Coastal Cumbria, England

SUMMARY

Date: Saturday July 5th to Saturday July 12th 2025

Guide: Bridget Turnbull your local guide

Walking Grade: Goat 3 as we walk part of the King Charles III England Coast Path to experience the very best of coastal Cumbria. This is graded goat 3 because of the distance you will be walking every day for a week covering 65 miles/105km. There are very little ascents and descents – this walk is more about stamina to walk 4-5 hours per day.

Maximum distance in one day: 12 miles/18km

Maximum elevation: 1263ft/385m

We will help you with a fitness plan as you need to be able to work up to 12 miles/19 km in one day.

Highlights: Walking beside the sea, Stunning sunrises and sunsets, stops offs in little coastal towns and perhaps the speciality ‘sticky toffee pudding’, bird life. Ending our journey at Piel Island.

Base: The Royal Kings Arms in Lancaster for 2 nights and Ye Old Fighting Cocks in Arnside for 5 nights. You return from your walks to have some comfort and chat about your day over meals together.

Arrivals: Please arrive on Saturday July 5th anytime after 14.00 at the Royal Kings Arms,75 Market Steet,Lancaster LA1 1JG . Bridget will be there to meet you at 15.00 for those interested in an orientation walk before your evening meal.

Departures: From Arnside after breakfast. There will be an optional walk around Arnside provided on your last day 

Price: £1650 for a solo occupancy ensuite room all week 

If you bring a partner or friend and share a room the price will be £1400 per person

Includes:

• 7 nights accommodation in ensuite rooms
• A hearty breakfast each morning
• A packed lunch for your walking days – 7 days
• Evening Meals together in your hotel
• A welcome drink on your first night
• Expert local guiding
• All transport and luggage transfer required for your trip
• Ferry to Piel Island

Not included :

• Your travel to Lancaster ( we can help with planning )
• Additional activities not on the itinerary
• Additional drinks that are not included

DETAILS

We want to provide our walking women with some longer distance trails that give opportunities to be guided through fantastic scenery and explore the nature and culture of the area. To be guided by a female guide who has lived and breathed the area for most of her life. All our guides are local to the areas we walk in.

This coastal trail in Cumbria has been renamed King Charles III England Coast Path which is brand new and due to be finally completed for 2025. At 2,700 miles long it will be the longest managed coast path in the world. We will be walking 65 miles/105km of it. You may get a taste and want to do the whole thing one day!

Our part is a continuous (almost) trail leading from Lancaster right the way around Morecambe Bay to Walney Island. Full of glorious long-distance views of the Lake District Hills & Yorkshire Dales.

ITINERARY

We will mostly be following the England Coastal Path in Cumbria. Bridget has devised our route to ensure that you walk the best sections,but sometimes weather changes things and we ask you to bring your sense of adventure and flexible spirit. Your guide will always brief you of any changes.

Day 1 Arrival Lancaster Town and meet at our hotel the Royal Kings Arms Hotel.

Check in is from 14.00 and Bridget your guide will be in reception from 15.00 for a guided orientation walk around Lancaster.

18.00 Welcome drink in the hotel bar and a briefing about your week followed by dinner together at the hotel.

Overnight at the Royal Kings Arms Hotel, Lancaster with dinner together at the hotel.

Day 2  The River Lune Estuary. Easy walking 10 miles/16km. Ascent 475ft/145m

Taxi to Galgate (4 miles). We walk along canal to Glasson Dock to the coast and back along the River Lune estuary.

Overnight at the Royal Kings Arms Hotel, Lancaster ( Dinner together at the hotel)

Day 3 Coast to Carnforth 12 miles/18km. 426ft/130m. Your bags will be transported.

Walk to Carnforth by the coast. Here we get our first sweeping views of the expansive Morecambe Bay and the Lake District fells on its northern side. We pass the iconic 1930’s Midland Hotel in Morecambe and enjoy the sea bird themed sculptures along the route.

 From Carnforth we travel on to Arnside by train.

Overnight Ye Olde Fighting Cock, Arnside with dinner together at our hotel

Day 4 Carnforth to Arnside 12 miles/18km. Ascent 1263ft/385m.

Today we return to Carnforth by train and walk back to our hotel in Arnside through undulating coastal limestone woodlands in the Arnside/Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – the AONB designation says it all!

Overnight Ye Olde Fighting Cock, Arnside with a meal out in Arnside together.

Day 5 Grange to Cark 11 miles/17kms. Ascent 807ft/246m

We take a train across the Kent estuary to the Victorian seaside town of Grange over Sands. We walk from here along the promenade and coastal footpaths right out to Humphrey Head Point and on to Cark. From Cark we get a Train back to Arnside.

Overnight Ye Olde Fighting Cock, Arnside and dinner together at our hotel.

Day 5 Ulverston circular route 10 miles/16km. Ascent 794ft/242m.

This morning we take a train to Ulverston and enjoy a circular route from this historic C18 market town. We do this to give you the best of the coast and keep you away from tedious road walking. Our route includes the beautiful coast, a pre historic stone circle on a hill overlooking the expansive Morecambe Bay. You can look back and marvel at how far you have walked since Day 1. We return to Ulverston via Urswick tarn and Swarthmoor Hall, the birthplace of the Quaker movement.

From Ulverston back to Arnside by train..

Overnight Ye Olde Fighting Cock, Arnside with dinner together at our hotel.

Day 6 Piel Island, our journeys end. 8 miles/13km. Ascent 518ft/158m

Today we take a train to Dalton-in-Furness and walk down the Vale of Nightshade to Furness Abbey,once a pilgrimage destination. This powerful and wealthy monastery controlled much of the trade on the Irish Sea from its castle on Piel Island. Catching a ferry across we explore the island which has its own King,complete with its own throne and pub. From here you will see the whole of Morecambe Bay from sea level.

This is off the tourist trail and a fascinating coastline often missed.

Overnight at Ye Old Fighting Cock,Arnside – final meal and congratulations.

Day 7 departure day – leave after breakfast.

There will be a morning walk around Arnside and over Arnside Knott,the local hill,for anyone interested ending at 13.00. 5 miles/8kms. Ascent 670ft/213m