Product Description

The Coast to Coast Walk is unique among Britain's long-distance footpaths in that it was the invention of one man, the legendary Alfred Wainwright, and enjoys no official status like, for example, the National trails in England and Wales. Nevertheless, it has become one of Britain's most popular long-distance walks, which is hardly surprising as it traverses some of the finest walking territory in the country.Starting at St Bees on the Cumbrian coast, the route runs for 192 miles (307 km) to Robin Hood's Bay on the North Sea and lies, for the most part, within the boundaries of three of Britain's loveliest National Parks - the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. As well as the main route there are also alternatives available at several points. Martin Wainwright's description of the route is divided into fifteen chapters, each covering one day's walk (though alternative stopping places are identified for those who wish to spread their journey over a longer period) and each section of the route is described in detail with accompanying Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 mapping and colour photographs. There are also brief feature essays on features or places of particular historical or landscape interest and a Useful Information section at the end which gives details of organisations which provide advice or information on matters such as travel and accommodation.Covering one day's walk, this title features 1:25 000 Ordnance Survey mapping marked with points of interest along the route. It has full colour photographs throughout. It includes background information on local history, wildlife, archaeology and landscape. It also includes comprehensive 'Useful Information' section.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66440 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 168 pages

About the Author
Martin Wainwright (no relation) is Northern Editor of the Guardian. He recently edited A Lifetime of Mountains, a selection from the writings of the Guardian's much-loved Country Diarist, also published by Aurum. A keen rambler, he lives in Leeds.

Customer Reviews

Maps and Route Descriptions
A very thoughtful guide to the coast-to-coast walk. With detailed maps of the routes, alternative routes and good descriptions.

The walks are broken down into manageable "days", but written in a way that you could equally break the walks down differently should you think you could manage more (or less) a day. I especially like the anecdotal tales in each day's walk - and there are little hints that are very useful. You can't beat knowing that you're just passing the last cashpoint for a couple of days!

Just the job!
I bought this in order to complete the Wainwright C2C which I half did 30 years ago. Excellent book, and no additional maps need be carried. Pretty much up to date, except that the problems with the economy have led to the sad demise of several village hostelries mentioned. I covered Richmond to RHB on this trip, and it is interesting that only in the Vale of Mowbray is the excellent original Wainwright guide inaccurate. Treat yourself to this new book even if you have the Wainwright, and keep the latter as an heirloom, and something to read as literature.

FOR YOUR FEET AND YOUR SANITY, DON'T BUY THIS BOOK
Please let me start by saying I have never written an amazon (or any other site for that matter) review before... frankly before this book 'experience' i've never really cared enough. I mean, its only a book right, how bad (or good) could it be, and frankly surely i must have better things to do with my life than type a book review... well that should give you an inkling into my strength of feeling about this book... I feel I owe it to current and future Coast to Coasters, particularly the ones fuelled more by enthusiasm than by experience to WARN YOU OFF THIS BOOK.. DON'T DO IT...BEWARE...AM WAVING A BIG RED FLAG OF DANGER! let me tell you more...

I've just completed the Coast to Coast walk (Aug 2009)and I would recommend it thoroughly to anyone and everyone - it was a major challenge, particularly for inexperienced walkers like myself and my friend, but the sense of achievement upon reaching RHB and dipping our toe in the North Sea and chucking the pebbles we'd carried for the last 12 days was AMAZING, FABULOUS and WORTH ALL THE BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS! But... and this is a HUGE but.... do it, but don't do it with this book as your guide, it is the biggest waste of money, waste of paper, waste of effort in guide book history (Alfred must literally be turning in his grave), it got us lost so many times, we ended up doing probably about 250 miles instead of the traditional 192! we also did an extra mountain in the lakes... by accident... having followed the ridiculous route and musings of the author! And we weren't the only ones... we met many gorgeous fabulous people doing this challenge at the same time, and without exception the poor people who had had the same misfortune as me and had bought this book had, without exception, got lost, got confused, and got a headache on a daily basis.

To sum up: unclear, full of rambling musings and irrelevant anecdotes (mostly talking about things we might or might not see depending on the time of year e.g. a big red dog fox... errrr, what?!), full of made up words and phrases that are not in the English (or any other) language, had i mentioned unclear and confusing...

if that sounds like you're cup of tea go ahead, but alert the mountain rescue before you leave each day, you'll probably need them.