More walkers taking on the famous Coast to Coast Walk, which passes through North Yorkshire, will be able to record their journey thanks to new funding supporting the production of hundreds of official walk passports.
The Coast to Coast route stretches from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay, following a path first documented by fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright in 1973. The walk has since become one of the UK’s most popular long-distance routes.
The pocket-sized passports include around 140 pages of route information, details of villages and services along the way, and special offers from participating shops and businesses. Walkers can also collect stamps at stops along the route to mark their progress.
Funding for additional passports has been approved through North Yorkshire Council’s locality budget programme, with 16 councillors contributing funds to support the scheme. Most councillors awarded £300 each, while two contributed £400, helping to ensure more passports can be produced.
Each of North Yorkshire Council’s 90 councillors is allocated £5,000 per year to support projects that promote social, economic or environmental wellbeing in their local communities.
The Coast to Coast Passport scheme is operated by Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company (CIC) in partnership with Richmond Information Centre. Full passports can be ordered online for £15.
North Yorkshire Council chair Cllr George Jabbour, who completed the Coast to Coast Walk over the summer while raising more than £4,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said the passport added meaning to the experience.
“The Coast to Coast passport gave me a structure to my adventure and a companion that I consulted regularly,” he said.
“It allowed me to have a sense of accomplishment each time I collected a stamp and reached a milestone, which was a motivation factor to keep me going.”
He added that the passport was also a useful guide to local shops, pubs and accommodation, particularly for first-time walkers unfamiliar with the villages along the route.
Council leader Cllr Carl Les said the passports help walkers fully appreciate the journey through North Yorkshire.
“Each stamp is a memory to treasure, and together they tell the story of your walk,” he said.
“It’s not just about reaching the end — it’s about enjoying every step, meeting local people, and discovering the charm of North Yorkshire along the way.”
A director of Richmond Yorkshire CIC, Donald Cline, said the funding will help with the production and marketing of the 2026 passport, as well as a new lighter ‘mini passport’.
“The mini version is only 24 pages compared to the full edition’s 140 pages,” he said.
“If you’re carrying all your gear, weight matters.”
Mr Cline added that plans are also being developed to create downloadable short sections of the Coast to Coast route, making it more accessible for walkers who are unable to commit to the full 195-mile journey.
Further information about walking routes in North Yorkshire is available on the council’s website, while details about the passport scheme can be found via the Coast to Coast Walk Passport website.
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