient then steepens for the push up to the rocky outcrop of Lining Crag, where you’ve earned the break, with views back to Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak at 978 m. Easier walking follows to Greenup Edge and on to the head of Far Easedale Valley, from where you can take the high route over Calf and Helm Crags in good weather. Or continue down beside Far Easedale Beck into Grasmere, where the poet Wordsworth lived for years and called it “the fairest place on earth”. If time allows, perhaps visit his Dove Cottage, now a museum.

Walks: 13 km
Meals: Cooked breakfast
Accommodation: 4-star inn at Grasmere

Walk up the delightful valley of Tongue Gill to Grisedale Hause, then either follow the beck down through Grisedale Valley into Patterdale and Glenridding, or, in good weather, take the high ridge walk via St Sunday Crag. The terrain is moderate to challenging throughout, with some sustained climbing and rocky sections along the way. You’ll be picked up at the end of the walk for a short transfer to your accommodation.

Walks: 12 – 13 km
Meals: Cooked breakfast
Accommodation: 4-star inn at Patterdale, on Ullswater

Take a full day to rest and recharge beside Ullswater, in the heart of the Lake District National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The included Ullswater Cruise offers a different perspective on the valley’s scenery, with an optional walk along the Ullswater Way for those after more activity. Spend the night back at your hotel at Patterdale.

Meals: Cooked breakfast
Included Activity: Ullswater Cruise
Accommodation: 4-star inn at Patterdale, on Ullswater

Say goodbye to the Lake District with a demanding walk over Angle Tarn and Kidsty Pike, at 784 m the highest point on the Coast to Coast. It’s then a steep descent via Kidsty Howes down towards Haweswater and an undulating stretch above the lake to Burnbanks village. It’s one of the longer days on the trail, so vehicle support remains available if you need to shorten the route, and from Burnbanks the group transfer is approximately 50 minutes on to Kirkby Stephen for the night.

Walks: 17 km
Meals: Cooked breakfast
Accommodation: Comfortable guesthouse in Kirkby Stephen

Today you cross the Pennines, the backbone of the British Isles, and with them an important division of watersheds, with everything east of here draining into the North Sea. Climb country lanes and boggy tracks to the summit of Nine Standards Rigg, where a series of large drystone cairns, thought to be at least 800 years old, mark the ridge. Beyond lies a notorious stretch of peat bogs, where the paths are gradually being reinforced with flagstones to cross. Transfer back to Kirkby Stephen, approximately 30 minutes, for your second night at the same guesthouse.

Walks: 18 km
Meals: Cooked breakfast
Accommodation: Comfortable guesthouse in Kirkby Stephen

Transfer back to Keld to begin the day, then follow what’s sometimes described as the Royal Road to Reeth, a low level route that follows the riverside for much of the way. Wildflower meadows line the path in spring and early summer. Arrive into Reeth for the night at a stylish hotel and restaurant.

Walks: 18 km
Meals: Cooked breakfast
Accommodation: 4-star hotel in Reeth

Wake early today to enjoy your morning coffee with breakfast over the amazing views at this elegant hotel. Follow the line of the Swale River past pastures, meadowlands, woodlands and country lanes, a route that takes you past the old priory at Marrick, now an outdoor adventure centre. Continue through the village of Marske with its lovely old church, and on through Whitcliffe Wood into historic Richmond. The largest town on the Coast to Coast, Richmond is watched over by the ruins of its castle, dating from 1071. We stay in another stylish hotel for the next two nights.

Walks: 17-18 km
Meals: Cooked breakfast
Accommodation: 4-star hotel in Richmond

Spend a full day exploring Richmond at your own pace. No walking is required today, though the town, with its castle and cobbled streets, is well worth exploring at leisure.

Meals: Cooked breakfast
Accommodation:4-star hotel in Richmond

Transfer from Richmond to Ingleby Cross to begin an exhilarating day on the trail. Start with a steep climb through Arncliffe Wood onto wild upland moors covered in heather, with views over the Vale of Mowbray and, on a clear day, back to the Pennines or even the North Sea. Keep an eye out for the ancient burial sites that dot this stretch, marked as tumulus or howe on the map, and stop at the Lord Stones Café, built into the hillside, for a coffee. A last push follows over the Wain Stones at Hasty Bank down to Clay Bank Top, from where you’re transferred to your stylish accommodation.

Walks: 16-18 km
Meals: Cooked breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: 4-star hotel North York Moors

An easier day that still starts with a steep climb, this time to the top of Urra Moor. From there, follow the wide track across this heather covered plateau, watching for ancient carved stones and old estate boundary markers. Part of the route follows the trail of the former Rosedale Ironstone Railway, which served the nearby mines more than 150 years ago, and on a clear day you’ll have views over the Farndale valley. You’ll arrive at Blakey Ridge and the historic Lion Inn, a good spot to stop for refreshments before transferring back to your accommodation.

Walks: 14 km
Meals: Cooked breakfast, walkers’ lunch and dinner
Accommodation: 4-star hotel North York Moors

Your last day on the Coast to Coast, and it’s a spectacular one, beginning with a transfer to Littlebeck before a walk through leafy woodland to the Falling Foss Falls near Midge House Tearooms. From there, follow the stream of May Beck and country lanes for a gentle climb to the top of Graystone Hills moor, and on through more lanes to the village of High Hawsker before the tall sea cliffs north of Robin Hood’s Bay come into view. As you crest the last rise, the whole bay is revealed below you. Walk down through the village to the official end point of the Coast to Coast at the bottom, in time for an included farewell dinner.

Walks: 16-18 km
Meals: Cooked breakfast, walkers’ lunch and dinner
Accommodation: 4-star hotel North York Moors

After an included breakfast, transfer approximately 20 minutes to Whitby, where the trip finishes. From there you can catch a train for your onward journey.

Meals: Cooked breakfast