The Best Walks on England’s Coast to Coast If You Only Had 1-2 Days

Taste the thrill of starting an epic long distance trail by completing just a tiny fraction of it. From ‘Mile Zero’ on the foreshore at St Bees, you’ll ascend the dramatic red sea cliffs and follow a blustery cliff top path with expansive views, pausing at RSPB birdwatching observation points to watch the huge number of seabirds that swoop alongside and nest on the cliff faces. Sandwith, pronounced ‘Sannith’, is the first village of note along the route. Grab a pint in the pub here, and then gently retrace your steps to St Bees.

Route Details

• Distance: 8 km/5 miles one way
• Duration: 2 hours
• Difficulty: Easy

The section of the Coast to Coast walk from Grasmere to Patterdale is another classic outing in the Lake District, with the option to tailor the trek to your ability. At its simplest, the most direct route climbs from Grasmere to the heights of the pretty mountain lake of Grisedale Tarn. There is then a steady, straightforward descent of Grisedale Valley with views over Patterdale and Ullswater.

Alternatively, from the tarn, you can choose two high-level routes that summit either the top of Helvellyn – England’s third-highest peak – or scramble over St Sunday Crag, a rugged path offering some spectacular mountain and lake scenes.

If you’re feeling up to it and want to test your mettle, the route over Helvellyn is thrilling, with a vertiginous descent past Red Tarn and along the precipitous Striding Edge ridge to reach Patterdale. On the other side of the valley, the onward path via St Sunday Crag is less treacherous but delivers equally breathtaking vistas. The views back towards Ullswater are reputed to be among the best you’ll see on the Coast to Coast walk.

Once in the quiet village of Patterdale, you can stop here among some of the Lake District’s most magnificent scenery in search of the resident red squirrels. Alternatively, for a longer walk, return to Grasmere. If you choose to do this, perhaps combine the direct descent with the St Sunday Crag climb on the way back.

Route Details (Direct)

• Distance: 13.5 km/8.5 miles
• Duration: 3.5 hours (4.5-5.5 hours for high routes)
• Difficulty: Moderately (Challenging for high routes)

The charming village of Keld sits at the head of Swaledale and once stood at the heart of the local lead-mining industry. From here, the Coast to Coast walk continues via two routes. Wainwright’s original high-level route explores the moors, uncovering their industrial past by visiting smelting mills and ruins, with the opportunity to spot pheasants, grouse and deer on the open heath. In contrast, the low-level route follows the Swaledale Valley and is a scenic walk by the river through farmland with the chance to pause in pleasant villages like Muker, just off the trail, and Gunnerside. Your endpoint is Reeth, the self-styled ‘capital’ of Swaledale and an archetypal Yorkshire Dales village.

Route Details

• Distance: 18.5 km/11.5 miles
• Duration: 4.5 hours
• Difficulty: Easy

The Coast to Coast finishes as it begins, with a stirring clifftop stroll. To get a feel for the elation that comes with completing the route, walk from Whitby with its ruined abbey and Dracula connections to Robin Hood’s Bay. The trail out of Whitby is on the Cleveland Way rather than the Coast to Coast path, but the two come together to curl south along the cliff tops for the last few miles.

There are plenty of places to watch seabirds and soak up the seascapes, while Wainwright’s masterful route planning means that the beautiful tumble of Robin Hood’s Bay is hidden from sight until the very last mile.

When you reach the village, follow the steep street down to the slipway on the North Sea shore, where a small sandy beach is exposed at low tide too. Celebrate with the Coast-to-Coasters who have completed the walk across England and nip into the Bay Hotel just above the slipway for a pint in Wainwright’s Bar – it’s up to you how far you tell them you’ve come!

Route Details

• Distance: 11.5km/7 miles
• Duration: 2.5 hours
• Difficulty: Easy