The Yorkshire Dales has been placed firmly at the centre of one of the country’s most iconic walking routes, as the Coast to Coast is officially designated a National Trail more than 50 years after it was first conceived by Alfred Wainwright.
The 190-mile route, which runs from St Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea, passes through the Yorkshire Dales National Park, bringing walkers through some of the region’s most celebrated landscapes.
The new status follows a £5.5 million investment to upgrade the route, with major improvements delivered across the Dales including nearly three kilometres of stone flagging over sensitive peatland, upgrades to ten bridges and the installation of more than 40 new fingerposts.
Derek Twine, chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, paid tribute to the work carried out locally to help secure the designation.
“I want to pay tribute to everyone involved in elevating the Coast to Coast Path to National Trail standard,” he said.
“Here in the Dales, our teams have delivered the largest single project in the Authority’s history: installing nearly three kilometres of stone flagging across a notoriously boggy and environmentally sensitive peatland, upgrading ten bridges, and installing more than 40 new fingerposts to guide walkers along the route.
“Recognising the Coast to Coast Path as a National Trail is something this Authority has championed since 2016, and I am proud to see that support finally come to fruition. This designation will not only safeguard the route for future generations but also help strengthen our rural economies and inspire more people to enjoy and access the outdoors.”
The Dales section of the route is widely regarded as one of its most varied, taking in limestone scenery, waterfalls, hay meadows and traditional stone barns, as well as key points such as Keld in Swaledale, where a new marker will highlight the symbolic halfway stage of the journey.
Across the wider route, Natural England said the new National Trail status would open the experience to a broader range of users, with improved accessibility, surfacing and signage.
Chief executive Marian Spain said: “The Coast to Coast Path National Trail showcases some of Northern England’s most treasured landscapes and today marks the completion of four years of work to give this iconic route the status it deserves.
“As a National Trail with improved accessibility, paths and signage it will offer a new generation of walkers, wheelers and riders the chance to enjoy the route and bring new tourists to businesses along the way.”
More than 6,000 people complete the full Coast to Coast route each year, with many more enjoying shorter sections — bringing significant benefits to communities across the Yorkshire Dales and beyond.
