Coast to Coast passport uniting hikers and locals

A "passport" for hikers on the Coast to Coast footpath has proved a hit with walkers and local businesses, with more than 750 sold since it was launched.

The booklet allows people to collect 29 stamps along the 190 mile (305km) walk, which stretches from St Bees Head in Cumbria to Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire.

Launched in March, the 140-page document encourages people to visit shops, pubs and visitor attractions dotted along the route.

Donald Cline, who helped devise the scheme, said he hoped the passport would become a "memento" for walkers to cherish.

"There are walking passports on other routes, but the Coast to Coast has never had one, so we thought let's try it," he said

"A graphic designer in Richmond researched each of the 29 locations and came up with fun ideas.

"For example, in Keld they had a musical tradition with a silver band, so she's put some instruments on the stamp.

"The passport becomes a memento of their walk, but at the end each passport has a unique number and they send us a photograph of their stamp and we send them a certificate saying 'well done'."

Costing £15, the booklet includes useful information, photography and discounts for businesses along the route as well as a foreword by hiking enthusiast and television presenter Julia Bradbury.

Money made from the sale of the passport is spent on maintenance of the trail and divided between organisations such as the Wainwright Society, Natural England and Richmond Community Interest Company.

Wendi Merrit, from Arizona, completed her two-and-a-half-week Coast to Coast walk on Friday, receiving the final stamp at Robin Hood's Bay.

"It's been fabulous," she said.

"I don't know how you managed to arrange the weather to be so perfect for the last two and a half weeks, but it was just absolutely beautiful."

She said she had picked up a passport in Richmond and enjoyed collecting all the stamps.

"They were all fabulous. Keld was amazing. There's so many plans to come back and visit all these communities and spend more time in them.

"Every one of them was so excited for this opportunity. Even here in Robin Hood's Bay I had stopped into a shop and had my book with me but not recognised the shop was one of the places that provided the stamp.

"The shop keeper noticed my book and made the offer and she was very excited to be that final stamp for me."

Hannah Parnell, who runs Two Dales Bakery in Reeth, has volunteered to be a passport stamper.

"I'm a very keen long-distance trailer myself, often in Europe, and I had known about these little passports and it seemed a really excellent idea," she said.

"What is so lovely is that the Coast to Coast attracts such a variety of people from all different places.

"So far we've had several people from the States, we've had Germans coming through, someone from Sweden and some Brits as well.

"Obviously it's very nice to appear in a really beautifully produced booklet and it's very good publicity for small businesses like ours, but actually we really love all the traveller stories.

"It's a win-win because they get a discount on takeaway products, but we also get the fun of listening to the story.

"It's only been a month or two and we expect to get a real momentum as the season picks up. We [small businesses] all think it's a positive thing. Hopefully it's also a useful tool for travellers."

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