Walking England

Back in my high school days I bought a travel magazine which described the famous Coast to Coast walk in England started by Alfred Wainwright. The article so appealed to me that I vowed to get in shape (I was tubby once) and walk the path. I have trimmed myself down and gotten in the habit of walking everyday but the trip to England still alludes me. However; I can partly enjoy the walk through books and the internet.

The Coast to Coast walk itself starts in St. Bees by the Irish Sea, goes through Richmond, past three national parks, and ends at Robin Hood's Bay on the coast of the North Sea. The trail is slightly less than 200 miles long and takes about two weeks to complete. Elevation is a factor due to many hills and valleys. Most people go west to east so the wind is to their backs.

There are many useful sites on the internet. Coast to Coast Path: A Walk Across England provides an excellent day-by-day break down of the hiking trek. There are also many personal websites describing individual's experiences. One may also wish to read my previous post on a picture database of Great Britain to have a greater sense of the lay of the land.

Many books are now available on the walk but Wainwright's updated original is still the primary source to go to. The book is updated for path openings and closings, provides detail descriptions of the walk, and gives humorous asides.

Even though I am not on the trail now it is always fun to study up on a possible adventure.

Category: Virtually Travelling the World