HISTORY
The Coast to Coast path owes its existence to one man: Alfred Wainwright. It was in 1972 that Wainwright, already renowned for his exquisitely illustrated guides to walking in the Lake District, trekked across England on a path of his own devising. It was an idea that he had been kicking around for a time: to cross his native land on a route that, as far as he was aware, would ‘commit no offence against privacy nor trample on the sensitive corns of landowners and tenants’. The result of his walk, a guidebook, was originally printed by his long-time publishers, The Westmoreland Gazette, the following year. It proved hugely successful. Indeed, a full twenty years after the book was first published, a spin-off television series of the trail was also made in which Wainwright himself starred, allowing a wider public to witness firsthand his wry, abrupt, earthy charm.
Wainwright reminds people in his book that his is just one of many such trails across England that could be devised, and since Wainwright’s book other Coast to Coast walks have indeed been established. Yet it is still his trail that is by far and away the most popular, and in order to distinguish it from the others, it is now commonly known as Wainwright’s Coast to Coast path.
The route has been amended slightly since 1973 mostly because, though careful to try to use only public rights of way, in a few places Wainwright’s original trail actually intruded upon private land. Indeed, even today the trail does in places cross private territory, and it is only due to the largesse of the landowners that the path has remained near-enough unchanged throughout its 1911/2 miles.
Though the trail passes through three national parks, crosses the Pennine Way and at times joins with both the Lyke Wake Walk and the Cleveland Way, it is not itself one of the 15 national trails in the UK, though there are some who are campaigning for it to be included in order that it may enjoy greater protection and maintenance than it has received heretofore. Whether that ever arises remains to be seen. What is certain is that the path is one of the most popular of Britain’s long-distance trails, with around 9500 people attempting it every year.
HOW DIFFICULT IS THE COAST TO COAST PATH?
The Coast to Coast path is a long, tough walk but there’s no need for crampons, ropes or any other climbing paraphernalia. So, despite the presence of some fairly steep ascents and descents, all of them are ‘walkable’, and no mountaineering or climbing skills are necessary. All you need is some suitable clothing, a bit of money, a rucksack full of determination and a half-decent pair of calf muscles.
That said, the most common complaint I’ve received about this book, particularly from American readers, is that it doesn’t emphasize how tough it can be. So let us be clear: the Coast to Coast is a lengthy and in many places tough trek. The Ramblers’ Association of Great Britain officially describe the walk as ‘challenging’ and they’re not wrong.
The Lake District, in particular, contains many up-and-down sections that will test you to the limit; however, there are plenty of tearooms and no shortage of accommodation in this section should you decide to take a break. The topography of the eastern section, on the other hand, is less dramatic, though the number of places with accommodation drops too, and for a couple of days you may find yourself walking 15 miles or more in order to reach a town or village on the trail that has somewhere to stay.
Regarding safety, there are few places on the regular trail where it would be possible to fall from a great height, save perhaps for the cliff walks that book-end the walk (though I’ve never heard of it happening before, particularly as there’s a fence or wall between you and the cliffs for most of the way now). On some of the high-level alternatives (see p95 and p112), however, there is a slightly greater chance of being blown off a precipice, though again it’s highly unlikely.
The greatest danger to trekkers is, perhaps, the chance of becoming lost or disorientated, particularly in the Lake District where there is a distinct lack of signposting, and especially in bad weather. A compass is thus pretty vital, as is dressing for inclement weather, or at least carrying a spare set of clothes with you. Not pushing yourself too hard is important too, as this will lead only to exhaustion and all its inherent dangers. In case all this deters you from the walk because it sounds too difficult or dangerous, bear in mind that a seven-year-old girl has completed the walk with her father in 13 days!
Route finding
Waymarking varies along the path. Once over the Pennines and into Yorkshire the trail is fairly well signposted and finding your way shouldn’t be a problem. In the Lakes, on the other hand, there are no Coast-to-Coast signposts and you may have to rely on the maps and descriptions in this book to find your way. For much of the time the path is well-trodden and obvious, though of course there are situations where there are a number of paths to choose from, and other occasions where the ground is too boggy and no path is visible at all. Foggy conditions are another problem, particularly in the Lake District. In these instances a compass is essential to help you find the correct path.
In the Lakes in particular there are a number of high-level alternatives to the main route, and fit trekkers should, if the weather allows, seriously consider taking them. Though harder, the rewards in terms of the views and sense of achievement make it all worthwhile.
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED?
I’ve heard about an athlete who completed the entire Coast to Coast path in just 37 hours. I’ve read about a walker who did it in eight days. I know somebody who did it in ten. But excepting these superhuman achievements, for most people, the Coast to Coast trail takes a minimum of fourteen days.
Indeed, even with a fortnight in which to complete the trail, many people still find it fairly tough going, and it doesn’t really allow you time to look around places such as Grasmere or Richmond which each deserve a day in themselves. So, if you can afford to build a couple of rest days into your itinerary, you’ll be glad you did.
Of course, if you’re fit there’s no reason why you can’t go a little faster if that’s what you want to do, though you will end up having a different sort of trek to most of the other people on the route. For where theirs is a fairly relaxing holiday, yours will be more of a sport as you compete against the clock and try to reach the finishing line as quickly as possible. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, though you obviously won’t see as much as those who take their time. Nevertheless, chacun à son goût, as the French probably say. However, what you mustn’t do is try to push yourself too fast. That road leads only to exhaustion, injury or, at the absolute least, an unpleasant time.
When deciding how long to allow for their trek, those intending to camp and carry their own luggage shouldn’t underestimate just how much a heavy pack can slow you down. On pp32-3 there are some suggested itineraries covering different walking speeds. If you’ve only got a few days, don’t try to walk it all; concentrate, instead, on one area such as the Lakes or North York Moors. You can always come back and attempt the rest of the walk another time.
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