Coast to Coast passport to inspire walkers

Stephanie Gate and Bell Wood are stamping agents at Honister Slate Mine in Cumbria

A passport has been introduced for walkers to collect unique stamps along one of the UK's most popular long-distance footpaths.

The 190 mile (305km) walk, from St Bees Head in Cumbria to Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire, was devised in 1973 by author Alfred Wainwright.

Thousands of people take on the walk each year, which passes through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors.

The passport has been developed to inspire walkers and boost businesses on the route.

The 140-page document encourages hikers to collect stamps at 29 locations along the path, including shops, pubs and visitor attractions, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It has been developed by volunteers from Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company (CIC), with funding provided by councils, national park authorities, businesses and the Wainwright Society.

Leader of North Yorkshire Council, Carl Les, said the passport gave walkers the chance "to have a lasting memento of their achievement" as well as a "boost to the local economy".

Mary Corner from The Old Coastguard Station in Robin Hood's Bay will be giving out stamps

Following a £5.8m investment from Natural England, the Coast-to-Coast route is set to become a National Trail next year, which gives it special status as a route showcasing some of Britain's most scenic landscape.

Richmond and Northallerton MP Rishi Sunak, who successfully campaigned for the designation, said: "Every coast to coaster should have their passport.

"It will form part of a walker's memory of this unique trek across the North of England and will unlock some great benefits for their journey."

A spokesperson for the Wainwright Society said: "As Alfred Wainwright said of the walk he devised 'surely there cannot be a finer itinerary for a long-distance walk'."

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