Coach Hike Database

This page is intended to be contain some useful at-a-glance information for people planning and running a coach hike. More detailed information about destinations and routes should be added to the main pages on the wiki.

Braithwaite
Journey time:	2.5 hrs

Directions:	M6 to J40 then A66 straight to village. No need to go through Keswick town centre unless dropping people off.

Drop-offs/parking:	Room at the crossroads in the middle of the village. Could drop people off in Keswick if doing Skiddaw.

Possible pubs:	Royal Oak in centre of village

Nearby hills:	Skiddaw, Coledale horseshoe, Catbells, Whinlatter Mountain Forest

Other notes:

Keswick
Journey time:	2.5 hrs

Directions:	M6 to J40 then A66

Drop-offs/parking:	Car park with coach parking outside Booths supermarket (GR 263236). Parking expensive.

Possible pubs:	The Oldfellow Arms on the main street in town is good and has benches outside.

Nearby hills:	Skiddaw, Blencathra (Sharp Edge scramble), High Raise, Catbells

Other notes:	In Keswick are loads of gear shops, decent fish and chips in the town square near the pub, and a nice enough Chinese Takeaway around the corner near Booths.

Borrowdale
Journey time:	2.5 hrs+

Directions:	Best option is to stay on M6 till J40 then head into Keswick and south from there

Drop-offs/parking:	Car park in Seatoller is on the right as you enter the village (GR 245138). Don't go through the village as you end up on Honister pass and will need to do a tricky 3-point turn

Possible pubs:	There's a pub in Seatoller

Nearby hills:	Scafell Pike, Glaramara, Sour Milk Gill (scramble)

Other notes:

Glenridding
Journey time:	2.5 hrs

Directions:	Leave M6 at J40 and turn quickly onto A592

Drop-offs/parking:	Coach parking at visitor centre in Glenridding

Possible pubs:	Travellers Rest is just up the hill from the car park

Nearby hills:	Helvellyn (scrambles: Striding and Swirral Edge), St Sunday Crag, Fairfield, High Street, Dollywagon Pike, Place Fell

Other notes:

Grasmere
Journey time:	2-2.5 hrs

Directions:	Leave M6 at J36 and follow A591 through Windermere and Ambleside

Drop-offs/parking:

Possible pubs:	Numerous tea shops and pubs

Nearby hills:	Langdale, Fairfield, Helm Crag, Loughrigg Fell

Other notes:	The gingerbread shop should be visited!

Ambleside
Journey time:	2-2.5 hrs

Directions:	M6 to J36 then A591 through Windermere

Drop-offs/parking:	Lots of car parks in Ambleside, usually the first one reached, near Windermere at NY 376 032. It has toilets!

Possible pubs:	Various pubs in Ambleside. Kirkstone Pass Inn can be visited during a hike.

Nearby hills:	Red Screes, Fairfield horseshoe, Wansfell Pike, Loughrigg Fell

Other notes:

Langdale
Journey time:	2.5 hrs+

Directions:	M6 to J36 then A591 towards Ambleside. Turn off following signs for Great Langdale.

Drop-offs/parking:	Coach parking at NT car park just after New Dungeon Ghyll (GR 294063). On popular days this might be full -- if you can't turn the coach round there you'll have a difficult job when the road ends at a campsite about 1km later.

Possible pubs:	Old Dungeon Ghyll is at the end of the road. New Dungeon Ghyll is better to meet in because it's next to the car park.

Nearby hills:	Jack's Rake (scramble), Langdale Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike of Blisco

Other notes:

Coniston
Journey time:	2-2.5 hrs

Directions:	Take M6 to J36. Then follow A590 and A5084

Drop-offs/parking:	Coach car park in village (on right if approaching from South)

Possible pubs:	The Black Bull is good.

Nearby hills:	Old Man of Coniston, Dow Crag, Swirl How, Weatherlam

Other notes:	The descent from Swirl How south to Levers Hawse is potentially tricky in bad visibility. In recent years many have mistaken Great How Crags for the correct route and got into difficulty on the steep ground.

Kettlewell
Journey time:	1.5-2 hrs

Directions:	Take M56 past Burnley and onto A56. At Skipton, take B6265 onto Kettlewell

Drop-offs/parking:

Possible pubs:	There's a couple in Kettlewell.

Nearby hills:	Buckden Pike, Great Whernside, Birks (aka Firth) Fell

Other notes:

Wensleydale
Journey time:	2 hrs

Directions:	Probably quickest to take M6 to J34, then A683 to Ingleton and continue up t'Ribblesdale from there. Depending on the windiness of the road from Ribblehead, it might (might!) be quicker in a coach to leave the M6 at J37 and take the A684 to Hawes.

Drop-offs/parking:	May want to drop people at Ribblehead on the way. Final drop off at village of Hawes, parking at "The Wensleydale Creamery".

Possible pubs:

Nearby hills:	Great Shunner Fell, Great Knoutberry Hill (aka Widdale Fell), Lovely Seat (misnomer), Dodd Fell, Wether Fell.

Other notes:	Hike popular due to connections with dairy products. Shortage of hills in Wensleydale means some groups stay in Ribblesdale instead?

Ribblesdale
Journey time:	2 hrs

Directions:	Take M6 to J34 then A683 to Ingleton and carry on up to Ribblehead

Drop-offs/parking:	Drop off at Ribblehead junction for Whernside. Final drop off/pick-up at Horton-in-Ribblesdale

Possible pubs:	There are two pubs in Horton, the one by the Church is bigger, and probably nearer to the club's favoured type of pub.

Nearby hills:	Whernside, Ingleborough, Pen y Ghent

Other notes:	Very similar walks to Ingleton.

Ingleton
Journey time:	1.5-2hrs

Directions:	Take M6 to J34 then A683

Drop-offs/parking:	Could drop people at Ribblehead. Coach parking in Ingleton at SD 694 730

Possible pubs:

Nearby hills:	Whernside, Ingleborough, Pen y Ghent, Gragareth (aka Leck Fell), Great Combe

Other notes:	Very similar walks to Ribblesdale/Horton

Sedbergh
Journey time:	1.5-2hrs

Directions:	M6 to J37 then A684

Drop-offs/parking:	Coach parking in the town centre on the left GR 659 922.

Possible pubs:	Multiple pubs in Sedbergh.

Nearby hills:	Howgill Fells, The Calf.

Other notes:	Is technically in Cumbria, but is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Road to Sedbergh a bit winding but ok (maybe avoid at popular times of year). Cautley Spout is England's highest overground waterfall, falling nearly 200m down the eastern slopes of The Calf.

Dentdale
Journey time:

Directions:	Drive to Sedbergh, turn right in town centre and follow small road to Dent

Drop-offs/parking:	Drop offs in Dent and possibly Sedbergh. Parking may be hard to find in the valley on small roads.

Possible pubs:

Nearby hills:	Whernside, Great Combe, Great Knoutberry Hill, Calf Top.

Other notes:	Not visited for a few years. Road very winding which has apparently caused problems for the coach in the past. Walking pretty unexciting as well.

Malham Cove
Journey time:	1.5 hrs

Directions:	M65 then A682 to Hellifield. B road to Malham

Drop-offs/parking:	Large National Trust car park at SD 900 627 with toilets.

Possible pubs:

Nearby hills:	Fountains Fell and Kirkby Fell. Malham Cove, Goredale Scar and Janet's Foss the the main attractions. A circular walk combining all three is the best in the Dales. It's best done anticlockwise for the scrambly ascent of Goredale Scar's waterfall.

Other notes:	The road to Malham from the A65 is windy and slow, but plenty of coaches of Japanese tourists travel it every weekend. Has been done as minibus hike.

Capel Curig
Journey time:	2-2.5 hrs

Directions:	M56 then A55. Can approach either via Betws-Y-Coed (leave A55 near Conwy) or Bethseda (leave A55 near Bangor). The road via Betws y Coed is much slower and windier.

Drop-offs/parking:	Drop offs along A5 (Ogwen cottage and base of Tryfan). Pick up in Capel.

Possible pubs:	Bryn Tyrch hotel SH 724 579. This is the first pub you come to when walking off the hill towards Capel.

Nearby hills:	Carneddau, Tryfan, Y Garn, Moel Siabod. Scrambles: North ridge of Tryfan, Bristly ridge, South East ridge of Moel Siabod.

Other notes:	For good reason one of the most popular hike of the year (if held in 3rd week of Autumn term).

Llanberis
Journey time:	2.5 hrs

Directions:	M56 then A55 till Bangor. Follow enormous signs to Llanberis

Drop-offs/parking:	Drop off at Pen-Y-Pass (plenty of room for turning). Coach parking in Llanberis SH 581 601.

Possible pubs:	Anywhere but the pub next to Pete's Eats.

Nearby hills:	Yr Wyddfa, Crib Goch, Lliwedd, Glyders

Other notes:

Rhyd Ddu
Journey time:	2.5-3 hrs

Directions:	M56 then A55 till Bangor. Take A487 to Caernarfon then take a left to Rhyd Ddu

Drop-offs/parking:	Car park on the left just after you go through the village, by the railway station SH 571526.

Possible pubs:	Cwellyn Arms is the only pub in the village. Incredibly over-priced but at least it has an amusing stuffed animal.

Nearby hills:	Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa, Nantlle ridge scramble, Mynydd Mawr.

Other notes:

Cadair Idris
Journey time:	3 hrs+ by coach

Directions:	Take M56 and A55 to J35. Then follow A5104 and A494 (annoying winding roads) for 50 miles to Dolgellau

Drop-offs/parking:	Big car park in Dolgellau. Can be dropped off at Minffordd to climb Cadair, or somewhere on the A494 for Aran Fawddwy.

Possible pubs:

Nearby hills:	Cadair Idris, Aran Fawddwy, nothing else worth considering really.

Other notes:	The first rule of UMHC is: Never take a coach to Cadair Idris. It might be quite nice in a minibus or as a weekend trip.

Blaenau Ffestiniog
Journey time:	3 hours.

Directions:	Take M56 and A55 to Llandudno Junction. The follow A470 south past Betws y Coed to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Drop-offs/parking:	Parking shown at SH 702 459. Possible drop off at the top of Crimea Pass (SH 701 489) to gain nearly 400m of altitude.

Possible pubs:

Nearby hills:	Moelwyn Mawr and Bach, Moel yr Hydd, Cnicht, Moel Druman, Allt-fawr, Moel Penamnen, Manod Mawr.

Other notes:	Haven't been there for a couple of years, the journey would be long in a coach. A possible contender for a future weekend trip as it's somewhere a bit different and there's plenty of route options.

Beddgelert
Journey time:	2.5 to 3 hours.

Directions:	M56 and A55 to Bangor, A487 to Caernarfon and finally A4085 to Beddgelert.

Drop-offs/parking:	Parking in Beddgelert at SH 588 482. Groups may be dropped off at Rhyd Ddu for Snowdon or Nantlle Ridge (though this sort of defies the point of going to Beddgelert).

Possible pubs:

Nearby hills:	Moel Hebog (a truly excellent little mountain), Moel yr Ogof, Snowdon, Yr Aran, Cnicht.

Other notes:	Has been visited by the club in the past. Looks quite nice if a little similar to Rhyd Ddu. The village's name means "Gelert's Grave" as the legendary hound Gelert is allegedly buried nearby.