A trail which takes in the stunning coast of the Lake District National Park and connects the shoreline with some of the UK’s most famous mountains and lakes will celebrate its official launch by Natural England today.
As part of the England Coast Path National Trail, the new stretch covers over 52km (almost 33 miles) of trails from Whitehaven to Silecroft where the Lake District dips down to the Irish Sea.
The new trail and many areas of associated coastal access land are now publicly accessible. The trail comprises of coastal terrain such as beaches, dunes and cliff tops, picturesque towns and villages, the fascinating Sellafield skyline, views of both mountain and sea and many visitor hotspots including:
- The historic Georgian town of Whitehaven – reputed to be the inspiration for Lilliput in Gulliver’s Travels
- The towering red sandstone cliffs of St Bees Head – the only area of high sea cliffs in the North West
- The majestic Muncaster Castle – a historic and supposedly haunted castle with beautiful gardens and owl sanctuary
- Ravenglass, the coastal village which is in two UNESCO World Heritage sites – The Lake District and Hadrian’s Wall
- Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway – known as La’al Ratty – one of the oldest and longest narrow gauge heritage railways in England
The Whitehaven to Silecroft stretch, which initially opened to local communities in March 2021 during the COVID-19 restrictions, joins Allonby to Whitehaven and Walney Island and brings the total length of England Coast Path in Cumbria to 70 miles.
Once complete it will create a new National Trail all around England’s coast, which at 2,700 miles, will be the longest continuous coastal walking route in the world.
