King Charles III England Coast Path to Open Entire British Shoreline to the Public
The creation of the King Charles III England Coast Path is a quiet revolution in public access to nature. When complete, it will stretch around the entire English coastline, offering more than 2,700 miles of uninterrupted walking routes, including many places that were once completely out of reach.
The vision started back in 2009 with the Marine and Coastal Access Act, which set out to transform England’s patchy coastal access into one continuous route. While many of us have strolled along favourite stretches like the South West Coast Path, others, especially those hemmed in by private land or disused industrial sites, have long been closed off. That’s now changing.
Leading the project is Neil Constable of Natural England, who has been with it since the early days. He describes walking through East Quantoxhead in Somerset during a thunderstorm and finding himself standing above a beach that had, until recently, been hidden from public view. “This beach is stunning,” he said, explaining how the path had reconnected walkers with geology as striking as that found along the Jurassic Coast.
In fact, much of the King Charles III England Coast Path reclaims forgotten coastal beauty, whether in industrial Teesside, where seals thrive between oil rigs, or beside chalk cliffs dotted with orchids and butterflies. As Constable puts it,
“This is about sharing space that’s always been there but hasn’t always been available.”
The project has drawn wide political support, including a recent push from Thérèse Coffey to rename the trail in honour of the King’s coronation. Although its start was under Labour, it’s moved forward through successive governments. So far, around 1,040 miles of the trail are open, with another 1,255 miles approved and 383 more in the final stages. Just 26 miles remain to be proposed.
The scale is enormous, requiring negotiations with more than 25,000 landowners and legal stakeholders. Yet opposition has been remarkably low, with fewer than 3% of stakeholders raising objections. That’s a testament to the careful negotiation behind the scenes, and to the fact that for many landowners, allowing a public path actually makes their lives easier. If someone trespasses and is injured, the landowner is liable. But if they’re on a designated path, responsibility shifts.
The economic benefits are also clear. According to DEFRA research, walkers on England’s coastal paths contribute around £334 million to local economies each year. That figure is likely to grow as the full path opens, helping boost tourism in areas not traditionally seen as visitor destinations.
Nature has been central to the design. Some parts of the path will shift seasonally to avoid seal nurseries or bird nesting sites, while others will physically move inland over time in response to erosion, particularly along the east coast, where the cliffs are receding faster than anywhere else in Europe.
Wildlife watchers can look forward to estuarine birdlife between the Thames and Humber, and even natterjack toads and sand lizards along the dunes of Formby. As Constable says,
“It’s about giving people the confidence and competence to enjoy nature, without damaging it.”
This new route doesn’t just benefit tourists. It gives people across the country, from Merseyside to the Isle of Wight, access to a coastline they may have never thought to explore. And while the practicalities have been tough, from re-routing around military sites to dealing with European court rulings, the result is a long-term legacy. Constable is clear about what it means: “No one will remember the people who made the England Coast Path, but thanks to it, this vital part of Britain’s island story is going to be accessible for everyone, forever.”
As the last sections are approved and final signposts are hammered in, it feels like a rare piece of infrastructure that’s quietly hopeful. You don’t need to book it, you don’t need a car to reach it, and you don’t need a guide to enjoy it. Just good boots, curiosity, and the weather on your side.
See King Charles II Coast Path in full here.
For more updates on the King Charles III England Coast Path and further insights into Britain’s evolving access to nature, visit EyeOnLondon. We’d love to hear your views in the comments.
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