A guidebook to walking the northwest section of the King Charles III England Coast Path between Gretna and Chester. Covering 590km (367 miles), this straightforward trail along the Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside coast takes around 1 month to hike.

The route is described from north to south in 28 stages between 13 and 29km (8–18 miles) in length.

• Contains step-by-step description of the route alongside 1:50,000 OS maps 
• Refreshment information given for each route stage 
• Public transport by stage is listed for those wanting to break the trail into shorter sections 
• Handy trek planner, route summary tables and accommodation listings help you plan your itinerary 
• Accompanying map booklets containing OS 1:25,000 mapping and route line are also available

Map key
Route summary table
Overview profile/alternate staging
Stage facilities planner
Introduction
What is the England Coast Path?
Origins
Planning and wayfinding
What is Coastal Access?
Adaptability
The north west coastal landscape
Geography
Geology
Natural history
Human and cultural histories
Practicalities
Fitness and variations to itinerary
Transport
Accommodation
Communications
Money
When to go
North or south?
Coastal safety
Emergencies
What to pack
Maps
Using this guide
Accessibility
The King Charles III England Coast Path – North West
Part 1 – Cumberland
Stage 1 – Gretna to Knockupworth
Stage 2 – Knockupworth to Bowness-on-Solway
Stage 3 – Bowness-on-Solway to Abbeytown
Stage 5 – Abbeytown to Silloth
Stage 6 – Silloth to Maryport
Stage 7 – Maryport to Whitehaven
Stage 8 – Whitehaven to Seascale
Stage 9 – Seascale to Ravenglass railway station
Stage 10 – Bootle railway station to Silecroft (& from Eskmeals viaduct)
Stage 11 – Silecroft to Green Road railway station
Part 2 – Morecambe Bay
Stage 11 – Foxfield to North Scale
Stage 12 – North Scale to Vickerstown
Stage 13 – Vickerstown to Bardsea
Stage 14 – Bardsea to Cark
Stage 15 – Cark to Grange-over-Sands
Stage 16 – Arnside to Hest Bank
Stage 17 – Hest Bank to Overton
Stage 18 – Overton to Conder Green
Stage 19 – Conder Green to Knott End ferry
Part 3 – Wyre to Wales
Stage 20 – Fleetwood ferry to Lytham
Stage 21 – Lytham to Preston
Stage 22 – Preston to Tarleton Lock
Stage 23 – Tarleton Lock to Crossens
Stage 24 – Crossens to Formby
Stage 25 – Formby to Seaforth
Stage 26 – Seaforth to New Brighton
Stage 27 – New Brighton to Parkgate
Stage 28 – Parkgate to Chester or Wales Coast Path)
Appendix A Accommodation listings
Appendix B Useful contacts
Appendix C Further reading
Appendix D Day walk options
Appendix E Further alternate itineraries 

Seasons

Best walked in spring and summer for the longest days, best public transport and to avoid the worst weather and tides, but walkable year round with adequate planning.

Centres

Gretna, Carlisle, Silloth, Maryport, Workington, Whitehaven, Ravenglass, Millom, Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands, Arnside, Silverdale, Carnforth, Morecambe, Heysham, Lancaster, Fleetwood, Blackpool, Lytham, Preston, Southport, Liverpool, Wirral, Shotton and Chester.

Difficulty

Other than one or two longer, more strenuous days in Cumbria, the majority of the guide’s 28 stages can be easily split, extended or adapted. Most are relatively easy walking depending on terrain and distance.

Must See

Circuiting Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Wirral and a slice of Cheshire, highlights include the Solway Firth, Hadrian’s Wall, Lake District mountain views, Morecambe Bay and Lancaster, the longest dune system in England at Sefton, Merseyside’s arts and musical culture, Wirral’s heritage and Cheshire’s coastal reedbeds.

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