Coast to Coast: St Bees to Kirkby Stephen - 8 Days

3.0Based on

Carbon neutral

8 daysDuration

Group TourJoin a group of travelers

20 peopleMaximum group size

18 - 99 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Starts

St Bees, England

Ends

Kirkby Stephen, England

Highlights

Experience a taste of the Coast-to-Coast hike, a UK National Trail

Hike through the fells and dales of the English Lake District

Stay at cosy B&Bs, small hotels & traditional English pubs

Indulge with local Grasmere gingerbread and sticky toffee pudding

Walk the first half of Wainwright's epic trail, from St Bees to Kirkby Stephen

Soak up the spirit of the Coast to Coast in just one week

Itinerary

Follow the Coast to Coast Walk from St Bees towards the historic villages and beautiful landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales. Experience the most dramatic section of Wainwright’s legendary Coast to Coast route on this self-guided walking holiday from the Irish Sea at St Bees to the market town of Kirkby Stephen. The western half of the trail showcases some of the most spectacular scenery in northern England, taking you across the rugged heart of the Lake District National Park and into the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.
If you're short on time, new to long-distance walking, or prefer to explore the route in manageable stages, this itinerary is an ideal way to sample the best-loved landscapes of the Coast to Coast. It’s also perfect for hikers who simply want the thrill of crossing the Lake District on foot, experiencing the quiet valleys, shimmering lakes, towering peaks and traditional fellside villages. You’ll start your journey by dipping your boots in the Irish Sea at St Bees, then head east with the prevailing wind at your back. The route leads through dramatic valleys such as Ennerdale, Borrowdale, and Patterdale, with the chance to take optional high-level detours to iconic Lakeland summits like Helvellyn. As the Lake District fells give way to the gentler landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales, your walk concludes in Kirkby Stephen, a charming town with rail links and a great place to relax after an inspiring week on the trail.
Looking to take things at a gentler pace? Our 9-day version of this trip (trip code WSK) breaks up the longer stage between Shap and Kirkby Stephen, offering a more relaxed alternative.
Scroll down to explore all our Coast to Coast walking options.

day 1 - Arrive St Bees

Make your own way to the starting point, the resort of St Bees on the edge of the Irish Sea where you'll have views across to the Isle of Man. In St Bees you should have time to visit the Abbey church, which has features on the local history and a display on a mummified knight that was discovered in a lead coffin from the graveyard. If you have booked with us an extra night here, you can follow the coastal path or quiet inland roads to the attractive town of Whitehaven, with its marina and great museum. Whitehaven is famous in the annals of the US navy as the site of an elaborate raid on the British mainland by one John Paul Jones during the American War of Independence.

Accommodation: A family-run bed and breakfast in a large modernised Georgian farmhouse in the centre of St Bees.

day 2 - St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge 23.5 km/14.5 miles, 6 h

Take the first steps on this first half of the epic Coast to Coast walk when you climb from the beach at St Bees. Take a footpath along red sandstone coastal cliffs off St Bees Head with England’s only breeding colony of Black Guillimots (until July), then head inland over hilly ground to the edge of the Lake District National Park. Dent Hill is the first real fell that you cross and will give you some indication as to whether you are fit enough for the following days! Although short, there follows possibly the steepest descent of the whole tour down to Nannycatch Gate and Beck. A delightful stroll along which brings you to the final descent to leafy Ennerdale Bridge. // The day’s total ascent 780m / descent 665m. Accommodation: Overnight at a friendly pub. Enjoy a home cooked meal of local produce including fish and game in season. A traditional feel is retained by the hotel, with its open fire, and the fully licensed bar serves a range of beverages including locally produced ale.

If we are unable to book you into Ennerdale then we will secure accommodation for you at Cleator with a return taxi transfer that we will put in place for you (own expense).

Meals:Breakfast

day 3 - Ennerdale Bridge to Borrowdale 26.5 km/16.5 miles, 7 h

Follow a quiet and scenic footpath along the shore of Ennerdale Water, with a bit of an easy scramble under Angler’s Crag at Robin Hood’s Seat. A long walk on a forest track then continues to Black Sail Hut, which is the smallest youth hostel and originally a shepherd’s hut.

A steep climb follows up the Lowther Beck before traversing some of the Lakeland fells, perhaps with views down to Buttermere. Finally you reach the ‘drum house’, which marks the descent path to the Honister Slate Mine workings & cafe and Borrowdale. This is perhaps the most delightful valley in the Lakes with its crags and broadleaved trees. Borrowdale is a delightful ensemble of hamlets: Seatoller (close to the wettest place in England), Longthwaite, Rosthwaite and Stonethwaite. Delightful riverside paths connect these places and their pubs together - if you have sufficient energy left for the evening. You might be interested to know that ‘thwaite’ is old Norse for paddock. // The day’s total ascent 765m / descent 785m.

Accommodation: Your hotel tonight is located in the Borrowdale Valley near the hamlet of Seatoller. It has striking views over the local fells.

Meals:Breakfast

day 4 - Borrowdale to Grasmere 13.5 km/8.5 miles, 5 h

Enjoy classic Lakeland scenery over Greenup Edge to Easedale and Grasmere. Its a stiff 500m climb up to the edge via Lining Crag where you may get great views back down into Borrowdale. The once boggy trail over the pass has been improved with the laying down of hundreds of Flagstones. After the pass the trail becomes rough and descends steeply into the flower meadows on the outskirts of Grasmere. There is also a good weather variant to Helm Crag which has good views directly over the town.

Grasmere is one of Lakeland’s most celebrated villages and you might have time either this afternoon or tomorrow morning to visit the poet Wordsworth's home at Dove Cottage and drop into the famous Ginger bread shop! // The day’s total ascent 750m / descent 760m.

Accommodation: We use a number of different accommodation in the busy village of Grasmere.

Meals:Breakfast

day 5 - Grasmere to Glenridding 12 km/7.5 miles, 5.5 h standard route

A great walk over Grisedale Pass (609m/2000ft) and around the small mountain lake of Grisedale Tarn to Patterdale. In good weather and if you are a reasonably strong walker, we recommend that you take the detour route up St Sunday Crag (add 1½ hours). It will give some exceptional views down across Ullswater on the descend to Patterdale, possibly the most breathtaking of the entire Coast to Coast walk. Another detour option is via the summit of Helvellyn, for this add 2 miles and 2 hours. // The day’s total ascent: 900m / descent 805m (via the optional route over St Sunday Crag, less if you avoid this). Accommodation: Tonight’s accommodation is a family-run guesthouse. It is located in the centre of Glenridding alongside Glenridding Beck, situated at the southern top of Ullswater - the second largest lake in the Lake District.

Meals:Breakfast

day 6 - Glenridding to Shap 26 km/16 miles, 7-9 h

After completing today's walk, some would say this was the most difficult stage on the Coast to Coast walk.

The day starts with a steep climb up past pretty Angle Tarn. You'll then hike up and onwards to a critical cairn where you turn off the route avoiding High Street fell. It will take you up and over Kidsty Pike (780m / 2560ft), the highest point on the Coast to Coast, and then descend steeply to walk along Haweswater. This is a huge body of water that was conceived in 1929 to supply Manchester with drinking water, drowning a couple of villages in the process. You then undulate through fields to Shap Abbey, the most easterly point of the Lake District National Park. This was the last abbey to be founded in England (1199) and the last to be destroyed (1540). It nevertheless is a pretty place to take a break with some new interpretation signs. After this, you continue into Shap, the old granite mining town with several pubs and shops. The village offers an interesting insight to the history of the area. // The day’s total ascent 1174m / descent 1009m.

Accommodation: We use a range of accommodation in the village from B&B's, Guesthouses and Pubs.

Meals:Breakfast

day 7 - Shap to Kirkby Stephen 33 km/20.5 miles, 8 h

From Shap there follows a hilly section across limestone moors with limestone pavements in places strewn with ‘erratic’ boulders moved there by glaciers. Finally you drop into the gentler climes around Orton, a diversion of about a mile can be made to this quaint picturesque village - with Kennedy’s Chocolate Factory & Shop to lead you into temptation. Walking now between Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales, there is a lot of attractive farmland to cross with a section of moors around Sunbiggin Tarn, which is an important site for birds. A steep descent to the Scandal Beck at Smardale Bridge makes for a nice late lunch stop. Then ascend over Smardale Fell for the pretty descent into Kirkby Stephen. It is an attractive market town, with St. Hedda’s Church, containing the 8th Century Loki stone relating to Norse Mythology. // The day’s total ascent 808m / descent 950m.

Accommodation: This is a fine looking guesthouse and the interior retains many of the delightful and original features. It has a friendly relaxed atmosphere.

Meals:Breakfast

day 8 - Arrangements end after breakfast

Your Coast to Coast walking experience concludes after breakfast.

Meals:Breakfast

Coast to Coast: St Bees to Kirkby Stephen - 8 Days

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What's Included

Accommodation

7 nights B&B accommodation on a twin share basis usually with private facilities

Meals

7 breakfasts

Others

One piece of luggage per person transferred from Inn to Inn, not exceeding 20kgDigital information pack including Navigational App, maps and route notesEmergency hotline

What's Excluded

Customer Reviews

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