On foot | Stage by stage | United Kingdom

Coast to Coast — St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay

300 km across England sea to sea — Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors in two weeks.

300 kmTotal distance
8,000 mTotal climbing
14 daysStages on foot
21 kmAverage per day

Wainwright's Coast to Coast crosses three national parks. It is not fully waymarked end to end, so your GPX and your bookings matter more than on the Camino.

Groups usually split in the Lake District — the first three stages hold almost half of the climbing. With mixed abilities, plan short days early and long days on the moors.

It is a perfect fit for the Keago engine — a different B&B every night, baggage transfer booked stage by stage, and a train home from Whitby you must book before leaving.

Stage simulator

How many km and how many days?

The full route is 300 km and about 14 days. Enter any km and days: if you are not doing it in one go, split it into several trips.

14 days, 300.1 km and 8001 m of climbing: about 21.4 km a day and 13 nights on the way.

  1. St Bees → Ennerdale Bridge24 km · 967 m D+Sleep: Ennerdale Bridge · Eat: Pubs in Rosthwaite and Grasmere
  2. Ennerdale Bridge → Borrowdale24 km · 967 m D+Sleep: Borrowdale
  3. Borrowdale → Patterdale24 km · 967 m D+Sleep: Patterdale
  4. Patterdale → Shap26.5 km · 750 m D+Sleep: Shap · Eat: Bampton
  5. Shap → Kirkby Stephen26.5 km · 750 m D+Sleep: Kirkby Stephen
  6. Kirkby Stephen → Keld18.3 km · 400 m D+Sleep: Keld · Eat: Muker
  7. Keld → Reeth18.3 km · 400 m D+Sleep: Reeth
  8. Reeth → Richmond18.3 km · 400 m D+Sleep: Richmond
  9. Richmond → Danby Wiske18.5 km · 200 m D+Sleep: Danby Wiske · Eat: Farmland stretch — carry your lunch
  10. Danby Wiske → Ingleby Cross18.5 km · 200 m D+Sleep: Ingleby Cross
  11. Ingleby Cross → Clay Bank20.8 km · 500 m D+Sleep: Clay Bank · Eat: Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge
  12. Clay Bank → Blakey Ridge20.8 km · 500 m D+Sleep: Blakey Ridge
  13. Blakey Ridge → Grosmont20.8 km · 500 m D+Sleep: Grosmont
  14. Grosmont → Robin Hood's Bay20.8 km · 500 m D+Sleep: Robin Hood's Bay

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Stages and sections

Approximate distances and climbing. Every guidebook and GPX varies by a few kilometres.

SectionKmD+DaysSleepEat
St Bees - Patterdale72 km2,900 m3Ennerdale Bridge, Borrowdale, PatterdalePubs in Rosthwaite and Grasmere
Patterdale - Kirkby Stephen53 km1,500 m2Shap, Kirkby StephenBampton, Orton (cheese and coffee)
Kirkby Stephen - Richmond55 km1,200 m3Keld, Reeth, RichmondMuker, Gunnerside
Richmond - Ingleby Cross37 km400 m2Danby Wiske, Ingleby CrossFarmland stretch — carry your lunch
Ingleby Cross - Robin Hood's Bay83 km2,000 m4Clay Bank, Blakey Ridge, GrosmontLion Inn at Blakey Ridge, Littlebeck
Stops along the route6

Four facts per village — what is worth a stop, where to sleep, where to eat and the practical warning.

St BeesSee — Red cliffs on the Irish Sea
Sleep — Ennerdale Bridge, Borrowdale, Patterdale
Eat — Pubs in Rosthwaite and Grasmere
Good to know — Take your pebble to the far coast
See on the map
Patterdale · km 72See — Ullswater and Helvellyn ridge
Sleep — Shap, Kirkby Stephen
Eat — Bampton, Orton (cheese and coffee)
Good to know — Campsite and pub, little else
See on the map
Kirkby Stephen · km 125See — Loki stone church and the river Eden
Sleep — Keld, Reeth, Richmond
Eat — Muker, Gunnerside
Good to know — Station on the Settle–Carlisle line
See on the map
Richmond · km 180See — Norman castle and Georgian theatre
Sleep — Danby Wiske, Ingleby Cross
Eat — Farmland stretch — carry your lunch
Good to know — Best place for a rest day
See on the map
Ingleby Cross · km 217See — Gateway to the North York Moors
Sleep — Clay Bank, Blakey Ridge, Grosmont
Eat — Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge, Littlebeck
Good to know — Tiny village — dinner at the pub
See on the map
Robin Hood's Bay · km 300See — Alleys down to the sea and fossils
Sleep — Clay Bank, Blakey Ridge, Grosmont
Eat — Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge, Littlebeck
Good to know — Bus to Whitby for the train
See on the map

Daily distance by level

Relaxed16 days, 19 km a day, rest days in Grasmere and Richmond.
Classic14 days, 21-23 km a day.
Strong12 days with 30 km moorland stages.
By gravel bike6 days on the rideable variant, skipping the alpine passes.

Travel and paperwork

Getting thereTrain to Carlisle or Whitehaven, local service to St Bees.
Getting backBus from Robin Hood's Bay to Whitby, train to Middlesbrough.
BagsBaggage transfer services are booked per stage.
BedsIn July and August B&Bs fill six months ahead.

Season — May to September. In April and October the moors are boggy and daylight is short.

Kit and packing list

Copy this list into the plan as cards and a checklist, and split shared kit across the group.

WaterproofsProper jacket and trousers — it rains in every month.
FootwearMid boots with membrane, plus gaiters for the moors.
NavigationGPX on two devices — fog and unmarked sections.
Pack20-25 l with baggage transfer, 45 l if you carry everything.

Food, water and self-sufficiency

ResupplySome stages have a single pub — check closing days.
WaterRefill in villages; filter anything from the moors.
Packed lunchB&Bs prepare one if you ask the night before.

Indicative budget

Bed and breakfast£70-110 per person per night.
Food£30-40 a day with a pub dinner.
Baggage transfer£12-16 per bag per stage.
14-day total£1,500-2,000 per person excluding flights.

Reference prices to work out what the route costs before you go.

Paperwork, insurance and permits

EntryPassport or ID depending on nationality; check before booking.
InsuranceTravel cover including mountain rescue.
BookingsKeep every B&B confirmation in the plan, with phone numbers.

Keep it in your calendar

Once you build this route as a plan, every stage is a card with time, duration and place. From the plan link anyone can download the calendar (.ics) or add it to Google Calendar and Outlook, with reminders before each day and before payment or confirmation deadlines.

What to lock before you leave

Frequently asked questions

How long is Coast to Coast — St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay?300 km in total, with around 8,000 m of climbing.
How many days does it take?14 days on foot (21 km average per stage); 6 days by bike (50 km average per stage).
Where do people usually sleep?The usual overnight points are Ennerdale Bridge, Borrowdale, Patterdale, Shap, Kirkby Stephen, Keld, Reeth, Richmond, Danby Wiske, Ingleby Cross. The stage table lists them section by section.
How many kilometres a day should I plan?Relaxed: 16 days, 19 km a day, rest days in Grasmere and Richmond. Classic: 14 days, 21-23 km a day. Strong: 12 days with 30 km moorland stages. By gravel bike: 6 days on the rideable variant, skipping the alpine passes.
When is the best time to go?May to September. In April and October the moors are boggy and daylight is short.

In Keago this route becomes a plan — one card per stage with time and duration, the daily track, each night's accommodation with link and location, the meals, and both travel tickets where the whole group can see them. Everyone confirms and you know who is missing.

Create your account and keep building your Coast to Coast — St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay plan.

It is free and takes a minute.

  • Save the plan and pick up where you left off
  • Carry it on your phone, map and times included
  • Send it to your group with one link
  • Download the itinerary and the calendar
Create my accountI already have an account