Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk

The Coast to Coast walk passes through Marske village (for a description of the walk through Marske, and some alternatives for the section between Marske and Richmond see here.) The coast to Coast was founded by Alfred Wainwright, who is well known for his illustrated guides of the Lake District Fells.  Each page was lovingly drawn and annotated.  He worked on the seven volumes over a period of 13 years – typically drafting a single page each evening whilst he worked by day in local authority accounts departments¹.  More information about him can be found in a fascinating biography published in the Independent newspaper in 2005².  A podcast, including an interesting interview with Wainwright’s publisher, is to be found in the Countrystride series of Lakeland and Cumbrian podcasts³. If you are doing the Coast to Coast then also download and listen to the fascinating BBC recording of Alfred Wainwright on Desert Island Discs from the BBC website.

In 1973 Wainwright published “A Coast to Coast” walk – a description of a long-distance walk from St Bees Head in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea Coast⁴.  Previous to that in 1968 he had published a guide to the Pennine Way, but stated in 1973 that the Coast to Coast walk puts “the Pennine Way to shame” for scenic beauty, variety and interest¹.  With a dose of national exceptionalism the BBC in 2004 reported that the Coast to Coast had been named the second-best walk in the world according to a survey of experts⁵.  Three useful websites for those contemplating the Coast-to-Coast are set out below ^6,7,8.

.. Wainwright completed his own Coast to Coast walk in Marske.

.. Perhaps he should have thrown a pebble of red sandstone from St Bees into the waters of Marske Beck!

Unlike those who complete their walk at Robin Hood’s Bay, Alfred Wainwright completed his own Coast to Coast walk in Marske!  He, of course, knew the Lake District fells well, but as he had little knowledge of the North Yorks Moors he made many trips east to check out a good route to the coast.  His penultimate trip was the short walk, with his wife Betty, from Marske to Richmond, where he allowed himself plenty of time to take photos and sketch.  It was shortly afterwards, on 14 May 1972, that he walked from Reeth to Marske, with his friend Mark Richards, to put the final piece in his Coast to Coast jigsaw⁹,¹⁰.  With his “field” research completed here in Marske, Wainwright then worked over the next ten months to complete his drawings and text for the publication of “A Coast to Coast Walk“. Perhaps he should have thrown a pebble of red sandstone from St Bees into the waters of Marske Beck!

In 2022 the UK Government announced that the Coast to Coast Walk would become an official National Trail¹¹, following a successful campaign by the Wainwright Society¹². Work will commence to upgrade the route and officially open it in 2025. 

Most walkers start their walk on the Irish Sea coast to keep the prevailing wind on their backs¹⁴.  As the obvious Lower Swaledale overnight watering holes are in Reeth and Richmond most walkers tend to start in the morning past Marrick Priory (see lead mining), and industry) up the Nun’s Steps to Marrick village, and then via Hollins Farm to descend into the Marske village down Hardstiles.  Most therefore arrive in the village around the middle of the day, visit the church (see St Edmund’s church), sign the visitors’ book, buy snacks there, and have lunch on the bench in the centre of the village.  They are very welcome..

After this lunch stop the route then heads east on the old Marske-Richmond Road (following the route of packhorses laden with lead in past centuries – see industry), until a path strikes across fields opposite the prominent medieval lynchet strips (see feudal manors) between Marske Edge and the road.  “Paddy’s Bridge” takes the route over Clapgate Beck, via a prominent cairn, towards West Applegarth Farm (see feudal manors).  From here it follows a bridleway all the way to Richmond, passing under Willance’s Leap (see feudal manors and history of Clints) as it does so.  Tradition has it that each walker is carrying a pebble from the Irish Sea to the North Sea.

For those favouring a challenge the time to beat is 39 hours 18 minutes and 40 seconds – a record set by Damian Hall in 2021¹⁵.  He didn’t stop for lunch in Marske, which is probably a good thing as he only beat the previous 20-year old record by 18 minutes!

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1. Wikipedia. Alfred Wainwright. Accessed 2023.[↩][↩]
2. Independent Newspaper. Alfred Wainwright: Grumpy, reclusive and eccentric. 2 July 2005.[↩]
3. Countrystride. 2018. Countrystride #4: Alfred Wainwright – In the footsteps of a legend. See also https://countrystride.podbean.com/[↩]
4. Wainwright, Alfred. A Coast to Coast Walk: A Pictorial Guide. 2003. Frances Lincoln.[↩]
5. BBC. Coast walk tops trek to Everest. 23 November 2004.[↩]
6. Coast to Coast walk – Accomodation and Resources. Skyware publishers. Accessed 2023.[↩]
7. Rambling Man website – Coast to Coast. Website. Accessed 2023.[↩]
8. Coast to Coast path. Website. Accessed 2023.[↩]
9. Mark Richards.  Nov 2023. Private correspondence.  See also www.markrichardswalking.co.uk.[↩]
10. Mark Richards. 16 Nov 23. Mark Richard’s walking blog site. Accessed 2023[↩]
11. Gov.uk. Government press notice relating to Coast to Coast becoming a new National Trail. 2022[↩]
12. Wainwright Society. Website covering activities of Wainwright Society. Accessed 2023.[↩]
13. National Trail Proposal for the Coast to Coast Path. Map 8c Marske. Natural England. 2022.[↩]
14. Wikipedia. Coast-to-coast walk. Accessed 2023.[↩]
15. Grough (website covering outdoor news). Runner Damian Hall sets new record for Coast to Coast route. Retrieved 27 May 2021.[↩]