Trailblazer Guides are produced by people who know exactly what information is needed - not just to get from A to B but to be entertaining as well as informative.
- The Great Outdoors
Coast to Coast Path: St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay
by: Henry Stedman
UPDATES
Updated information
Thank you to the readers who sent in updated information in particular to Elizabeth, Andrew, and Harriet Napier, Chizzer Childs, and Mand, Mark and Chesney.
Page 132, Patterdale to Shap - A small camping facility at 'Aragon', Naddle Gate, Burnbanks, Penrith CA10 2RL. Tel: 01931 713629. Email: chizzer@homecall.co.uk. It is about 3.5 miles before Shap, grid reference 511160. From Naddle Bridge walk down the road for 200 metres(northward) and 'Aragon' is the first house on the righthand side. Ths site is very quiet amongst trees and close to the rivver. There is an outside washing up facility and campers currently make use of the owner's bathroom where a shower is available.
Page 141, Map 37 – Scar Side Farm – accommodation now available
The owners of Scar Side Farm (tel 01539 624810 www.scarsidefarm.com; 1S, 2D) now offer B&B accommodation (not ensuite) with 1 single room and 2 doubles (one with kingsize bed) at £30 per person with no single supplement. Guests have their own sitting room with log-burning stove, and access to washer/dryer. Three course evening meals (£14) are available with notice, as are packed lunches (£5). They will also accommodate tents but currently shower facilities are only available for campers when the B&B isn't full. Campers do have access to the utility room, though.
General:
ATM machines. It might be noted that not all ATM machines (especially those in smaller villages, Coops, P.O.s, etc.) accept US ATM cards. We were successful in Richmond and Kirkby Stephen, but there are big gaps where access to cash via cash machine is limited for those with US bank cards. There is no longer an ATM in Shap, and the bank there was inexplicably closed the day we went through (due to shortage of staff). There is also no ATM in St Bees, though even the St Bees webpage says there is one, and we had to be driven to Egremont to withdraw money.
Markets. There are markets during the summer on specific days in specific towns that might be helpful to indicate.
Map 24: it might be helpful to note here that there is a marked public footpath at the turn off the road to Glenridding and that one shouldn't take the earlier one marked "To Patterdale"
Map 25: It can be confusing coming down into Patterdale. We came out at the hotel when we wanted to come out by the store. Souvenirs in Patterdale store are good value.
Map 27: turn up to Kidsty Pike is easy to miss. There may be 3 paths here vying for attention.
Kirkby Stephen to Keld: The signs are adamant about which route one should take when in order to minimize damage to plants, nesting areas, etc., and to help reduce erosion.
Map 58 (Marske): there is a lovely tea room, The Lodge, opposite the church, with beautiful gardens and outdoor seating, and homemade cakes.
Richmond: The Station has the cheesemaker, Simon Lacey, and a fabulous artisanal bread/sweet shop, the best bread we had the entire trip. Millgate House Gardens are well worth visiting. The junction of a number of paths outside Richmond between maps 62 and 63. It might be helpful to look into clarifying that area, although our friends did not get lost there can be confusing.
Osmotherley: the Golden Lion (across from the Queen Catherine Hotel) has great food and is a lovely pub/inn
P. 211: Lord Stones Café is closed on Mondays
Robin Hood's Bay: the Wayfarer has fantastic food, but you need to reserve in advance. Some people celebrate the end of the walk by swimming in the ocean, which none of the indigenous peoples seemed to be doing. I assume that there is no danger, but if there is, it should be noted. I didn't see any warning signs.
Further information on accommodation, April 2010
After completing the Coast to Coast route this year (Sat 20 March - Thu 1 April 2010) I wanted to share some information regarding accommodation which your readers may find useful. Found the guide invaluable from start to finish - thank you.
I contacted each accommodation when planning our route; many didn't want a deposit with it being early in the season, but at least they knew we would be coming.
We had no support during our trip, so carried all our clothes & camping equipment ourselves - this became a bit weary during the second week, especially on the long flat sections; so seriously consider your kit requirements.
We tended to get food supplies from the Co-Op in the evening, such as their meal deals, then we could set off early in the morning and graze on snacks during the day. Then we were ready for a quality pub meal each evening.
St Bees to Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre - very ambitious for our first day; we under-estimated how our pack weight would slow us down. Instead we camped (asking for permission first) at the Scout camp at the nearside of Ennerdale Water.
The Fox & Hounds pub at Ennerdale Bridge was still shut.
Food at the Shepherd's Arms was good and plentiful, but we would have liked more help from staff on campsites and C2C related information.
We camped at Stonethwaite Farm; a beautiful setting with just a toilet block with cold water, but well worth the walk further along the lane. En route, book in for an evening meal at the Langstrath - open fire, excellent food and a really warm welcome - there was a storm outside but one of the best evenings we had.
Oak Lodge Guest House is the first you come across when reaching Grasmere - small, but comfortable room and all on ground level.
Food at the Red Lion Hotel in Grasmere was wholesome and very reasonable.
The Bulls Head in Shap offer camping in their beer garden, we also had a very good evening meal and pack ups are available also.
Pennine View Caravan & Camping site in Kirkby Stephen has excellent showers (yes, with music!!!) for campers; cut off the route early instead of continuing on toward the town centre - otherwise you have to walk back up the A685 which feels like a long, long way after a long day!!
The Croglin Castle was mid-way through redecoration and wasn't serving food, but the manager was helpful and offered to run us into town for food instead.
We stopped at Park House in Keld, in their newly developed bunkhouse - AND WHAT AN EXCELLENT BUNKHOUSE IT IS!!! Very reasonably priced, we had a double room, well equipped, drying room, beautiful location. This was more of a luxury holiday cottage!
When leaving Marrick, call in at Elaine's Teas. We walked up and chilled out in their conservatory with hot chocolate and cakes. Very welcoming family.
We stopped in Richmond for supplies, and food at Richmond Fisheries (fantastic, and seats inside) before heading out to camp at St Giles Farm to reduce the distance for the following day. Very friendly owners, we camped in their garden, and had access to their (excellent) shower room just inside the house.
We'd planned to camp at the Lion Inn at Blakey, but decided to book a room due to bad weather. Well worth it, (we could have a bath!), and the rooms were very well equipped. The food served was excellent.
Hazelwood in Grosmont B&B is not en-suite.
Consider booking a caravan at Middlewood Farm in Fylingthorpe, Robin Hood's Bay. We stayed there from Thursday til Sunday, with our friends who were picking us up, so it works out very cost-effective and is good quality accommodation.
I hope some of this information may be useful to your readers, and help them also enjoy a fantastic journey across the country!
