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Coast to Coast Walk - West Section

Coast to Coast Walk - West Section

A walk from St. Bees to Kirkby Stephen via the beautiful Lake District National Park.

6 to 9 nights
83 miles
Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous

From £515 per person

Discover the available tours

About this route

The west section of the Coast to Coast Walk traverses the Lake District National Park from the cliffs of St Bees Head to the old market town of Kirkby Stephen. The Lake District features rugged fells and quiet valleys filled with wildlife, offering variety and intrigue at every turn.

Each town and village along the route boasts its own unique charm and history. Some locations of note include the impressive priory church of St Mary and St Bega in St Bees, and the ‘bound devil’ found in St Stephen’s Church in Kirkby Stephen.

Dog friendly tours available

Dog friendly itineraries are available for this route. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your itinerary. Please note that dog friendly tours may require more transfers than standard tours.

Reverse tours available

This route can be walked in either direction - just tick the 'Reverse Tours' box when choosing your tour to see options travelling in the non-standard direction.

Trail running tours available

We also organise trail running holidays along this route. Find out more.

Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Coast to Coast Walk - West Section map
St Bees to Kirkby Stephen
83 miles (133 km)
14th March to 31st October

Holiday highlights

Marvelling at the amazing views of Pillar and Great Gable during the walk through Ennerdale

Exploring the many pretty villages in Borrowdale, each with their own wonderful characters.

Walking along the banks of Haweswater and enjoying the tranquil atmosphere.

Available tours

CodeTourDurationDifficultyPrice per person
CCWW0 From St Bees to Kirkby Stephen 6 nights, 5 days walking Demanding / Strenuous£515
CCWW1 From St Bees to Kirkby Stephen 7 nights, 6 days walking Demanding / Strenuous£600
CCWW2 From St Bees to Kirkby Stephen 8 nights, 7 days walking Moderate / Demanding£685
CCWW3 From St Bees to Kirkby Stephen 9 nights, 8 days walking Moderate£770

Coast to Coast Walk - West Section 6 nights, 5 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather

Important information

Dog friendly accommodation in Grasmere is expensive; therefore, an additional upgrade supplement may be required for your accommodation in Grasmere if you choose to bring your canine companion.

Start

Travel to St Bees where your first night's accommodation has been booked

Day 1

St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge. 15 miles (24km) / 2575 ft (785 m) ascent

Day 2

Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite. 14.5 miles (23km) / 2388 ft (728 m) ascent

Day 3

Rosthwaite to Patterdale. 17.5 miles (28km) / 3665 ft (1117 m) ascent

Day 4

Patterdale to Shap. 16 miles (25.5km) / 3284 ft (1001 m) ascent

Day 5

Shap to Kirkby Stephen. 20.5 miles (32.5km) / 1929 ft (588 m) ascent

Finish

Depart from Kirkby Stephen after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£40.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£35.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£55.00 per person / per night

What's included?

  • 6 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

An extra night gives you the chance to explore some of the villages and old market towns along the trail, catch up with writing postcards or to simply relax and give 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.

If you prefer somewhere quieter, we suggest taking a rest day in Patterdale. A terrific walk here starts by taking one of the iconic Ullswater Steamers across the lake and returning along the lakeshore path. Alternatively, Orton is a charming and peaceful village.

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.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£55.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 83 miles (133 km)
Duration: 6 nights, 5 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 14.5 miles (23 km)
Maximum daily distance: 20.5 miles (32.5 km)
Code: CCWW0 Grade: Demanding / Strenuous
Season: 14th March - 31st October
Start of holiday: St Bees
End of holiday: Kirkby Stephen

Route Profile

Coast to Coast Walk - West Section Route Profile

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major cities and international airports are Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.

By Rail - There is a rail station at the start of the trail (St Bees) and at the end of the trail (Kirkby Stephen), although this is about 1.6 miles from the town centre, so a taxi will be required to the station.

By Bus - Various bus services run to St Bees. There is no regular bus service between Kirkby Stephen town centre and the station, so a taxi would be required.

From London - Trains run from London Euston to St Bees.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail is to take a taxi from Kirby Stephen town centre to Kirkby Stephen rail station. From there, trains run to St Bees.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.

Routes on this trail

Coast to Coast Walk

Coast to Coast Walk

13 to 19 nights
190 miles
Moderate+
Dog friendly
From £1,035 per person
A world-famous walk from St. Bees to Robin Hood's Bay across the breadth of northern England.Find Out More
Coast to Coast Short Break - West Section

Coast to Coast Short Break - West Section

3 nights
18 miles
Moderate
Dog friendly
From £280 per person
A short self-guided walk along the western stretch of the Coast to Coast Walk from Rosthwaite to Patterdale.Find Out More
Coast to Coast Walk - East Section

Coast to Coast Walk - East Section

8 to 11 nights
107 miles
Moderate+
Dog friendly
From £685 per person
A walking holiday from Kirkby Stephen to Robin Hood's Bay along the iconic Coast to Coast Walk.Find Out More
Coast to Coast Short Break - Central Section

Coast to Coast Short Break - Central Section

3 nights
22 miles
Moderate
Dog friendly
From £280 per person
A short walking holiday from Keld to Richmond along a central stretch of the Coast to Coast Walk.Find Out More
Explore more holidays on the Coast to Coast Walk trail

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Pennine Way - South Section

Pennine Way - South Section

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Walking Wainwright's Coast to Coast with Contours Walking Holidays

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Customer reviews from the Coast to Coast Walk - West Section

“Great walk, good weather. Very good B&Bs!!”
Mr van Bilsem, Netherlands
“We had a great time in Britain again and really enjoyed all of our accommodations.”
Mr Verschaeren, Netherlands
“The first half of the Coast2Coast holiday was very well organised and planned and we had a fabulous time. Over seven days there was not one hitch and it was very memorable.”
Ms Mikkelsen, UK
“We really enjoyed walking the western part of the coast to coast and are now planning to complete the eastern side with Contours Walking Holidays. Everything was very well organised.”
Mr Townsend, UK
“The walk was wonderful and the accommodations were excellent. The scenery in the Lake District was incredible and walking the distance we did gave us a great sense of accomplishment.”
Mr Tobler, USA
“I really appreciated all the support I received. Every question I asked was promptly responded to in an email.”
Ms Feist, Canada
“Everything was organized perfectly”
Mr Buchwalder, Switzerland
“Many thanks for organising an excellent trip.”
Mr Booth, UK
“Very well organised and smooth.”
Dr Bristow, UK

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