Wednesday 8th April 1998

The walk starts with an easy but scenic stroll along clifftops with only a few ups and downs before turning inland. This is followed by more easy walking along country lanes and tracks through the villages of Sandwith, Moor Row, Cleator. The first climb of the walk then follows onto the 1,100ft summit of Dent from where the Lake District is first seen. Descend from here to the pleasant valley alongside  Nannycatch Beck. Leaving here, the road from Calder Bridge is reached next to the Kinniside Stone Circle. From here it is an easy stroll to along a country lane to Ennerdale Brdge.

Route: St.Bees to Ennerdale Bridge via Sandwith,Moor Row, Cleator, Dent, Nannycatch, Ennerdale Bridge 

Distance: 15 Miles

Difficulty: Low with only the straightforward route onto Dent presenting any significant climbing.

Facilities: There are a number of guesthouses in Ennerdale Bridge, my accommodation was at the excellent guesthouse The Old Vicarage run by Eddie Sykes & Josie Lake where I was greeted with a tray of tea and biscuits. They also provided an excellent breakfast and packed lunch. There are two pubs in the village where meals and/or accommodation may be obtained. There is also a campsite and a public phone.

Day One

After saying goodbye to my partner Ann and watching her set off back to Buckinghamshire, it finally dawned on me that I was alone and she would be the last familiar face I would see for the best part of two weeks. I climbed onto the cliffs in the steady rain but I wasn't particularly bothered by it. The walk had finally begun and I was feeling elated at the realisation of a dream. I marched along in the rain adjusting my rucksack and settling into a rhythm. It was difficult to distinguish where the land ended and the sea began in the general gloom but I imagined that this would be an exhilarating stretch of walking on a sunny day. I dropped down to the beach at Fleswick Bay but did not stay long as I was now fairly wet. Passing the St.Bees lighthouse I consulted the map and turned inland and picked up a lane to the village of Sandwith. Leaving the village I was made to smile by a sign reading 'Robins Hoods Bay 185 Miles' that had been painted on the rear of the village signpost by someone with a perverse sense of humour.

There then followed a succession of lanes and tracks around the villages of Moor row and Cleator, which I must confess I have little recollection of as I write this five years later on. I can recall having a very muddy experience around Stanley Pond where I struggled to remain upright in mud so deep I was in danger of losing my boots! The next significant feature along the way was the climb onto the 1,100-ft summit of Dent (pictured), the first real hill of the walk. As the weather had by now improved I stopped on the top for lunch and to admire the first view of the Lake District, the first of three National Parks I would be crossing during the walk. The mountains looked majestic with their summits covered in snow and I was slightly concerned that if it started snowing heavily during the walk I might be forced to abandon the trip I had long dreamed about.

After a fairly lengthy stop on Dent, I dropped off of the summit and became confused by a Coast to Coast fingerboard, which appeared to me to be pointing in the wrong direction. I followed it anyway and after a mile or so realised that it was indeed wrong and consulted the map to navigate my way back to Nannycatch Brook. The sun was now shining pleasantly and I strolled alongside the river as it ran through the peaceful valley to the Calder Road. Here, I climbed up to the Kinniside Stone circle before returning to the road, which I followed to the village of Ennerdale Bridge, my first halt along the way. It had been a gentle introduction to the Coast to Coast and I felt sure there were more testing days ahead.