I was very tempted to continue along the Wales Coast Path for a second time to reach Chester. It is a wonderful journey that easily rivals the popular South West Coast Path and surely deserves the status of a National Trail. I had no expectations of what Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria had to offer other than good accommodation along a coastal route that passes through many iconic seaside towns and villages. I wore my Brooks Cascadias, knowing that there would be a lot of tarmac, promenades and cycleways and very little of the rugged terrain I left behind at Minehead.
I started my walk from Chester station along the Sustrans NCN Route 5 to intercept the link path that joins the WCP to the ECP. Settling into a path-bashing pace, there was little interest other than the Toyota factory at Deeside until the RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands. A male hen harrier patrolled the drainage channels and led me on to the village of Neston and then Parkside and a difficult choice of which ice cream window to choose. The black and white Mostyn House School building reflects the afternoon sun back across the estuary.
The cycle route is one to return to, exploring the Wirral peninsula., stopping for a fish supper when needed. West Kirby and Hoylake lead to Wallasey along an endless seawall and views of Liverpool Bay. I turn along the Mersey and walk to the famous ferry painted in dazzle camouflage colours, befitting the Eurovision Song Contest event, which is in full swing. Accommodation is a challenge and leads me into the suburbs, but I can pick up the canal towpath and walk through the industrial heritage the following day. The corner pubs have been preserved along the streets, contrasting to the newly built light industrial units. It is a relief to arrive at Crosby and walk through the Antony Gorman sculptures for 2-miles to another beach containing the rubble of the Liverpool blitz from World War 2.
I reach a brand new King Charles III England Coast Path fingerpost. The news of the new name made that day, so this must be the first sign to have been erected, perhaps just a few hours before I got there. The new path weaves through Formby dunes before an exhausting long road section to Southport, with its fading pier, seemingly too expensive to repair.
I can see Blackpool Tower in the distance and an intense flashing light, which I assume is a navigation beacon, but why is it switched on during the day? To reach this famous resort, I have to turn inland to Preston along a lonely marshland walk and back out again past Warton airfield (birthplace of many a famous fighter jet) along a convoluted and unfinished path, having to cross private fields to reach the ECP again. A superb Italian family chippy in Lytham St Anne’s makes my day and refuels me for yet more endless cycle tracks and promenades. I reach the outskirts of Blackpool to find the source of the navigation light โ a huge glitter ball, the largest in the world, a heliograph that reflected intense light across the bay to Southport.
Now I walk into Blackpool, which easily wins the most outrageous seaside resort in the UK. People are screaming as they ride the rollercoaster of such scale I get dizzy watching them, other couples are catapulted into the air on reverse bungee ropes, and the bright garish seafront has every delight on offer. I pop out in the evening from by B&B and the whole experience turns neon and a new crowd emerges to party into the night.
I now speed walk to Fleetwood, because I have nothing else to do, other than try to shake off the endless promenade. I join a team of artists gathering stories from Morecambe Bay for a few days. I speak to fisherman and locals about the landscape and learn a great deal about the tides and the dangers of the largest estuary on this coastline. Heysham Nuclear power station dominates the view for miles, yet there are many interesting heritage sites which remind us of the days of shipping and industry which made this area wealthy. Now it is for the tourist to enjoy. Hopefully the Morecambe Bay community will complete the part and cycle tracks (using the rail bridges) to create an enjoyable route around the stunning Morecambe Bay seascape. The sunsets are quite stunning, especially if you can find some elevation as you reach Arnside. It would be wonderful to walk across the sands, but the tide and timing of the organised crossings are not aligned to my schedule. I walk around Milnthorpe Sands following the NCN 700 cycle route, via Levens to rejoin the coastal path to Grange-over-Sands for lunch, before climbing on to Humphrey Head for a stunning vista of the Bay. A long day brings me to Cark station via Cowpren Point and the option to now use the train service to connect my walks. I am staying in Barrow for a few days.
I walk up into the fells to avoid a dangerous road, following the remnants of the Cumbria Coastal Way, a good route until the ECP is complete along this section. NCN 70 cycleway brings me towards Ulverston, although I am told at low tide, it is possible to walk around the marshland to Canal Foot. It is high tide and raining, so I push towards Barrow for a monster 30-mile day. The shoreline is rock and difficult, but as the tide recedes, I can make better progress, but I am exhausted as I walk through Barrow to find my B&B. Unusually, my back feels weak, yet my legs and feet are strong. Walking poles would have helped, but I left them at home knowing the route was almost completely flat.
Walney Island, where the ECP is complete, is a pleasant 20-mile walk with contrasting views of the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man, primary industry and shipbuilding and huge offshore wind farms. These are left behind the following day at Duddon Sands, a beautiful remote sandy shoreline. There are plans to build an unsightly caravan park, with strong local opposition and I hope they succeed in stopping what would spoil a rare remote shoreline. The path north leads to Kirkby-in-Furness, Foxfield and more awkward paths to cross Duddon Bridge to reach Green Road Station and the newly opened ECP (KC3ECP) to Allonby. I walk along the seawall to Millom and to Silecroft to catch a train back to Millon for the night.
The next section is remote walking with two estuaries to cross. While Natural England announces they have opened this section, there are no bridges to cross these estuaries unless at low tide. I am fortunate at Newbiggin. A local explains the route to use, and it is an easy knee-high wade, but this is a spring low tide with no rain. The alternative is to catch the train, which makes this stretch of ECP non-continuous and frankly pointless. Then, you face a crossing at Drigg, which declares it is private land. I ignore those signs and wade through, but it is muddy and messy and unpleasant. Hopefully, a bridge will be built soon. Seascale is convenient for a meal stop before walking past the quite frightening Sellafield Nuclear Plant, with its fleet of nuclear transport trains and legacy of the Cold War nuclear weapons production. Had the scrubber device not been installed on a now demolished chimney, the Lake District would still be irradiated from the fire that started in the reactor hall in 1957. I am happy to leave this thought behind as I reach St Bees station to stay in Workington for the next two nights.
St. Bees Head starts the Coast to Coast route, a soon-to-be National Trail. I walk to the bay with dozens of people setting out on that path, and they assume I am walking it, too. My destination is Tescos at Whitehaven for a lunch sandwich, but the headland is a welcome return to some hilly coastal paths that remind my knees of the days spent west of Minehead. The industrial heritage of Workington and Whitehaven is fascinating. The coal and steel used to manufacture endless miles of rail track. All of this has gone now, replaced with a few wind turbines and art installations to remind you of the past. Maryport, by next stopover, was once a coal port and small fishing town. The hotel is stuck in a time warp and cosy, with friendly locals at the bar arguing over the merits of hot/cold custard with apple pie. A few pints sink into my legs before that most difficult section of any walk, the final stairs to your hotel room.
The next day is a unique low tide extensive beach walk to Silloth when the cycle track expires at Allonby. I walk for perhaps 7-10 miles without seeing anyone. Remote beach shacks constructed from driftwood can only be reached if you walk for a few hours. I can stop and absorb the environment and watch the clouds drift by. It is a supremely relaxing walk where I completely lose myself in my thoughts. It is possibly the longest continuous stretch of beach I have experienced since Cromer. Silloth has an excellent VW camper-themed cafe for a meal and rest before settling into to a local hostel.
I set off the next day for Bowness. The ECP is yet to be determined for much of this route โ it is a long road walk after I cross the Calvo Marshes to Abbeytown. I would wear boots on a day like this, so I am happy to wear my Cascadias. Bowness has 2 excellent B&Bs servicing the Hadrian’s Wall walkers. When the path and cycle tracks are finished, they will hopefully gain custom from walkers on a new route. The landlord says I am his first walker on the ECP as I set off early to Gretna with a plan to catch the mid-afternoon train. More road walking, but fortunately, a new path across the A689 to join yet unopened but usable stretch to Cargo and Rockcliffe. The River Eden is beautiful, but debris on the banks suggests it can get angry at times. A new section is opening towards Esk Boathouse too, a pleasant surprise, but the last 3 or 4 miles follow the NCN 74 cycle route and minor road, which is in fact a busy road running alongside the M6 Motorway.
I am happy to reach Gretna, and the welcome to Scotland sign precisely when a long-distance cyclist arrives too. He is heading into Dumfries and Galloway for a few weeks. I have completed the northwest stretch of the ECP and covered an estimated 2,000 miles since Cromer in 90 days and seem to walking faster and further than I have ever done.
I can’t wait to get to Berwick in a few months to walk south.
Trail Planner 