After doing the Pennine Way, and seeing the increasing popularity of long distance walking routes, Wainwright decided he could do better. And so he set off creating the Coast to Coast.
Since he published his book A Coast To Coast Walk thousands of people have walked his route. All that, despite it having no official or legal status.
In the summer of 2010 we joined them.
Read about my journey in book format. Available in paperback, and for Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Kobo, Nook, Google Play and more.
Published 22 August 2010
There are ways to begin a long distance walk. Things that must be done. It’s compulsory. It’s written in the rules.
Published 23 August 2010
Setting off on Wainwright’s mighty Coast to Coast walk
Published 25 August 2010
It’s day two walking Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, travelling along Ennerdale Water, up over Honister and down the beautiful valley of Borrowdale.
Published 27 August 2010
It’s time to traverse from Borrowdale to Patterdale in some of the worst weather conditions you can think of. Bar snow.
Published 30 August 2010
There’s yet more rain as we head off to the edge of the Lake District and a fantastic pub in Bampton.
Published 1 September 2010
The rains have gone and there’s an Abbey to look at too. Oh and the Pennines in the distance. Finally the Coast to Coast started behaving like a walker would actually want it to behave…
Published 3 September 2010
Oh for good weather… Oh, we got it! Yay for good weather as we head to the beautiful Eden Valley and the delightful Kirkby Stephen.
Published 6 September 2010
It’s our seventh day on the Coast to Coast and after visiting some cairns, being unimpressed by bog and walking through fog, we reach the half way point.
Published 6 October 2010
Striding through the Yorkshire Dales it’s time for a dose of lead mining history
Published 8 October 2010
Our Coast to Coast adventure continues as we head through the fields to the chip fuelled town of Richmond and beyond.
Published 11 October 2010
Over farmland do we go as we traverse the rather flat landscape just before the North York Moors.
Published 13 October 2010
Leaving the fields behind it’s time to get out on to the moorland for a day of panoramic views and ridge walking.
Published 15 October 2010
It’s off to the pub as Wainwright takes us ridge walking and down an old railway to the isolated Lion Inn.
Published 18 October 2010
It’s the penultimate day as we walk over more moorland and head to a village in a timewarp and a ride on a steam train.
Published 20 October 2010
And after two weeks on the road we finally arrive at the other side of the country and a celebratory pint at Robin Hood’s Bay.
Published 22 October 2010
Wainwright’s classic walk across the north of England needs a fair amount of planning, especially if you’re going to do it all in one go. Get all the useful information you need to plan your trip in this handy guide.
Published 11 November 2012
Who cares about monuments, signs and plaques when you can have a pint?
Published 18 December 2013
Splish splash! TIme to wet those boots at the start of the Coast to Coast walk.
Published 23 December 2013
They say that steam trains and walking go hand in hand. Quite who “they” are, I have absolutely no idea. But say it they do.
Published 5 July 2020
Is it a monument? A wall? Or a very well built thing extremely over-engineered for the purposes of putting a sign on?
Published 25 June 2023
In 2025 we’ll be getting a new National Trail. But how long have the others been around?
Published 7 July 2019
Every now and then, someone emails me to ask which walk they should do. Now there’s an open ended question, I think, because it totally depends on who you are and what you like. And if you fall into one these categories, you’ll find your answer here! And if you don’t fall into one of these categories, you might not.
Published 12 October 2016
There’s a campaign to upgrade the Coast to Coast to National Trail status, and it probably can’t come too soon.
Published 19 March 2014
Sat in the middle of nowhere on the North York Moors, arriving at the Lion Inn is a cracking way to end your day of walking.
Published 11 November 2012
Who cares about monuments, signs and plaques when you can have a pint?
Published 10 May 2012
I recently had an email that posed me an interesting question. They were hoping to do a long distance walk in 2013 but weren’t sure which to do.