Walking the King charles III England Coast Path

The King Charles III England Coast Path is a new National Trail, created under new legislation, which will follow the coast of England. Renamed to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III the trail is being developed and opened in sections and some sections are already open. Once completed, walking the England Coast Path will be a great achievement as it’s the longest coastal path in the world!

In some places, where there is already a coastal National Trail, you will see both trails waymarked. This includes the South West Coast Path, the Norfolk Coast Path and the coastal part of the England Coast Path. Here you’ll see signs for the existing trail as well as signs for the England Coast Path.

Work on the trail has been delayed but in February 2022, the government that the England Coast Path will be fully walkable by the end of this Parliament.

The coast of England is varied and you’ll notice changes to the landscape, wildlife and habitat as you walk the trail. Long stretches of the coastline are designated areas of natural beauty and the landscape and wildlife is protected in many areas.

Highlights include the coast of North Yorkshire and the picturesque fishing towns and villages including Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay and Staithes.

The iconic White Cliffs of Dover in Kent, not only a symbol of home and war time defence but also worth visiting for stunning views, rare chalk grassland and a wealth of wildflowers, butterflies and birds.  

Stretching from East Devon to Dorset, the Jurassic Coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a coastline rich in beauty, history and fossils. ‘Must visit’ places include the spectacular limestone arch of Durdle Dor, the pretty seaside town of Lyme Regis, Golden Cap – the highest point on the south coast of England, the beautiful Kimmeridge Bay, the dramatic Portland Bill and the Undercliffs National Nature Reserve.

From the Wirral peninsula to Lancashire and Cumbria, the north west coast of England includes the city of Liverpool, large seaside resorts of Southport and Blackpool and the more rural coastline of Cumbria, 100 miles stretching from the Solway Firth to Morecambe Bay. The Heritage Coast at St Bees marks the western end of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk.  

Nowhere in the UK is more than 70 miles (113) from the coast and it is estimated that around 3 million people (out of 60 million) live on the coast of the UK. The place furthest from the coast is Coton in the Elms in Derbyshire, which is equidistant from Fosdyke Wash in Lincolnshire; White Sands between Neston in Cheshire and Flint, Flintshire in Wales; and Westbury-on-Severn Gloucestershire.