Cumbria Tourism welcomes National Trail status for Coast to Coast route

Cumbria Tourism has said that the Coast to Coast route being given National Trail status is a wonderful achievement.

The Coast to Coast is a 197-mile walking or cycling path, made famous by Alfred Wainwright.

It begins in St Bees and goes through the middle of the Lake District to Shap, Kirkby Stephen and on to Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire.

Writer Alfred Wainwright devised the route and published it in his guidebook Coast to Coast in 1973.

Gill Haigh from Cumbria Tourism said that this will give a boost to local economy through more tourists being attracted to the area.

This has meant that Cumbria has now three National Trails, which are marked as such on OS Maps.

It will also bring £5.6million in funding to improve the path and its signage, which will make it more accessible for tourists.

 The path is walked in its entirety by about 6,000 people every year.

The trail status means the route will get investment that will help make the path more accessible for people of different abilities.

The money will also go towards improving the signage and path structures, and circular paths will be introduced for people who want to go on shorter walks.

Natural England said enhancements would be made over the next three years with the upgraded path expected to open in 2025.