England’s most famous hike finally becomes an official National Trail this week

The Wainwright Coast to Coast Walk is often thought of as the ‘holy grail’ of British hikes. It was first mapped out by hiking legend Alfred Wainwright in 1973. According to him, it traverses the ‘the grandest territory in the north of England’. 

Beginning at St Bees in Cumberland and ending at Robin Hood’s Bay in the North York Moors National Park, the route stretches a more than 190 miles, passing by towering fells, heather moorlands and medieval castles, and crossing three different national parks (the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the Moors). People have been taking on the multi-day route for more than 50 years now, but it will only become an officially designated National Trail this week. 

For the past three years, the path has been undergoing a major £5.8 million makeover, to make it more accessible and easier to navigate. Before the upgrade, there were issues around the trail’s signposting, maintenance and there were sections where public access had never actually been formally agreed.

Now, new paths and bridges have been laid, there are fresh waymarkers with distinctive acorn symbols, trail officers have been appointed and the legal issues around land access have been resolved. All that’s left is for the trail to open as an official, government-designated National Trail. Thursday March 26 is the big day. 

As a National Trail, the path will benefit from greater protection and an annual grant from Natural England. It’ll allow for better communication the businesses and locals living and working along the trail as and with the people who explore the route.

The route is not to be confused with the King Charles III Coastal Path, which was officially launched last week and, spanning the entire English coastline, is the longest managed coastal path in the entire world. But of course, if you want to take on a real challenge (and have several weeks to spare) you can tag the two onto one another.

ICYMI: This coastal landscape just two hours from London has officially become a National Nature Reserve. 

Plus: This beautiful animal is officially no longer extinct in the UK. 

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