This classic long distance walk was devised by Alfred Wainwright in 1972. It is a classic and quite rightly has become one of the most popular long distance walks in the British isles. There are a number of reasons for this. First, the walk has distinct starting and finishing points as it starts on the west coast of Northern England and finishes on the east coast of Northern England. Hence the obvious title 'Coast to Coast'. Secondly, the walk makes its way through three of the finest national parks in the country, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. All three parks are distinctly different. The Lake District is rocky with the highest hills and largest lakes in England. The Yorkshire Dales are covered in a mixture of limestone and gritstone with challenging hills of its own albeit on the scale of the Lake District. The North York Moors are predominantly heather moorland with rolling hills with dales of lush greenery.
The Coast to Coast is about 190 miles long depending on the variations chosen on some of the legs. It is designed to be walked in 12-14 days. Accommodation on the walk is readily available as the popularity of the walk has encouraged the growth of guest houses, bed and breakfast, bunk houses and camping facilities along the route. I think it is a fantastic walk, so much so that I have done it twice, the first time from east to west and then again five years later from west to east. If you are going to do one long distance walk and you have not decided which to do then I recommend you choose this one. It will give you the drive to do others.