Self-Launched Walk: Coast to Coast Path (St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay)

Travel by train to St Bees (via Carlisle or Barrow-in-Furness; ~£30-50 from London with advance ticket). Collect your Coast to Coast 'passport' from the village shop or tearoom and dip your boots in the sea at St Bees Beach to start the walk. Order the official trail guide (Stedman or Wainwright) in advance and download the GPX files. Book each night's B&B in advance in peak season, or use a baggage-transfer service (e.g. Packhorse / Brigantes) if you don't want to carry everything.

🚌Train to St Bees station; walk to seafront

🛏St Bees B&B or hostel (~£35-45)

• →Sea-dip start at St Bees Beach
• →Buy Coast to Coast passport
• →Collect trail guide/GPX

14 miles / 22 km. Head south along the cliffs from St Bees Beach, clamber over the red sandstone cliffs, then turn inland through the villages of Sandwith and Moor Row. Climb Dent Fell (352m) and descend to the valley of the River Ehen before reaching Ennerdale Bridge village.

🚌On foot; optional local bus to St Bees from Whitehaven

🛏Ennerdale Bridge inn or B&B (~£40-55)

• →Coastal cliff walk
• →Dent Fell summit
• →Inland valley walking

15 miles / 24 km. Walk the length of Ennerdale Water on the forested north shore, then climb over the hamlet of Black Sail and up Loft Beck to Grey Knotts. Cross the flanks of Haystacks and descend past Honister Slate Mine (entry ~£10 optional) into Borrowdale. Strong walkers can take the high ridge over Red Pike, High Stile and Haystacks (strenuous).

🚌On foot; Honister Rambler bus (555/77A) links Borrowdale & Keswick

🛏Rosthwaite B&B or YHA Borrowdale hostel (~£25-45)

• →Ennerdale Water shoreline
• →Loft Beck ascent
• →Honister Slate Mine visit (optional)
• →High-level Red Pike/High Stile variant

9 miles / 14.5 km. A shorter day. Follow Greenup Edge over the fells from Stonethwaite, then drop down into Grasmere village. In the afternoon visit Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum (combined ticket ~£12) — the poet's former home.

🚌On foot; Grasmere is on the 555 bus route to Keswick/Windermere

🛏Grasmere YHA or B&B (~£30-50)

• →Greenup Edge crossing
• →Dove Cottage & Wordsworth Museum

8 miles / 13 km. Climb over Grisedale Hause and descend to Patterdale beside Ullswater. Optional stiff detours: ascent of Helvellyn (950m) via Striding Edge, or the quieter St Sunday Crag. Both add 3-4 hours and serious height gain.

🚌On foot; 508 bus runs Patterdale-Glenridding-Windermere

🛏Patterdale hostel or B&B (~£35-50)

• →Grisedale Hause pass
• →Optional Helvellyn summit
• →Optional St Sunday Crag

16 miles / 26 km. A big day. Climb to Angle Tarn and over the long, solitary High Street ridge, up to Kidsty Pike (780m), then descend steeply alongside Haweswater reservoir. Finish at the village of Shap; detour to the ruined Shap Abbey.

🚌On foot; Shap is on the 106 bus to Penrith station

🛏Shap B&B or pub rooms (~£40-55)

• →Angle Tarn
• →High Street Roman road
• →Kidsty Pike summit
• →Shap Abbey ruins

8 miles / 13 km. A gentler day through Westmorland limestone country, past the odd 'stone circle' and limestone pavements, into Orton village with its chocolate shop and old church.

🚌On foot

🛏Orton pub/B&B (~£40-55)

• →Limestone pavement walking
• →Orton village & church

12 miles / 19 km. Cross open moors and fields between the Howgills and the Pennines, passing the 14th-century Smardale Bridge and the disused Smardale Gill viaduct (a memorable detour). Arrive in the market town of Kirkby Stephen.

🚌On foot; Kirkby Stephen has a railway station (Settle-Carlisle line)

🛏Kirkby Stephen hostel or B&B (~£30-50)

• →Smardale Bridge
• →Smardale Gill viaduct detour
• →Kirkby Stephen market town

13 miles / 21 km. Walk out via Hartley and climb over the Nine Standards Rigg — the mysterious cairns on the watershed at 662m. Descend into the remote hamlet of Keld, crossing the Pennine Way.

🚌On foot

🛏Keld bunkhouse or B&B (~£25-45)

• →Nine Standards Rigg cairns
• →Watershed crossing into Yorkshire

11 miles / 18 km. Two route choices: the high-level route across grouse moors past old lead-mining ruins, or the gentler valley route along the River Swale through Muker and Gunnerside. Both finish in Reeth, a lovely greenside village with pubs and a bakery.

🚌On foot; the 30/630 bus links Reeth to Richmond

🛏Reeth B&B, pub or hostel (~£30-50)

• →Lead mining ruins (high route)
• →Swaledale valley & Muker village

11 miles / 18 km. Easy valley walking from Reeth to the historic town of Richmond. Pass Marrick Priory en route, then explore Richmond's Norman castle (£5-8) and Georgian theatre. Good spot for a restock and a pub dinner.

🚌On foot; Richmond has a bus station and no rail station (nearest Darlington)

🛏Richmond hostel or B&B (~£30-50)

• →Marrick Priory
• →Richmond Castle
• →Georgian Theatre Royal

14 miles / 22 km. The flattest day of the walk. Follow gentle lanes and field paths through the Vale of Mowbray, via Bolton-on-Swale and its Church of St Mary, to the quiet village of Danby Wiske.

🚌On foot

🛏Danby Wiske B&B or pub (~£40-55)

• →Vale of Mowbray farmland
• →St Mary's Church, Bolton-on-Swale

13 miles / 21 km. Head east past Ingleby Arncliffe and enter the North York Moors National Park. Bed down at Ingleby Cross or push on the extra mile to the pretty village of Osmotherley, which has better accommodation and pubs.

🚌On foot; 80/89 bus links Osmotherley to Northallerton

🛏Osmotherley B&B or hostel (~£30-50)

• →Enter North York Moors National Park
• →Osmotherley village

12 miles / 19 km. A superb ridge day: climb through woodland and up onto the Cleveland Hills escarpment. Great views back to Richmond and out to the North Sea. See the Wain Stones (a famous gritstone outcrop) and miles of heather moorland. Clay Bank Top has no accommodation — arrange a pick-up to nearby Great Broughton or Ingleby Greenhow.

🚌On foot; pre-arranged taxi/B&B pick-up from Clay Bank

🛏Great Broughton or Ingleby Greenhow B&B with pick-up (~£40-55)

• →Wain Stones
• →Cleveland Hills escarpment
• →Heather moorland ridge

10 miles / 16 km. Return to the plateau and cross exposed moorland to the isolated Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge — a legendary walkers' pub with rooms. Great sunset views and a welcome pint.

🚌On foot

🛏The Lion Inn, Blakey Ridge (~£45-70)

• →Plateau moorland walk
• →The Lion Inn, Blakey Ridge

13 miles / 21 km. Leave the high moor and drop into the wooded valleys of Great Fryup Dale and Glaisdale, then on through Egton Bridge to the village of Grosmont, home of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway heritage steam line (day ticket ~£20-25 if you fancy a ride).

🚌On foot; Grosmont has a station on the Esk Valley line (Northern Rail)

🛏Grosmont B&B or hostel (~£35-50)

• →Great Fryup Dale
• →Glaisdale & Egton Bridge
• →North Yorkshire Moors Railway (optional)

15 miles / 24 km. The final day. Walk via Littlebeck and the Falling Foss waterfall and tea garden, then follow the coastal path past High Hawsker to Robin Hood's Bay (with a fine view of Whitby Abbey behind you). Complete your journey by dipping a toe in the North Sea and celebrating in one of the village's harbourside pubs.

🚌On foot; X93/840 bus links Robin Hood's Bay to Whitby and Scarborough

🛏Robin Hood's Bay hostel or B&B (~£35-55)

• →Falling Foss woods & waterfall
• →Whitby Abbey viewpoint
• →Tradition of dipping toe in North Sea

A leisurely morning: a seaside breakfast and a wander through the old smugglers' village, then bus to Whitby (X93, ~£3-4) and onward by train from Whitby to Middlesbrough, York or beyond, or bus to Scarborough for onward connections.

🚌X93 bus to Whitby (~£3-4); train Whitby-York/Middlesbrough (~£15-25)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Explore Robin Hood's Bay village
• →Whitby town & abbey