Independent Trails: Fact File

Independent Trails: Fact File.CCW2

Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk ~ St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay

This tour divides the 190-mile (304km) trail into 13 stages, which works out at an average of 14.5 miles (23km) per day. It varies from Wainwright's itinerary by dividing the demanding day between Rosthwaite and Patterdale in two, with an overnight in Grasmere.

Trail Facts

Total distance: 190 miles (304km)
Duration: 14 nights, 13 days walking
Minimum/maximum daily distances: 8½ miles (13.5km)/23 miles (37km)
Season: April to October
Starting point of holiday: St. Bees
End of holiday: Robin Hood's Bay
Code: CCW2

Itinerary

Day 1: Travel to St. Bees, where your first nights accommodation has been booked

Day 2: St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge. 14 miles (22.5km)

Day 3: Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite. 14.5 miles (23km)

Day 4: Rosthwaite to Grasmere. 9 miles (14.5km)

Day 5: Grasmere to Patterdale. 8½ miles (13.5km)

Day 6: Patterdale to Shap. 16 miles (25.5km)

Day 7: Shap to Kirkby Stephen. 20 miles (32km)

Day 8: Kirkby Stephen to Keld. 13 miles (21km)

Day 9: Keld to Reeth. 11 miles (17.5km)

Day 10: Reeth to Richmond. 11 miles (17.5km)

Day 11: Richmond to Ingleby Cross. 23 miles (37km)

Day 12: Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top. 12.5 miles (20km)

Day 13: Clay Bank Top to Glaisdale. 18.5 miles (29.5km)

Day 14: Glaisdale to Robin Hood's Bay. 19 miles (30.5km)

Day 15: Depart from Robin Hood's Bay after breakfast

Extra nights/Rest days

An extra night gives you a chance to explore some of the villages and old market towns along the trail, catch up with writing postcards or just relaxing and giving those weary legs a rest.
Rosthwaite is a good choice for a rest day. There are many lovely walks in the hills around Borrowdale or you could catch a bus into the bustling little town of Keswick nearby. There is plenty to see in Grasmere such as Dove Cottage, the best-known home of William Wordsworth, the school where Wordsworth once taught, now home to Sarah Nelson's famous Gingerbread Shop and St. Oswald's church, the last resting place for the Wordsworth family. If you prefer somewhere quieter in the Lake District we suggest you take a rest day in Patterdale. A terrific walk here starts by taking a steamer trip across Ullswater and returns along the lakeshore path. The old market town of Kirkby Stephen is also a good place to take an extra night. Don't miss the unusual 'Bound Devil', a figure of Satan chained and horned in the ancient church of St. Stephen. In the Yorkshire Dales Reeth is a good choice for a rest day. There are many short walks from the village and the Swaledale folk museum is fascinating. Richmond, with its cobbled streets and market place, Norman castle, unusual church, Georgian theatre, museums and shops is a popular stop. Another popular choice is Robin Hood's Bay, which is within easy reach of Whitby, its abbey, Captain Cook Museum and St Mary's church. The interior of this intriguing church was altered in 1612 to resemble the lower deck of a wooded sailing ship.

What's included?

14 nights accommodation in en-suite rooms with private bathrooms (where available) in selected hotels, inns and guesthouses.
Breakfast each day.
Door to door luggage transfer along the trail.
A set of maps with the route marked on and a guidebook describing the trail.
An information pack containing an itinerary, detailed instructions on how to find your accommodation each night, town plans, information about facilities and places of interest along the trail and a kit list.
Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.
Emergency assistance

Travel Information

Detailed instructions on how to get to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you on booking. A summary is given below.
Most convenient major city and International airport: Manchester Airport. Approximately 4 hours to St. Bees by train.
Outward journey from London to St Bees: Train from London Euston to Carlisle, then change trains for St. Bees (5 ½ hours) or London Euston to St. Bees (change trains at Preston and Lancaster) 5 hours 40 minutes. The first nights accommodation in St. Bees is a short walk from the railway station.
Return journey to London at the end of the holiday: Bus or taxi to Scarborough railway station. Train to York, then change trains for London King's Cross (3 hours 20 minutes).
Travelling by car: If you have to travel by car, we can arrange car parking in St. Bees. At the end of your walk we can arrange a taxi back to your car in St Bees.