coast to coast /

Coast to Coast
National Trail
Campaign

The Wainwright Coast to Coast Challenge

As part of the Wainwright Society’s initiative to have the Coast to Coast walk’s status elevated to that of a National Trail the Society is planning a project which will require significant participation by members.

It is proposed that the entire 192 miles of the route shall be surveyed by teams consisting of say about 5 members and the results of that survey will be compiled into book form for sale to members and others and a copy of which will be presented to the Minister for Rural Affairs (who is responsible for National Trails etc) in conjunction with the petition now being collected to this end.

For convenience the route has been divided into 38 No 5 mile sections (the two nearest to the Robin Hood’s Bay end will be 6 miles) and teams will be asked to walk the route both from West to East and also from East to West. The requirements of the survey will be specified and a pro-forma report format will be provided before teams set to work but will include information on access, footpath signing, conditions etc. Where access is now legally denied, alternative routes may be suggested as also will be the case for the lengthy sections which use public roads. These latter were much less used in the 1970’s when AW devised this outstanding walk. There will be no attempt to rewrite the original guide book but if the current publisher of Wainwright titles were to undertake a revision, along the lines of the Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, then the Society will make the information which it will have gathered, available to them.

Team Leaders [apply to be a team leader]

The first step in this project will be to invite and select team leaders from amongst the membership. We are looking for persons with leadership skills and teamwork experience as there will be a number of angles to be covered by the survey and if it is to be completed in a short time then the work will be more than can be achieved by a solo operator. Non-members may apply but will be required to join the Society before they can be selected. When team leaders are selected their personal details, ‘phone, email, address etc will be circulated to all members who will be invited to volunteer for a particular section or sections.

Timescale

• It is intended to select team leaders by the end of February
• Teams will be formed and work commence by the end of March
• Surveys must be completed and reports presented by the end of July
• The reports will be compiled into a book, to be edited by Eric Robson, and printed by the end of September.

Route and Sections
The route as devised by AW in 1972 and updated by him in 1981 has been extracted, with the permission of Frances Lincoln, from the A Coast to Coast Walk and stitched together to form the 192 miles of its length and then subdivided into 5 mile sections. Mile markers have been adjusted to allow for the extra two miles over and above the original 190 mile long route. These sections are shown below and the 38 maps are also available by clicking on the icon adjacent to the sections.

Report Writing and Communication
Whilst it may be appropriate to select a Team Leader who does not, personally, have access to or use of a computer connected to the internet, it will be essential that a member or members of the team can provide such a facility and be the point of contact.

The table below sets out the starting and finishing points of each of the 38 sections covering the 190 miles of the route as described by Alfred Wainwright in 1972 and later amended in 1981 bringing the total distance to 192 miles.  For convenience the route is described from West to East.

Section	Miles	From	Grid Ref	Miles	To	Grid Ref	Map click
1	0	St. Bees	NY 961117	5	Lane Head, Sandwith	NY 969147
2	5	Lane Head, Sandwith	NY 969147	10	Blackhow Wood	NY 030133
3	10	Blackhow Wood	NY 030133	15	Gauge House Weir	NY 083156
4	15	Gauge House Weir	NY 083156	20	Gillerthwaite forest road	NY 150141
5	20	Gillerthwaite forest road	NY 150141	25	Drum House ruin	NY 216134
6	25	Drum House ruin	NY 216134	30	Stonethwaite Beck	NY 268134
7	30	Stonethwaite Beck	NY 268134	35	Gibson Knott	NY 317100
8	35	Gibson Knott	NY 317100	40	Great Tongue – Simon’s Seat	NY 340100
9	40	Great Tongue – Simon’s Seat	NY 340100	45	Grisedale – Braesteads	NY 375152
10	45	Grisedale – Braesteads	NY 375152	50	Satura Crag	NY 431131
11	50	Satura Crag	NY 431131	55	Haweswater	NY 477141
12	55	Haweswater	NY 477141	60	Rayside – Packhorse Bridge	NY 535161
13	60	Rayside – Packhorse Bridge	NY 535161	65	Oddendale	NY 593113
14	65	Oddendale	NY 593113	70	Orton Scar	NY 623095
15	70	Orton Scar	NY 623095	75	Tarn Moor	NY 656075
16	75	Tarn Moor	NY 656075	80	Smardale Bridge	NY 722060
17	80	Smardale Bridge	NY 722060	85	Hartley – Kirby Stephen	NY 793085
18	85	Hartley – Kirby Stephen	NY 793085	90	Nine Standards Rigg	NY 836060
19	90	Nine Standards Rigg	NY 836060	95	How Edge Scars	NY 827020
20	95	How Edge Scars	NY 827020	100	Lownathwaite Mine	NY 926011
21	100	Lownathwaite Mine	NY 926011	105	Surrender Bridge	NY 992001
22	105	Surrender Bridge	NY 992001	110	Fremington – near the Swale	SE 058984
23	110	Fremington – near the Swale	SE 058984	115	Applegarth Scar	NZ 115014
24	115	Applegarth Scar	NZ 115014	120	Richmond	SE 179991
25	120	Richmond	SE 179991	125	Catterick Bridge	SE 233996
26	125	Catterick Bridge	SE 233996	130	Whitwell Moor	SE 295985
27	130	Whitwell Moor	SE 295985	135	Crowfoot Lane	SE 359986
28	135	Crowfoot Lane	SE 359986	140	Sydal Lodge Farm	NZ 423012
29	140	Sydal Lodge Farm	NZ 423012	145	Scarth Wood	NZ 466001
30	145	Scarth Wood	NZ 466001	150	Carlton Moor	NZ 519026
31	150	Carlton Moor	NZ 519026	155	Urra Moor	NZ 581027
32	155	Urra Moor	NZ 581027	160	Dale Head	NZ 642013
33	160	Dale Head	NZ 642013	165	Rosedale Head	NZ 685017
34	165	Rosedale Head	NZ 685017	170	Lealholm to Rosedale road	NZ 746044
35	170	Lealholm to Rosedale road	NZ 746044	175	Egton Bridge	NZ 805052
36	175	Egton Bridge	NZ 805052	180	Little Beck	NZ 877050
37	180	Little Beck	NZ 877050	186	Nr Sneaton Bridge	NZ 920058
38	186	Nr Sneaton Bridge	NZ 920058	192	Robin Hood’s Bay	NZ 952051