Back in Hereford
In April 2010, Bill Gregory, Don Langford, Jonathan Rendall and Peter Strevens, our intrepid hikers, completed the Coast to Coast walk from St Bees in the Lake District to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire, a distance of around 200 miles with a total ascent of approximately 23,00 feet in 16 days.
Both Jonathan and Don completed it as a sponsored event in support of our links with Africa. Jonathan raised funds for the development and purchase of a specially designed water bags (worn like rucksacks) to save the ladies of Kichengani carrying containers on their heads. Don completed the Coast to Coast in support of our parish links with Rwanda.
See the chaps’ progress photo by photo, care of Google maps: c2c map
Click c2c photos for photos of the walk to download
Day 1 (Monday 12th April):
Early morning train from Hereford to St. Bees, arriving early lunch time. Walk from St. Bees to near Cleator Moor. Stay B&B. This is off the path, but there are paths direct to the B&B and back to the path the next morning. (10 miles)
Day 2 (Tuesday 13th): Cleator Moor to Black Sail. Stay at Black Sail Youth Hostel (the smallest YH in the country) (14/24 miles)
Helvellyn in the background
Day 3 (Wednesday 14th): Black Sail to Grasmere. Stay in Grasmere (Thorney How) Youth Hostel. This is outside Grasmere, but right on the path. (13/37 miles)
Jonathan’s reflection: Two hard climbs; magnificant views of mountains – Scafell, Skiddaw, etc. + Crummock Water, Buttermere; Easdale where Wordsworth freequently walked and wrote; Honister Pass and Slate Mines. Great companionship and good walking. Tomorrow Helvellyn?
Day 4 (Thursday 15th): Grasmere to Patterdale area. Stay Helvellyn Youth Hostel. This is about 2 miles off the path from Patterdale. We will had a choice of route. As the weather was fine we climbed Helvellyn and went straight to the Youth Hostel, which is 900ft on the side of the mountain.
Jonathan writes: Just about to climb Dolly Waggon Pike then Helvellyn after long climb up Tongue Beck from Grasmere and Goody Bridge. Beautiful weather: sunny cool and very lovely – perfect!
Coffee by the Swale
Day 5 (Friday 16th): Patterdale/Helvellyn to Bampton (just off the path). Stay B&B (14/63 miles).
Day 6 (Saturday 17th): W Bampton to Orton. Stay B&B (14/77 miles)
Day 7 (Sunday 18th): Orton to Kirkby Stephen. Stay Kirkby Stephen Youth Hostel (old chapel near Town Centre). (12/89 miles)
Day 8 (Monday 19th): From Kirkby Stephen to Keld. Stay B&B (13/102 miles).
Day 9 (Tuesday 20th): Keld to Reeth. Stay B&B (11/115 miles)
Day 10 (Wednesday 21st): Reeth to Richmond. Stay B&B (11/126 mi
Day 11 (Thursday 22nd): Richmond to Danby Wiske. Stay B&B (14/140 miles)
Day 12 (Friday 23rd): Danby Wiske to Osmotherley. Stay Osmotherley Youth Hostel, about 30 mins walk off the path. (11/151)
Day 14 (Sunday 25th): From Clay Bank Top to Blakey Ridge. Stay B&B (10/172 miles)
Day 15 (Monday 26th): Blakey Ridge to Grosmont. Stay B&B (14/186 miles)
The end of the path - Robin Hood's Bay
Day 16 (Tuesday 27th): The final leg completed (Grosmont to Robin Hood’s Bay). Bus to Whitby late afternoon/evening , stay at Whitby Youth Hostel. (16/200 miles).
Click for more photos of the walk: c2c photos