What the upgrade means
National Trails must meet high standards: consistent waymarking, clear and accessible routes, well-maintained surfaces and infrastructure, and a unified identity across all local authority boundaries. The Coast to Coast Path required significant establishment work to reach that point.
In the North York Moors, Project Officer Bernie McLinden and the National Trail ranger team have overseen extensive improvements, including resurfacing poorly draining or eroded sections, and replacing or removing long stretches of slippery boardwalk.
One striking improvement lies along the coastal stretch between Northcliffe and Hawsker, where fences have been moved back by up to 50 metres in places, with the support of the National Trust. This not only gives walkers a wider, more pleasant experience, it helps spread footfall, reducing erosion and protecting the landscape.
A team effort
A huge number of people were involved in the improvement works, including our National Trails Apprentice Ranger, Tom, who worked closely with Bernie to ensure the Coast to Coast Path met the high standards a National Trail requires. Speaking about his time on the project, Tom said:
There's such a variety of places it takes you, from countryside to coast. It's a great team to work with and I'd love to keep working in this type of role.
Also vital to the project were our volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout. The section through Little Beck Woods, in particular, involved a huge effort to remove old boardwalks and resurface the path. Because of its location, with limited vehicle access, Volunteers, National Park Staff and our Young Rangers moved tons of gravel manually with wheelbarrows (often uphill) to make the route as smooth as possible.
One of our Young Rangers, Hazel, was particularly happy to use some exciting equipment. Speaking at our launch event in Robin Hood's Bay:
My favourite bit was getting to use the leaf blower and wacker plate when working on the path at Little Beck. Being involved gave me lots and was great for me, and especially my mental health.
