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Coast to Coast Walk- Cliff Collapse at St Bees

This morning there was a major cliff collapse at St Bees, right at the start of the C2C walk (at a point locally known as the Old Swimming Pool).
As I understand it there is currently a very narrow path remaining, but this could change at any time if there is further collapse. This follows weeks of heavy rain, especially this last weekend (and more in the forecast).

Pending assessment of the situation the current advice is to avoid the area entirely (both the cliff top and the beach below) and find alternative routes.

Posted by
471 posts

Oh my goodness how terrifying! I hope no one was hurt!

Thank you for this information.

Posted by
1457 posts

I’m struck by the irony that as an ‘unofficial’ trail for several decades the route was (relatively) trouble free, but almost to the minute it becomes an official National Trail, a large chunk of the Coast to Coast path falls into the sea. Somewhere Alfred Wainwright, behind a cloud of pipe smoke, is having a quiet grim chuckle!

Ian

Posted by
10927 posts

Luckily there was no-one around.
Had it been mid summer it would have been a different story on the beach at low tide. That is a very popular family rock pooling beach down below and I can remember using the open air sea water pool back in the 70's and early 80's.
And there would have been a mixture of long distance walkers and local dog walkers on the cliff.

You can't out-run such a fall.

As it was it was a cold, still, misty morning. Beautiful after the storms but not the weather to encourage you on a cliff walk.

Posted by
1389 posts

Oh, no! Thank you, isn31c, for posting this. I hope the new rain won't be as bad as predicted. My C2C walk doesn't start until August.