Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite

Directions

1. Begin on Ennerdale Bridge, facing downstream, and turn right to walk towards the telephone box. After 60 metres, take the right, following the sign to Ennerdale Water.
2. Shortly turn right onto the permissive footpath running parallel to the road on your left.
3. When the footpath bears left (meeting the road) turn right and then right again, still following signs for Ennerdale Water.
4. Bear right, and then left after 300 metres. Stay on the paved road at both junctions.
5. Continue straight over the bridge, and straight again towards the lake with the car park to your left.
6. Bear right at the fork in the path, crossing over the bridge and keeping the lake on your left.
7. Bear right again to climb over Robin Hood’s Chair. Follow the steeping stones over the becks and over a wide stream before continuing straight through the gate, the lake still on your left.
8. At the end of the lake, go straight through the gate and across the bridge. Take another gate after 600 metres and then turn right, following the yellow arrow.
9. Cross the gate and turn left, continuing along the gravel road. Follow over the bridge and turn right immediately along the gravel road.
10. Continue straight, disregarding Lower Gillerthwaite Centre on the right, and pass the path that bears left uphill.
11. Bear left at the wooden gate and go through the metal gate on the field. Cross over the stream and continue uphill passing a stone pen on your left. Continue through the field between the two sections of woodland to join the start of the High Route.
12. Follow straight through the gate along the grassy path. Continue straight with the river on your right.
13. Turn right across the stream when you reach a big cairn and a big boulder across the stream. Once over the stream, turn immediately left, following the path with the stream on its left.
14. Continue straight on past the scree and heather and along the grassy path. Head uphill towards Red Pike summit. Bear left, walking in an 11 o’clock direction, and follow the path through scattered rock.
15. Descend the rocky section to join the saddle between Ride Pike and High Stile. Continue straight along the path.
16. Follow the loose rocky section, continuing with the metal fence posts on your right as a guide. When the fence posts turn right, continue straight to follow a chain of three cairns before reaching the summit of High Stile after 100 metres. (This is the highest point of the Coast to Coast walk).
17. Turn right at the summit of High Stile, following a metal post sticking out of a rock. Follow with the fence post on your right to join the footpath.
18. The path will begin to bear right – follow it right to go uphill towards another fence post sticking out form a pile of rocks. Continue straight.
19. Follow the path down the steep scree slope and down the stone steps.
20. Follow across the crossroads with Scarf Gap and Haystacks ahead. Ascend the stone steps and continue up Haystacks (scrambling may be necessary in some areas).
21. Pass a metal post in a rock to your left and a pond on the right. Bear right between these and descend downhill from Haystacks. Bear left to follow the path.
22. Take the right at the fork in the path towards the tarn. Bear right onto the rocky track, passing Innominate Tarn on your right.
23. Bear left heading away from the Innominate Tarn to join a rocky track. Turn left to cross Black Beck stream and ascend the stone steps. Continue straight at the top of the steps and bear right uphill after 100 metres.
24. Bear left at the fork to go downhill, and then bear right at the second fork to the rocky path bending right.
25. Cross the stream and after 50m bear right at the fork in the path towards the slate quarry.
26. Turn right when you reach the slate house to head uphill. Turn left at the fork after 100m, and continue straight on at the crossroads to follow the narrow path. Continue straight again at the next crossroads, heading downhill to see the Honister Slate Mining Museum.
27. Turn left at the wire fence, keeping the fence to your right before turning right onto the gravel road, walking towards the museum.
28. Bear left to join the footpath taking you towards the car park before joining the road. Turn right after 200 metres to walk along the paved road going uphill.
29. When you see a gravel road joining from the right, turn left to join the footpath following the signpost for ‘Coast to Coast’. Turn left when the footpath re-joins the paved road, before turning left again to follow a second sign.
30. Bear right at the vehicular gates to go through a kissing gate. Continue straight through the trees and over the stile.
31. Bear right again through the gate, and then immediately right again downhill. Follow the footpath sign towards Seatoller. Cross through the gate before turning left onto the paved road.
32. Pass through Seatoller and then turn left opposite the bus stop. Continue through the car park and join the stony footpath. Cross over the stile and bear right at the fork.
33. Continue straight to cross the stream and then turn right after 100 metres through the gap in the drywall. Follow straight.
34. Bear left through a second gap in the drywall and continue along the path to join the river.
35. Continue straight with the youth hostel to your left, and then bear right with the car park on your right and cross over the bridge.
36. When the road sweeps right after a cottage, turn left through the gate with the footpath sign. Pass through a second gate. Bear right through the gate and then left through a further gate with the houses on your right.
37. Pass through another gate before turning right along the gravel road. Turn left onto the paved road, following it through Rosthwaite.
38. Arrive at the car park and visitor centre in Rosthwaite.