INTRODUCTION - A Northern Coast to Coast Walk: From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay - page 1

INTRODUCTION
Credit where credit is due: when in 1973 Wainwright devised his Coast to
Coast Walk across Northern England, it was a masterpiece of inspiration,
a touch of genius - if not of concept, then of line - and it would be difficult
if not impossible to link the two chosen ends by a more satisfying route.
It is a tantalising and inspiring excursion, to rank with the finest of this
country's long-distance walks. The man himself said it was but one coast
to coast walk - that walkers could devise their own. Maybe so, but as a
tribute to its quality its enthusiasts grow by the year, while 'alternatives'
remain pale and few in comparison.
The walk runs as close to ruler-straight as Wainwright could devise, from
the Irish Sea lapping the shores of Cumbria at St Bees, to where the wa-
ters of the North Sea flow into Robin Hood's Bay on the Yorkshire Coast, a
distance of just over 300km (190 miles). It's certainly not a walk on which
to cut one's teeth as a backpacker (the Dales Way or even the West High-
land Way would be much more fitting for that), but one on which seasoned
walkers will experience little difficulty.
Heading up Stonethwaite (Rosthwaite to Grasmere section)
INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRD EDITION
The route was revisited in its entirety during 2005, and where necessary
amendments made to the route description and some of the background
notes. The whole topic has been rewritten, with more than 50 per cent
new or revised material, but if my original text is still valid it has been left
intact.
This version of Wainwright's walk sticks very closely to the original line,
with a few minor tweaks, and accommodating changes that have become