The Coast to Coast walk is very popular and accommodation is limited in the small villages along the route. Many walkers resort to carrying heavy camping gear but independent hostels and bunkhouses are a great alternative. Hostels, bunkhouses and camping barns provide information from staff and fellow travelers along with self catering kitchens, drying rooms and often private bed rooms. The most famous route was devised by Wainwright and travels from St Bees Head in the Lake District to Robin Hood’s Bay on the Yorkshire Coast.
Accommodation on Wainwright's Coast to Coast walk
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View all hostels & bunkhouses
Lake District, Cumbria
Yorkshire & Lancashire
Coast to Coast (C2C) Cycle Route
The Mountain Bike Coast to Coast
The Pennine Way
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Bank House Farm Hostel
Luxury bunkbarn, camping barn and B&B on an organic farm in beautiful Glaisdale Dale. Stunning views of the North York Moors and just 1 mile from the Coast to Coast route. The newly converted bunkbarn is warm & well appointed with one dorm of mostly single beds. The camping barn provides simple, single-night shelter for walkers and cyclists.
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Summergrove Halls
Close to the start of the Coast to Coast Walk at Whitehaven and within easy access to the Cumbrian Coast and Lake District. Summergrove Halls offers en suite self catering accommodation in rooms with small double (3/4 size) beds. Bed linen and towels are provided along with basic toiletries. Self cater or choose from the popular dinner menu in Terrace Bar and Grill. Breakfast is available and communal areas include TV room. Nestled in attractive grounds there are nature and cycle trails from the door, as well as an on-site gym.
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Thorney How
Thorney How offers clean, comfortable accommodation in Grasmere. Family-run and welcoming it provides en suite, simple B&B and self-catering. Close to the Coast to Coast path, local village and lake.Your perfect Lake District base. A bar, restaurant and spacious grounds complete the experience.
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Cote Ghyll Mill
In a beautiful and secluded valley in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, this converted linen mill is a perfect base for exploring the moors, dales & coast. Osmotherley has pubs, tea room & shops. Explore the stream & woodlands or take part in organised activities for children and groups. Next to Cod Beck reservoir, Cleveland Way, Coast to Coast and the start of the Lyke Wake Walk. All refurbished, en-suite bedrooms.
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Bransdale Mill Bunkhouse
Bransdale Mill is an eighteenth century Grade II listed water mill, converted by the National Trust to provide comfortable bunkhouse accommodation for 12 people. It is full of historic character with flag-stone floors, wooden beams and a log burner. Situated at the head of an unspoiled and hidden valley in the North York Moors, 3 miles from the coast to coast walk, with no wifi or phone signal. Bransdale Mill is an ideal base to get away from it all, surrounded by the working life of the Dale.
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Bents Camping Barn
Bents Camping Barn, formerly a 17 century shepherd's cottage, is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There are 2 bunkrooms sleeping 14 in total (BYO sleeping bags), a well equipped kitchen and a dining area. Please bring £1 coins for the electric metre. The Coast to Coast path is nearby and the Howgill Fells, Wild Boar Fell and Crosby Garrett Common offer great fell walking. Smardale Gill Nature Reserve and Sunbiggin Tarn are also easily accessible.
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Grasmere Hostel
This small deluxe 4* hostel, is situated on a farm in the heart of the Lake District National Park and a short stroll from the idyllic village of Grasmere. It is ideal for individuals, couples, families and groups, especially if you want sole use for a club, school or special event. For groups requiring more space, 4 luxury cottages and a Micro Lodge Pod are also available. The hostel, recommended by the Guardian and the Rough Guide, has first class facilities including a sauna.
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Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre
In the Ennerdale valley, one of the most beautiful, least spoilt and quietest in the Lake District, Low GIllerthwaite Field Centre sits at the foot of Pillar and Red Pike. Well equipped for groups it is the perfect base for fell walking, rock climbing, bird & wildlife watching, mountain biking, orienteering, canoeing. The centre generates its own hydro-electricit. Vehicle access is by forest track and a BT payphone is on site as most mobiles do not work here.
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Kirkby Stephen Hostel
Former Methodist Church with a range of accommodation for individuals, families and groups amongst beautiful authentic features; stained glass, arches and panels. There's a large dining room & kitchen and a quiet lounge in the gallery. Kirkby Stephen is a market town in the upper Eden valley. On Wainwright's Coast to Coast path with easy access to the Pennine Journey, the W2W cycle route, the Howgill Hills, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District.
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New Ing Lodge
This 10-bedroom, 10-bathroom B&B and hostel offers comfortable, friendly, accommodation with delicious food. Shap is in the Eden Valley, just off the M6, on the edge of the Lake District National Park. The Howgills and the Pennine Fells are a short drive away. On Wainwright's Coast to Coast, the Westmorland Way and the Miller's Way and perfect for large, sole use groups.
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The Wild Wool Barn
Nestled in the peace of the Ennerdale Valley, overlooking Ennerdale Water, The Wild Wool Barn provides luxury bunkhouse accommodation for 6 (plus up to 4 camping). Traditional wood-burning stove, electric heating, cooker and shower, marry tradition with luxury. With no mobile signal or WiFi The Wild Wool Barn is a true chance to get away from it all and explore the rarely visited Western Lake District.
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Scarborough Youth Hostel
For a fun filled, seaside break Scarborough is unbeatable: two safe, sandy beaches, penny arcades, pirate ship, three surf schools and the new Alpamare Waterpark. Once a 17th century water mill on a quiet riverside just outside the town, Scarborough Youth Hostel is also a perfect base for exploring the coast and country of the North York Moors and Wolds with miles of paths, tracks and quiet lanes for walkers and cyclists.
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Shepherds Crook Bunkhouse
Noran Bank Farm is near Ullswater just through Patterdale in Cumbria, just 5 minutes' walk away from the Coast to Coast route and The Westmorland Way. Shepherd's Crook Bunkhouse is a barn converted to a very high standard and sleeps 8. Duvets, linen and towels are provided. DIY breakfast and packed lunches can be pre-booked. It is very popular with Coast to Coasters, walkers, cyclists and for family/friends get-togethers.
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Dinah Hoggus Camping Barn
Dinah Hoggus Camping Barn lies on the old Packhorse route to Watendlath on the edge of the village of Rosthwaite in the Borrowdale valley. For walkers it is perfectly located right on the Cumbria Way and the Coast to Coast walk. It sleeps 12 on mattresses (BYO sleeping bag) & has a cooking/dining area. Basic cooking equipment is provided and there's an electric shower. The pub and village shop are just 300m away.
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Brompton on Swale Bunkbarn
Located on a small working farm, just 3 miles east of Richmond, Yorkshire. Brompton on Swale Bunkbarn offers a welcome break from walking or cycling the Coast to Coast. A pot of tea for weary walkers upon arrival and safe storage for bikes makes this bunkhouse especially welcoming. Close to the Yorkshire Dales, Swaledale, Wensleydale, Easby Abbey, Richmond Castle & Ellerton Lakes. Dogs are welcome to stay but must be kept on a lead around the yard as there are ducks, hens and geese.
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Dales Bike Centre
Dales Bike Centre, in Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales, is the centre of cycling in Yorkshire! Home of the Ard Rock Enduro, on Woodcocks Coast to Coast mountain bike route and close by the routes of the 2014 Tour de France and Yorkshire Dales Cycle Way. Facilities include an on-site café, well stocked bike shop, bike hire, bike wash, fully equipped workshop, drying room and lots of friendly advice. Close to 4 pubs.
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High House
High House in Seathwaite, at the head of the beautiful valley of Borrowdale, offers comfortable bunkhouse/hostel accommodation. Popular with walking and climbing clubs and educational groups, early booking is advised. Two dorms are available each with toilet, washbasin and shower. There is a third dorm is reserved for K Fellfarers members, and club members may use this room during your stay. If you wish to have exclusive use, including this Members Room, there's a £25 supplement per night.
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Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk
Self catering accommodation along Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk showing hostel, bunkhouse and camping barn accommodation along the route. The path is generally walked from West to East, starting on the Cumbria coast at St Bees Head and details of the accommodation are given in this order. Here are links for details of the C2C Cycle Route and Mountain Bike Route.
Location of accommodation on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk (West to East).
SUMMERGROVE HALLS is close to St Bees, just over half a mile off route at Cleator Moor and 8 miles from the start of the walk. LOW GILLERTHWAITE FIELD CENTRE straddles Wainwright’s path at Ennerdale, 4 miles east of Ennerdale Bridge. WILD WOOL is approx 1 mile off the path just north of Ennerdale Water. HIGH HOUSE bunkhouse accommodation, is a 1.7 mile detour off the route, leaving the route walk at Rosthwaite for a walk along Borrowdale. DINAH HOGGUS CAMPING BARN is right on the route on the outskirts of the village of Rosthwaite. GRASMERE HOSTEL on Wainwright’s walk at Grasmere at the base of the climb up to Grisedale Tarn. THORNEY HOW B&B and bunkhouse, adjacent to the route at Grasmere. NEW ING LODGE B&B and hostel is on the path in the village of Shap. SHEPHERDS CROOK BUNKHOUSE is in Patterdale five minutes walk from the route. BENTS CAMPING BARN is accessible from the path, 4 miles west of Kirkby Stephen with a detour by footpath. KIRKBY STEPHEN HOSTEL accommodation is in the centre of the village on the route. DALES BIKE CENTRE bunkhouse style accommodation is just off the path, half a mile East of Reeth. Leave the route at Low Fremington and rejoin at Grinton Bridge. NOW CLOSED : Richmond Camping Barn, was on the route 3 miles west of Richmond. BROMPTON ON SWALE BUNKBARN on the route 3 mile east of Richmond. COTE GHYLL MILL HOSTEL accommodation, three quarters of a mile from the route. Leave the route at Mount Gracie Wood two miles west of Ingleby Arncliff. BANK HOUSE FARM HOSTEL and bunkhouse one mile from Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route leaving the route one mile west of Glaisdale. SCARBOROUGH YOUTH HOSTEL accessible by Bus from Robin Hood’s Bay.
Suggested itinerary for walking Wainwright’s Coast to Coast in 12 days staying at Independent Hostels and bunkhouses
At the moment this itinerary is untested. We would love to hear from anyone who walks it. Get in touch and tell us your news and views on stay@independenthostels.co.uk or use our contact form.
Overnight Base close to St Bees Head. Summergrove Halls on Cleator Moor provide self catering accommodation with private rooms and storage, 4 miles from the start of the walk at St Bees Head. It is possible to use this as a base for a first and second night. Taking the train from Corkickle (2 miles walk from the accommodation) to St Bees to begin the walk and returning to Summergrove Halls latter that day. Summergrove Halls is a little over half a mile from the route, 8 miles from its start.
Day One. The first day’s walk of 14 miles from St Bees Head is typically completed at Ennerdale Bridge. Following the independent hostel itinerary, you need to walk a further 4 miles along the route to reach the small isolated hamlet of Ennerdale, making a first day of 19 miles (11 miles if you begin the day at Summergrove Halls). This extra effort is well rewarded at Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre where an evening can be spent by the open fire or enjoying a BBQ in the stunning isolation of this valley. The centres bunkhouse style accommodation straddles Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk and welcomes individual walkers and groups, there are small bunk rooms and self catering facilities. Alternative accommodation for your first evening would be Wild Wool Barn which is closer to Ennerdale Bridge than Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre, lying just north of Ennerdale Water about 1 mile from the path.
Day Two starts 4 miles ahead of the normal itinerary making a 10 mile walk to Rosthwaite where basic walkers accommodation is available at DINAH HOGGUS CAMPING BARN. Small parties and larger groups can choose to make a detour off the Trail along the popular valley of Borrowdale for 1.7 miles to the isolated High House, giving a total days mileage of just under 12 miles. HIGH HOUSE provides bunkhouse style self catering and small bunkrooms. It has an over night charge of £145 which covers a group of 1 to 26 people !
Day Three Rosthwaite to Grasmere is 9 miles. There are two independent hostels to choose from at Grasmere. GRASMERE HOSTEL at the base of the climb up to Grisedale Tarn has en suite rooms, private and dorms, and is self catering with breakfast packs available for walkers. THORNEY HOW INDEPENDENT HOSTEL adjacent to the path provides B&B style accommodation in the main house and small bunkrooms in the bunkhouses, it also has a bar and cafeteria. Both hostels are a short walk from Grasmere village centre.
Day Four begins with the climb up to the saddle above Grisedale Tarn and descent along Grisedale Valley to Patterdale, a total of 8 miles. SHEPHERDS CROOK BUNKHOUSE is in Patterdale five minutes walk from the route.
Day Five from Patterdale to Shap is 16 miles and usually takes about 6-8 hours. Walkers and mountain bikers are rewarded at the end of the day by a stay the very comfortable NEW ING LODGE in the village of Shap. New Ing Lodge, high up on the Cumbrian fells, has warm carpeted rooms, log burner, bar and delicious evening meals. A great place to relax and exchange stories with other walkers.
Day Six from Shap to Kirkby Stephen is 20 miles, a longer walk then the previous day but over much easier ground. KIRKBY STEPHEN HOSTEL is in the centre of the villages and provides a warm welcome to walkers. It has rooms for 2 to 8 people and a range of restaurants, cafés, pubs and take-aways on the doorstep. There are also food shops to stock up and self catering if you would rather stay in and enjoy the hostel chatter.
Day Seven Kirkby Stephen to Reeth (21 miles) then stay on the Walk for a further half a mile beyond Reeth to Low Fremington. Here join the road to Fremington where the DALES BIKE CENTRE provides excellent hostel style accommodation. Depending on which guide book you read Dales Bike Centre is either exactly on route at Fremington or 100 metres off route if looking at the footpath near Grinton. The next morning you can rejoin the route just down the road at Grinton Bridge. Total days mileage is 22 miles.
Day Eight is 18 miles to BROMPTON ON SWALE BUNKBARN 3 miles east of Richmond and less than half a mile from the path. Brompton on Swale Bunkbarn provides duvets and sheet sleeping bags can be hired. Cooking facilities are available (bring £1 for the meter). Ideal for the lightweight walkers. Please note that Richmond Camping Barn, which was siturated 3 miles west of Richmond is now closed.
Day Nine has a total distance of 23 miles and ends with a three quarter mile diversion from the route to reach the next Independent Hostel at COTE GHYLL MILL (also known as Osmotherly Youth hostel). Follow the route to Ingleby Arncliff then walk a further two miles along the route to Mount Grace Wood (above NT Mount Grace Priory). Using careful map reading leave the C2C route at a hairpin bend in the path at Mount Grace Wood and take a three quarter mile diversion via Chapel Wood Farm towards Osmotherly. Turn left when you reach the road and look out for signs for Osmotherly Youth Hostel. If you decide to continue to Bank House Farm the next day, this involves are two very long day walks in a row. So you might like to spend a rest day at Cote Ghyll Mill before embarking, exploring the delights and cafés of the pretty village of Osmotherly.
Day Ten. Rejoining the route north of Cod Beck Reservoir, a further 26 miles will take you to a location one mile before Glaisdale where, using careful map reading, you can leave the route to take a one mile diversion to BANK HOUSE FARM HOSTEL accommodation. Bank House Farm Hostel have also offered to collect you from Glaisdale and deliver you back the next day for free, if you eat in The Arncliffe Arms in Glaisdale. The total mileage for this day is getting on for 28 miles including the walk to the trail from Cote Ghyll Mill and the walk off the route to Bank House Farm.
An alternative to this mammouth days walk is to break for an extra two nights at Bransdale Mill Bunkhouse. This National Trust Bunkhouse provides accommodation for groups of up to 12 at Cockayne for a minimum of two nights. It is a 3 mile walk down from the Coast to Coast path, but is ideally located midway between Cote Gyll Mill and Bank House Farm, providing two 13 miles days and a respite day at the mill in between.
Day Eleven, Back up to the Route for a mile, and then continue to Robin Hood’s bay 19 miles away. Buses from Robin Hood’s Bay are available taking you to SCARBOROUGH HOSTEL. The X93 from Middlesborough goes via Whitby and onto Robin Hood’s Bay. It then passes through Burniston and Clougton before arriving into Scarborough. Either Scalby or the Scarborough Railway Station stops are good for Scarborough Youth Hostel. In the summer months there are 2 per hour.
Accommodation on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk gets booked quickly and many walkers and cyclist carry heavy camping gear. However it is possible to walk the route using Independent Hostels.
This article shows the location of the hostels and give suggested day by day itineraries. Full details of the route and other resources can be found on the LDWA website.