The 300km Coast to Coast Path, between the Cumbria and North Yorkshire coasts, is one of Britain’s most popular walks, and now upgrades, path repairs and trail officers aim to preserve it for future generations
It’s a little over half a century since iconic fell-walker and guide book writer Alfred Wainwright (1907-1991), sketched a line on the map linking the Cumbria and Yorkshire shores.
“The route follows an approximate beeline … from St Bees Head on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea,” he wrote. “The grandest territory in the north of England is traversed by it; indeed, two-thirds of the route lies through the areas of three national parks.”
Last year is was named a National Trail - one of 20 multi-day walks that hold that esteemed title (13 in England, 3 in Wales, and 4 in Scotland).
Recently the British government announced trail upgrades worth 5.6 million pounds (about $11 million) as part of giving it National Trail status.
The improvements will bring better-maintained paths, enhanced drainage, and long-term funding to protect and manage the route for future generations.
With more than 6,000 walkers completing the journey each year, the trail’s growing popularity has made these upgrades essential.
That steady flow of visitors contributes an estimated £7 million annually ($15 million) to local economies across Cumbria and North Yorkshire, benefiting pubs, cafés, accommodation providers, shops and transport services along the route.
There is also a renewed focus on accessibility, with selected sections being adapted to welcome a broader range of users, including people using mobility aids, as well as cyclists and horse riders.
The Coast to Coast was first devised in the 1970s by Alfred Wainwright, the much-loved fell walker, author and illustrator best known for his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells.
Wainwright created the route as a personal challenge, linking existing paths across three National Parks and some of England’s finest landscapes.