Wainwright Walks: Coast To Coast

Julia Bradbury begins at St Bees Head on the coast of Cumbria, and has to deal with appalling weather conditions as she tackles her first Lakeland valley

Julia Bradbury follows in the footsteps of legendary guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright by walking across the whole of northern England from the west to the east coast . This was Wainwright's last great venture and has become his greatest legacy - a beautifully simple proposition, linking three national parks that lie between the Irish and the North Sea. 36 years after its creation, Julia is off, through sunshine, wind and rain to cross the changing landscape, understand the history and meet the people that make up almost 200 miles of northern England. Over three mountain ranges and across three valleys, the second stage of Julia's journey is a grand traverse of Wainwright's much-loved Lake District. Having shrugged off the rain, Julia ends with the epic 17-mile final day in the Lakes, including the length of Haweswater and the highest peak on the entire walk.

Julia sets off across the Eden Valley, a sparse land today but full of signs of ancient and uncertain human habitation. Kirkby Stephen is the one bustling modern outpost on this section, the launchpad for Julia's climb up and over the Pennines. The spine of England is a landmark on the walk, but during the wettest autumn in memory it is a major, boggy challenge.