C2C Day 1: Along the Cliffs...

Stage 1: St. Bees to Ennerdale Bridge

The coastal segment was 3.7 miles (6K) long and included several observation points maintained by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Although it’s hard to tell in the sections that are heavily covered by bird poop, the cliffs are made of red St. Bees sandstone, which has been used in construction since medieval times.

This is the only breeding place in England for black guillernots.

The path started to veer inland at Birkham’s Quarry, where we found some excellent seats to enjoy our snack. Our guidebook had warned us that it was a good idea to buy packed lunches from the inns each day as restaurant options were limited. While we had envisioned stopping at country pubs for lunch and adorable teahouses most afternoons, we opted to heed the warning and were very glad we did as our route was much more rural than any of us had anticipated.