Our Walk Across England

The idea of walking across an entire country – crossing from one coast to the other – was a magnet to me, pulling me to read Alfred Wainwright’s guidebook, A Walk Across England. With more than 40 hiking books to his credit, Wainwright was the country’s preeminent fell walker, “fell” referring to elevated, untamed ground. Also, while we say “hike,” the English say “walk” or “ramble.” After years of rambling through the English countryside, Wainwright curated a walk in 1973 based on the scenery he found most appealing. His path became one of the most popular long distance hiking trails in the United Kingdom, and attracts about 6,000 people every year.

Wainwright’s signature trek, known simply as the “Coast to Coast,” stretches across Northern England from the shores of the Irish Sea on the west coast, to the North Sea on the east. The walking path traverses three national parks at just under 200 miles long. With two weeks vacation time, my wife Ann and I set out to experience this lovely swath of England.

Our adventure began in the west, at the small town of Saint Bees. Overlooking the rolling waves of the Irish Sea, Ann and I walked down to the shore and dipped the soles of our hiking boots in the water – a ritual associated with the beginning of the Coast to Coast. Our hope was to dip them in the waters of the North Sea at the end of our walk.

We traveled light by taking advantage of a “baggage service,” allowing us to just shoulder rucksacks. For a small fee, our larger bags were picked up in the morning and delivered to the next stop each day. Initially, we were hesitant to use a baggage service (we’re hiking purists, I suppose) but in the end we were glad we did. In fact, we found it to be the norm on the Coast to Coast trail.

The trail began as a beach walk, but quickly ascended the rust-colored sandstone bluffs of Saint Bees Head, eventually rising to a flattened tabletop carpeted in green. On the way up, we enjoyed commanding views of the shoreline. Ann and I then turned inland, making our way through sheep pasture gates and past a lighthouse. The landscape was charming, pastoral, and remote; we practically had the trail to ourselves.

Wainwright chose his route based on scenic beauty, not on the uniformity of the trails. The Coast to Coast is a conglomeration of hiking paths, rock scrambles, bridleways, fenced sheep pastures, open fields, and the occasional country road: all granted public right-of-way. Turns and twists in the footpath might be marked by a weathered wooden sign post – clearly visible – but other times more discreetly by a hand-drawn message on a flat rock or the side of a barn (sometimes as simple as “C2C” with an arrow). Ann and I weren’t always sure we were on the trail, but the ambiguity added to our sense of adventure and exploration.

The Coast to Coast is mapped out in twelve day-long stages by Wainwright. We gave ourselves a little more time with two weeks, averaging twelve to fifteen miles a day depending on terrain and elevation gain. Our shortest leg was nine miles, our longest twenty-three. All but one of the stages ended near overnight accommodations. Wainwright purposely avoided cities when mapping out this route, which meant Ann and I usually lodged at small inns, bed-and-breakfasts, or pubs that had upstairs rooms. These places welcomed hikers, usually offering a packed lunch to purchase at check out. Because these were “small town” accommodations, it was easy for us to make connections with local folks. Doing this made us feel we were seeing more of the “real England” beyond what we experienced in London.

And, of course, we got to know other hikers. After two or three days on the trail, Ann and I had trekked enough miles to recognize familiar faces. We would stop to rest and have someone pass us, only to pass them further down the trail when they took a break. Sharing a common goal, a nodding acquaintance developed, and it wasn’t long before Ann and I looked forward to wrapping up a day’s march at the local pub with our new fellow-hiker friends, where we’d compare hiking stories over a pint in front of the fireplace.

We met two British men well into their sixties, Army buddies, they told me. There was an Australian couple who, like us, got into long-distance scenic walking as a retirement activity. We got to know three women from Virginia who met one another in college as sorority sisters and stayed in touch. And there were three English brothers, now living in different parts of the country, who were doing the walk to spend more time together. “And we’re still talking to one another,” the oldest brother said. “Well, so far,” the youngest brother added with a grin.

Over the next couple days, we traversed hilly terrain, climbing the main watershed of England, which breaks east and west. With lots of ascents and descents, we knew we were in the heart of the Lake District, the most challenging section of the hike, and the first of three national parks we would cross. The views of steep rocky trails and pristine mountain lakes (“tarns”) were breathtaking. Ann and I approached Kidsty Pike, the demanding ascent leading to the highest point of the route (2,560 feet), and from that point began our descent into the Dales.

The Yorkshire Dales – our second national park – was characterized by undulating green hills and farmland, a welcome relief for our stiff hiking legs. Ann and I crossed a limestone plateau on our way to Kirkby Stephen as we recalled the land’s literary connections (lovingly described by James Herriot), and talked about the quaint village names (Danby Wiske), making our way to Swaledale and the northern end of the Vale of Mowbray.

We stopped in the market town of Richmond (with a population of 8,000 people, the closest we ever got to a “city” on the walk) and toured Richmond Castle, which overlooks the River Swale. From there we hiked into the North York Moors National Park area.

The food on the trail was hearty, down-home fare. B&Bs tended to be large affairs, usually consisting of eggs, “rashers” (slices of bacon or ham), baked beans, stewed tomatoes, black pudding (blood sausage), tea and toast. In the evenings, Ann and I found the pub food inviting: shepherd’s pie, Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips, and bangers and mash. To me the Moors had a moody quality: long, rolling stretches of land covered in low growing, deep purple heather. Or maybe it was the literary connection again, this time to “Wuthering Heights” and “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” The territory felt wild and unyielding.

The next few days saw us heading toward the rocky coastline and, eventually, the trail’s end at Robin Hood’s Bay. The town of the same name, a picturesque fishing village overlooking the North Sea, is where we walked to the shoreline and triumphantly dipped our hiking boots, completing our trek.

The custom is to have a celebratory drink at the Bay Hotel. Built in 1828, the hotel is situated atop a slipway overlooking the bay, serving as the traditional terminus of the trail. You’ll find the Wainwright Bar on the first floor, and can order a beer named in his honor.

We entered the crowded, noisy bar and were immediately greeted by the three British brothers, who pointed and hollered, “They made it!” The brothers then motioned us over, adding, “We saved seats for you.”

Shouldering our way to our seats, pints in hand, Ann and I waved to the Australian couple, saluted the two British Army buddies, and sat across from the three American women from Virginia. Ann and I surveyed the smiling, now familiar faces, all of us clearly pleased in our achievement.

One of the women from Virginia leaned over to Ann and said, “We’re sitting in a small-town pub in England, and I know more people here than I would in a bar back home!”

So, you really can walk across an entire country while experiencing beautifully changing landscapes. For us, the path was sometimes challenging but always rewarding. If you decide to take on this iconic hike, you’ll find navigation a little easier: the British government recently declared Wainwright’s Coast to Coast a “National Trail,” which means they are upgrading the path and installing standardized, uniform signage scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.

Although this is a popular trail, there were many times Ann and I surveyed the magnificent scenery before us and didn’t see another soul. We both highly recommend that anyone take this unforgettable challenge, experience three of Northern England’s wonderful National Parks, and enjoy one of the most spectacular hiking adventures in Great Britain.   X