Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite
Stage 2 of the Coast to Coast Path (St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay, walked west-to-east) is the walk's first true mountain day and, for many, its most exhilarating. From Ennerdale Bridge the path traces the lonely southern shore of Ennerdale Water, the most westerly lake in the Lake District, scrambling beneath Anglers' Crag before striking deep into the wild, roadless valley of the rewilded River Liza. Forest tracks lead to Black Sail Hut, England's most remote youth hostel, where the day's work begins: a steep pull up Loft Beck onto the high fells beneath Great Gable. The route then follows the line of the old Honister slate tramway past the Drum House down to Honister Pass and the last working slate mine in England, before dropping through Borrowdale to the snug stone village of Rosthwaite. At roughly 14.5 miles (23.5 km) with around 680 m of ascent and a near-equal descent, it is a long, strenuous day on genuinely remote ground, with no road reached between the lake and Honister Pass. Reverse-direction (Rosthwaite to Ennerdale Bridge) walkers face the same climb in mirror, with the steep Loft Beck section as a descent. The Coast to Coast Path was designated a fully waymarked National Trail in 2026.

Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite