Britain’s longest ever coastal path has officially opened – and it has been 18 years in the making
Fill your boots
Sometimes the walk from the tube station to your front door can feel a bit of a journey, even if your paltry step count says otherwise. Or maybe your walking prowess peaked with the finally-made-it-out-of-the-group-chat actually-used-something-from-your-TikTok-saved-folder hike across Seven Sisters last summer. But whether you're an ambitious hiker or a weekend walker, the news of a new 2,700 waterside walking route will come as a seriously big announcement – and it connects every cliff and coastal spot in England.
The new walking route is officially titled King Charles III England Coast Path, and it spans the entirety of England’s shoreline. Like any huge project it has been in the making for years – the best part of two decades actually, and it’s finally open for all your rambles. If you were an avid reader of Raynor Winn’s The Salt Path, then this will get you dusting off those (probably unused) walking boots and donning the wet weather gear.
The path has been curated and created by Natural England – the Government’s adviser for the natural environment. The project was first optioned in 2004 under Gordon Brown’s government, taking 18 years, 7 Prime Ministers, and 23 seasons of Strictly Come Dancing to come to life. It connects rugged coastal paths with sandy beaches, tumbledown coves, and some of the most breathtakingly stunning scenery. It stretches a whopping 2,689 miles around the country’s coast, opening up England’s countryside for everyone.
A large portion of the route already existed; anyone who has taken an optimistic pause from sunbathing and daytime drinking on a UK staycation will probably have encountered a stretch of coastal path, trudging along gorse laden cliffs and thought, 'lovely'. And also, 'how long before it's socially acceptable to suggest going to the pub?' But some 1700 miles of existing pathway has been upgraded with added signage (so you don’t get lost), bridges, and boardwalks to make the route as safe and accessible as possible. However an additional 1,000 miles or so was created especially for the route, even requiring new legislation to be passed. But it was worth it as the official King Charles III England Coast Path (catchy) has opened up stretches of land that were previously off limits to public punters.
Most of the route is already open, stretching from the North East coast, round the Lincolnshire coast, East Anglia, and the South – all the way down to Cornwall’s Lands End, and back up. When completed, it will secure the title for the longest managed coastal path in the whole world. The official route stops at the Wales Coast Path, but is designed to link up with it, meaning you can continue an uninterrupted round trip of the UK coast. The Wales Coast Path is an existing and well-trodden 870 mile route around – you guessed it – Wales’ coast. Whilst there’s no official route in Scotland, you can still walk fairly easily around a large proportion of it thanks to the right to roam law. The final parts of the path are expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
And if you don’t fancy doing the whole 3,000 (nearly) mile route, there are some great short walks to enjoy along the path which you can find on the National Trail's interactive map.
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