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Coast-to-Coast
England
Birth of a
Trail
By Karen
Berger
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The St. Bees Headlands
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Brainchild
of the late guidebook writer A. Wainwright, the Coast-to-Coast Walk is
England
's most popular footpath.
Cutting across the north of
England
near the country's
narrowest part, the trail starts at the seaside town of
St. Bees
on the
Irish Sea
, climbs into the
Lake District
, then crosses the
Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors before ending at Robin Hood's
Bay, a picturesque village on the
North Sea
.
Hiking with an English
accent is a different experience for Americans. There is no wilderness as
we know it. Camping is something you do at a campground. And no matter
where you look, you'll see a flock of sheep.
But the English have
some ideas of their own that we would do well to borrow, like their system
of public footpaths, which pass by easement through private lands.
Throughout the walk, you'll see hundreds of little wooden signs pointing
the way to these little paths, which might go from village to village or
just across a field.
It was by linking
together such rights-of-way that Wainwright developed the idea of a
coast-to-coast walk that would spend as little time on roads as possible.
The thousands of people who walk all or part of his trail each year is a
measure of his success.
Coast-to-Coast
England
Hiking the
English Way
By Karen
Berger
http://gorp.com/gorp/location/europe/uk/hik_ctc2.htm
to go directly
to this article.
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Posing by one of the Nine Standards
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Let's
set the stage. Raining, of course. Muddy, which is why even aristocrats
wear those green rubber boots called"Wellies." You've just
finished climbing over hill and dale, and it's the end of the hiking day.
What have you got to look forward to? If you're a veteran of American
trails, you might expect some combination of the following: A tent that
will be soggy by morning. A one-pot meal cooked over a sputtery stove. An
evening spent reading by flashlight while snuggled up against your hiking
partner's armpit. As for a shower — well, it's raining outside, isn't
it?
But this is
England
, where things are a bit
more civilized. So think again.
Your day ends at a
small village where you have a reservation at a B&B. A pot of hot tea
awaits. You're shown the sitting room and the dining room, where tables
are set for breakfast (cloth napkins, of course). Your room is furnished
with clean linens. A steaming hot bath is drawn. Dinner's at the local
pub, but not before you have your pint of beer — a different brand each
night, if you like.
As for food, I know
all the jokes. "The English conquered the world in search of a good
meal," chortles my father, who (it should be said) has been happily
eating my English mother's cooking for forty-some years. Maybe what they
say about hiking appetites is true: After a hard day of hill walking,
you'll eat anything that doesn't run away. But see for yourself: beef in
beer sauce, duck, roast beef, and Yorkshire pudding, fresh fish and chips,
even lasagna and curry. British pub food has gone international. It's also
hearty, tasty, filling — in other words — just what the hiker ordered.
The result: A hike
across
England
could spoil you forever.
Move
on to
 The
Lakes District
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More United Kingdom travel
links
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GORP
- Great Outdoor Resource Pages - Coast-to-Coast England -
Hiking the English Way
Hike across
England
and you'll find rain, of course, but also friendly inns and
hearty food.
GORP
- Great Outdoor Resource Pages - Coast-to-Coast England -
Miscellany
When you hike
England
's
Coast-to-Coast trail, be sure to dip a foot in the water at
each end.
GORP
- Great Outdoor Resource Pages - Coast-to-Coast England -
Hiking from Sea to Shining Sea
Hike
England
's
coast-to-coast trails and hit the
Lake District
, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North
Moors.
GORP
- Gorge Walking and Coasteering - Top 20 Adventures in the
U.K.
Gorge Walking and Coasteering, one of GORP's top picks for
adventure travel in the
United Kingdom
.
GORP
- Glider Rides - Top 20 Adventures in the U.K.
Go on a glider ride, one of GORP's top picks for adventure
travel in the
United
Kingdom
.
GORP
- Real Ale Wobble - Top 20 Adventures in the U.K.
Real Ale Wobble, one of GORP's top picks for adventure travel
in the
United
Kingdom
.
GORP
- Bog Snorkeling Challenge - Top 20 Adventures in the U.K.
Try the Bog Snorkeling Challenge, one of GORP's top picks for
adventure travel in the
United Kingdom
.
GORP
- Camel Trekking in Somerset - Top 20 Adventures in the U.K.
Camel Trekking in
Somerset
,
one of GORP's top picks for adventure travel in the
United
Kingdom
.
GORP
- Telemark the Cairngorms - Top 20 Adventures in the U.K.
Telemark the Cairngorms, one of GORP's top picks for adventure
travel in the
United
Kingdom
.
GORP
- Fish from Coracles - Top 20 Adventures in the U.K.
Fish from Coracles, one of GORP's top picks for adventure
travel in the
United
Kingdom
.
GORP
- Swim with the Seals - Top 20 Adventures in the U.K.
Swim with the Seals, one of GORP's top picks for adventure
travel in the
United
Kingdom
.
GORP
- Ride Scotland Coast-to-Coast - Top 20 Adventures in the U.K.
Ride Scotland Coast-to-Coast, one of GORP's top picks for
adventure travel in the
United Kingdom
.
GORP
- Cycling the Cotswolds - Top 20 Adventures in the U.K.
Cycling the Cotswolds, one of GORP's top picks for adventure
travel in the
United
Kingdom
.
GORP
- Find an Adventure! - Top 20 Adventures in the U.K.
Find an adventure in GORP's top picks for adventure travel in
the
United
Kingdom
.
GORP
- Scotland - Scottish Highlands
Lisa Jones tests her kayaking mettle against a cold, wet
Scottish Highlands November on the
Tay
River
.
GORP
- Scotland - Wind on Meall a Bhuachaillel - Och, It's a Bit
Blowy Out
Climbing mountain in the Scottish Highlands in November means
dealing with blustery weather that's only for the hardy.
GORP
- Scotland - Land and Heritage - Och, It's a Bit Blowy Out
In the Scottish Highlands, issues of land access for
adventurers is crucial to understanding the
Scotland
's
history.
GORP
- Southern Upland Way - The Country Code
Hiking Scotland's Southern Upland Way means observing the
Country Code, the Scottish version of Leave No Trace.
GORP
- Southern Upland Way - Practicalities
Scotland
's
Southern Upland Way is a coast-to-coast hike that can be
difficult. Here's how to do it.
GORP
- Southern Upland Way - Why Go South?
Hiking
Scotland
's
Southern Upland Way is often difficult but beautiful and very
uncrowded.
GORP
- Great Outdoor Resource Pages - Coast-to-Coast England -
Birth of a Trail
England
's
coast-to-coast trail, started by A. Wainwright, passes through
England
's
prettiest areas: the
Lake District
, the North York Moors, and the Yorkshire
Dales.
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