Hiking Across England aka The Famous Coast to Coast
It was just a few years ago...whoops...many years ago, when ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I walked across England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. This famous walk is known as: The Coast to Coast; Wainwright's Walk; and Hiking Across England. All the same and considered one of "The Great Walks of The World" as well as the "Ultimate Hike in England."
We booked this trip through Wilderness Travel and they are still operating this fantastic trip with a few changes. Many, many tour operators also organize the Coast to Coast: Adventure Center, Mountain Travel Sobek, Distant Journeys, Sherpa Walking Holidays to name a few. You can also arrange this trip as a freedom hiker and contact one of the transport companies to move your bags from place to place along the route.
This "walk" (actually a Rigorous hike and rated "moderate-strenous") was one of the most enjoyable experiences ever. It would definitely be worth a repeat (so little time...so many places to go). Altitude isn't a factor but the long distances, steep ups and downs, rocky surfaces and boggy terrain defined this rating on the 306km/190 mile adventure. This was not a "purist" Coast to Coast by any means. Wilderness eliminated short sections on the road that were boring and/or dangerous.
This was an easy decision to make and book since it incorporated everything we like in a 16-day point-to-point hike. Stays in B&B's or small hotels (nothing like a hot bath after hiking all day), most meals in picturesque pubs and/or restaurants and a chance to make our way across three national parks (along with the historic and literary landscape). Three other plusses: we'd spend 3 nights in Keswick, 2 nights in Kirkby Stephen; several in Pickering; visit Durham on a rest day; and a van would meet the group at the end of each day, transport us to the night's accommodation and shuttle us back the next mroning to continue on.
We needed proper rain gear and gaiters for England's notoriously fickle weather, and the usual walking "stuff" with good boots the most important article.
Manchester Airport was the meeting and departure points for the group. Easy to fly into Manchester or do what we did. Took the 2-hour train from London. A piece of cake. We selected an end of May departure hoping the weather would at least be decent and flew off to London for a few days pre-hike to sightsee and catch some theater...
