Coast to Coast, West (St Bee's to Orton)
Total distance covered; 72 miles (117kms)
6 days walking based in Keswick
Keswick, our base for the western section of the Coast to Coast, is a fine Lakeland town which stands beside Derwentwater, surrounded by magnificent fells. It is the major town in the north of the National Park, and a centre for walking and touring in the area.
Although it is not situated on the Coast to Coast route it does have excellent road links to many places that are. The town has some very attractive buildings, a number of museums (including a very interesting pencil museum) a wealth of shops selling outdoor clothing and equipment and a water taxi operates around the lake. The town has a wide range of inns, restaurants and takeaways offering food in the evenings. It also has a number of shops where one can purchase the makings of a packed lunch.
The daily meeting point in Keswick is the Bell Street Car Park which lies behind the shops which line the north side of Main Street (right-hand side as you look along Main Street from the Moot Hall end).
Accommodation; There is plenty of accommodation of every variety in Keswick, including a number of conveniently situated camping and caravan sites and also two Youth Hostels. and details can be found on the following websites:
- www.visitbritain.com/gb/en/plan-your-trip/accommodation
- www.visitlakedistrict.com
- www.caravanclub.co.uk
- www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk
- www.keswick.org
- www.yha.org.uk/hostel/keswick
Alternatively, an accommodation guide can be obtained from the Tourist Information Centre in Keswick, whose contact details are as follows:
Keswick Tourist Information Centre, Moot Hall, Market Square, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 5JR.
Telephone: 0845 9010845
E.Mail: keswicktic@lake-district.gov.uk
How to reach Keswick by public transport; The nearest railway station is at Penrith (18 miles distant). National Express run a limited coach service to both Keswick and Penrith. There are hourly buses (Stagecoach X5) from Penrith to Keswick.
If you are completing more than one section of the Coast to Coast the dates allow for a full day (the Saturday) to make the transfer from Keswick to Richmond and/or Richmond to Whitby. For the convenience of guests without their own means of conveyance, who would prefer not to use public transport, there will be a minibus transfer available at a cost of £30 per passenger, per transfer.
General information on the Lake District can be found on the following websites:
Cicerone Press and Trailblazer both produce an informative guidebook for this route.
Holiday Options 2023
Daily Itinerary
Day 1: St Bees to Ennerdale Bridge 15 miles (24kms)
Day 2: Ennerdale Bridge to Honister 11 miles (18kms)
Day 3: Honister to Grasmere 12 miles (19kms)
Day 4: Grasmere to Patterdale 9 miles (15kms)
Day 5: Patterdale to Burnbanks 14 miles (23kms)
Day 6: Burnbanks to Orton 11 miles (18kms)
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