Walking in the North York Moors

‘Surely there cannot be a finer itinerary for a long-distance walk! … The countryside traversed is beautiful almost everywhere, yet extremely varied in character, with mountains and hills, valleys and rivers, heather moors and sea-cliffs combining in a pageant of colourful scenery.’

This is Alfred Wainwright's introduction to his book, A Coast to Coast Walk, published in 1973. Since uttering those words, thousands of walkers have taken his advice and walked the route which he made famous. His original guide followed the style of his earlier series of books entitled "A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells", which he wrote over 13 years from 1952. It included recommendations on how to break up the walk alongside a series of beautiful illustrations. 

But who is Alfred Wainwright? Originally qualified as an accountant, Wainwright visited the Lake District for the first time in 1930, and climbed to the summit of Orrest Head, about which he said "those few hours cast a spell which changed my life". He later fulfilled his dream of moving to the Lake District and began his literary career, starting with his pictorial guides. He was a passionate man who cared deeply about fell-walking. 

Today the Wainwright Society are responsible for the maintenance of the Coast to Coast route, and aim to keep Wainwright's passion alive. Wainwright's ashes are also scattered at Haystacks, a highlight of the Coast to Coast route whilst walking from Ennerdale to Rosthwaite. 

Macs Adventure has been running self guided walking holidays on the Coast to Coast since 2005.  Having spent a long time walking in the Lake District, the Coast to Coast was a route we already knew well personally and as soon as we started to expand our trips into England, it was one of the first we put together. 

We now send over 500 walkers along the Coast to Coast every year, each of them finding their own adventure on this multifaceted route. We wanted to provide the freedom to choose your route, itinerary and travel companions and to take the Coast to Coast at your own pace, safe in the knowledge that there was someone who had your back the whole way. 

We know how daunting it can be, setting off on an adventure of this scale and we work hard to ensure we are using the best, friendliest accommodation providers and the speediest, most reliable baggage transfers along the route. We might have to do a lot of visiting and tea drinking to achieve this, but someone has to do it! 

We offer a flexible Coast to Coast experience that gets you in comfortable, friendly overnight accommodation in local B&Bs and guesthouses. We carry your bags to lighten your load so you can concentrate on simply putting one foot in front of the other and enjoying the outstanding scenery, local cuisine and friendly people on the Coast to Coast. 

We want to showcase our expertise, by giving you all the resources you will ever need.  In the planning stage, we have free guides, comprehensive videos and a host of staff with their own Coast to Coast experience, waiting to answer your questions. On the route, we use high-quality digital mapping and provide comprehensive turn-by-turn route notes to ensure you will have no problem finding your way.

We love the Coast to Coast and our main aim is to make sure that you do too!

Our Product Manager, Laura, is a huge fan of the Coast to Coast walk, with it being one of the first walks she took with Macs when she first started. Here she gives her top tips to make the experience as enjoyable as possible!

Take a Break - I recommend that you incorporate at least a couple of rest days into your walk. Grasmere, Kirkby Stephen or Richmond are great places to break up the walk, and they are also really attractive places with plenty to see and do.  This really helps to re-charge those batteries and give you a new lease of life!

Take your time - You will enjoy the route much more if you don’t push yourself too much, and it gives you more time to take in the beautiful scenery along the way! We offer Coast to Coast itineraries up to 18 days long but will happily tailor-make an itinerary for you if you require something longer.

Make sure you have the right gear - Take a look at our Coast to Coast equipment blog for more details – as this can make a big difference to how enjoyable you find the walk.  In particular, we recommend having a pair of gaiters for those tricky boggy bits and a good pair of walking poles for those gnarly descents.

Sheep's Wool or Vaseline for the feet! - The lovely Margaret from Brookside Guesthouse at Shap left me a little present of sheep's wool in my bag when I left there advising me to line my socks with it to stop the blisters - and it worked! That or rubbing vaseline into your feet can help stop those pesky blisters forming which can certainly ruin a good trip!

Meet the locals. - Quite often the B&B owners and locals are the best people to speak to about ideas for alternative routes, places to see, lunch stops etc. This local knowledge can really help make your walk go as smoothly as possible. 

Q: How far in advance do I need to book?

A: We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as Wainwright’s Coast to Coast is extremely popular, especially over April/May and September. You will find up to date availability on our website, and we will always try and accommodate your plans.

Q: Which itinerary should I take?  

A: We offer several different itineraries so that all levels of walkers can tackle this mighty trail. So, basically, the answer is, it depends on your level of fitness. However, you can read a far more extensive response to this particular question on our blog post- How many days to walk the Coast to Coast.

Q: When is the best time of year to walk the Coast to Coast?

A: Traditionally April/May has always been the most popular time of year because the theory goes that the weather is better. This said any time between late March and October offers a beautiful experience.

Q: Can I park my car and go back for it? 

A: There is very limited parking in Kirkby Stephen and St Bees, so it can be tough to find appropriate space to leave it for the duration of your walk. We would recommend taking public transport, however, you can see a more comprehensive answer and details about public transport by checking out our Coast to Coast travel guide blog. 

Thinking of walking the Coast to Coast? There is a lot to plan for a trip this length and sometimes it is difficult to know where to start. 

Luckily it is Macs Adventure to the rescue! Simply download our Free 14-page Coast to Coast guide from the link below to read on your phone, tablet or good old printed page.  

Download your Free Coast to Coast Guide