IT is almost half a century since Alf Wainwright, the doyen of British fellwalkers, published his Coast to Coast Walk guidebook.

The quiet and unassuming man, who spent his working life as local government officer, was most famous for his distinctive and meticulously-illustrated Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells.

The guides were published in the 1950s and 60s, followed by his companion guidebook to the Pennine Way. Then, in 1973, came the book which described the route he devised across the North of England, from St Bees on the Cumbria coast to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire – a distance of 182 miles.

At the time, Wainwright said the Coast to Coast “puts the Pennine Way to shame” for scenic beauty, variety and interest. And he added: “Surely, there cannot be a finer itinerary for a long distance walk.”

It’s a sentiment that many others have agreed with. Over almost half a century, the route through the heart of the Lakes, the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors has become one of the most popular long-distance walks – in the UK and the world. The 6,000 walkers who complete the trek every year come from the US and Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe as well as this country.

But despite its growing fame and popularity, it has never been designated one of the UK’s National Trails, the 15 walks officially recognised – and funded – by the Government as special routes through the best landscape this country has to offer.

Until now. Last month the Government announced the Coast to Coast would become part of the National Trail family with £5.6m set aside to bring the walk up to standard with improved waymarking, path upgrading and maintenance and, crucially, promotion.

The decision comes after a six-year campaign to bring the iconic walk into the National Trail family – a campaign triggered by a chance conversation the then newly-elected MP for Richmond, Rishi Sunak, had with a pub landlord – Steve Knight of the White Swan, Danby Wiske, near Northallerton, on the Coast to Coast route.

Mr Sunak agreed with Mr Knight that it was a bizarre anomaly that that this most famous walk was effectively unofficial and saw the potential of National Trail designation to develop and safeguard the route as a way to drive economic growth in some of the most isolated parts of the UK.

Mr Sunak’s petition was supported by more than more than 70 local councils along the route – from the smallest parish council to the three national parks the walk traverses. That was followed by a special Parliamentary debate in which Mr Sunak made the case for official designation.

The MP secured the intention to have the trail recognised in the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto which has led to the announcement in August by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Natural England – the body which oversees the UK’s National Trails.

The move has been welcomed by small businesses along the walk.

Steve Hewitt owns the award-winning Joiner’s Shop Café and Kitchen at Ingleby Cross on the edge of the North York Moors. The trail passes his café doorway.

“The Coast to Coast walk accounts for about 40 per cent of our business here and many of the visitors come from overseas,” he says. “Just in this village alone we have four bed and breakfasts that provide accommodation and the pub, the Blue Bell, for which the walk is absolutely vital.”

He adds that many of the visitors, used to National Trail networks in their own countries, remarked on the poor waymarking of the Coast to Coast in some places.

“Making the Coast to Coast a National Trail is potentially a massive boost for businesses like mine and we look forward to having an easy-to-follow, safer walk which will help to attract more walkers both from this country and the rest of the world.”

Karen Skeel and Neil Yeoman opened their B&B, Frith Lodge, near Keld in the 2016, the year the National Trail campaign was launched.

Keen walkers, they did the Coast to Coast in 2010, fell in love with the area, bought Frith Lodge and spent two years renovating the property.

It is one of the most isolated places to stay on the walk, above West Stonesdale, in the uppermost reaches of Swaledale and at the halfway point of the Coast to Coast crossing.

Ms Skeel says: “Our very remote business relies in the main on Coast to Coast walkers, who we have the pleasure in welcoming from the UK as well as overseas. Many of these walkers become returning guests which not only further supports our small business but others in this remote part of the Yorkshire Dales.

“The funding National Trail status draws will bring some much-needed maintenance and way-marking in places like Nine Standards Rigg just to the west of us.

“The walk has got to be up there as one of the best routes in the world.”

Another business looking forward to the benefits National Trail status will bring is Church Holme Camping at Danby Wiske, near Northallerton. The approved route for the trail passes the entrance to their site which sits in the shadow of the village’s 11th Century church.

Vicky Cotter, who owns and runs the site with husband Steve, says they were delighted by the news: “We love supporting walkers to realise their goal of completing the walk and we hope to welcome many more walkers from all over the world to our beautiful village.”

Mr Sunak says he is looking forward to the completion of the work to bring the route up to National Trail status – a major task which is expected to take up to three years – and the long-term benefits that follow.

“The walk is estimated to generate £7m a year for the businesses of the area it passes through,” he says. “Designation as a National Trail and the resources that will bring will help to improve that further, boosting the rural economy in North Yorkshire.

“The process of becoming a National Trail might seem a rather dry, bureaucratic thing but what it is really about is recognising the very special qualities of the walk the late, great Alf Wainwright dreamed up, the enormous variety of the landscapes and communities it passes through, and telling the world about it.”