Wainwright’s Coast to Coast – Across England on Foot

Wainwright’s Coast to Coast National Trail

The remarkable Wainwright’s Coast to Coast trail stretches from the Irish Sea at St. Bees to the North Sea at Robin Hood’s Bay, tracing a winding path through some of England’s most varied landscapes, including the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and North York Moors. Created by Alfred Wainwright and now officially recognized as a National Trail, this iconic route is a trek that demands both effort and endurance.

For us, it became the first of a series of hikes in the UK between ocean journeys and two transatlantic crossings aboard Queen Mary 2. After arriving in the UK by sea, we stepped into the heart of England and walked eastward across three geological regions, alongside stone walls, and more sheep than we could count, before eventually reaching the surf of the North Sea.

Along the way, we were rained on, humbled by tough climbs, inspired by mountain lakes and continually surprised by how much natural beauty could be contained within a single country-spanning walk.

Coast to Coast Trail Details

What begins at the Irish Sea in St. Bees ends, some 300 kilometres - roughly 190 miles - later at the edge of the North Sea in Robin Hood’s Bay. Between these two points, the trail crosses the width of northern England, linking coast to coast through a shifting landscape that is never defined by a single terrain for long.

Over the course of roughly two weeks, the route leads hikers through three distinct national parks - the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors - each bringing its own character and challenges. Early days in the Lake District are shaped by steep climbs and descents through mountain valleys, where stone paths and exposed ridgelines demand effort. Further east, the terrain gives way to open farmland and long stretches of moorland.

At times, the trail follows narrow coastal paths or crosses carefully laid stone tracks; at others, it winds through fields, along country lanes, and across wide, weather-exposed uplands. What appears on paper as a single route is, in practice, a continuous transition between landscapes and regions - each one distinct, yet connected by the simple act of walking from one sea to the other.

What makes the Coast to Coast so compelling is not any single feature, but the opportunity to walk across and experience an entire country in a single trek. 

Our Walking Itinerary and Stages

Waintwright's Coast to Coast National Trail : An Introduction

En Route : Southampton to St. Bees

Beginning Wainwright’s Coast to Coast : St. Bees to Low Cock How

First there is a Mountain : Low Cock How to Borrowdale

Recognizing Our Limitations : Borrowdale to Grasmere

Climbing Up, Climbing Down : Grasmere to Pattersdale

Hard Day : Patterdale to Shap

Long Day : Shap to Kirkby Stephen

Exploring Kirkby Stephen : A Day Off Trail

At the Crossroads : Kirkby Stephen to Keld

Drenched Double Stage : Keld to Reeth...to Richmond

Mud, Fields, and Stiles : Richmond to Danby Wiske

Roadways and Right of Ways : Danby Wiske to Osmotherley

A Proper Long Trek : Osmotherley to Blakely Ridge

Fog, Rain and Moors : Blakely Ridge to Egton Bridge

Final Day on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast : Egton Bridge to Robin Hood’s Bay

Reflecting on Hiking Wainwright's Coast to Coast National Trail

What's Next? Continuing our Hike Across the UK

This Journey Between Journeys

Our walk across England wasn’t just a hike - it was a bridge between continents. We stepped off the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton after our Eastbound Transatlantic ocean crossing, hiked across England and Scotland, and eventually returned westward by sea once more. The trails in the UK became our compass between crossings, as well as our slow travel answer to the chaos, anxiety, and speed of modern life.  

Following Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, we would continue our journey across the UK walking on the Pennine Way, West Highland Way, Great Glen Way, and Hadrian’s Wall Path.

This journey joins our growing archive of pilgrimages, long walks, and voyages, including Canada’s Trans Canada Trail from the Atlantic to the Arctic, Spain’s ancient Caminos Frances to Santiago, Portugal's Rota Vicentina and Camino Espiritual, as well as rail odysseys across Canada aboard VIA Rail’s Canadian and Ocean routes.

See you on the trail!