King Charles has officially opened a new walking route that runs all the way around England’s shoreline.
At 2,689 miles, Natural England says it is the longest managed coastal trail on the planet.
Officially named the King Charles III England Coast Path, the route links beaches, salt marshes, cliffs, dunes and historic seaside towns.
One highlight is the chalk downland of the Seven Sisters in East Sussex, which is also part of a newly designated National Nature Reserve announced at the opening.
Much of the path existed already, but planners added more than 1,000 miles of new route and upgraded many sections.
Work included resurfacing, removing stiles, building boardwalks and installing bridges to create a clearer, safer trail.
The scheme began under Gordon Brown’s government and has taken 18 years and seven prime ministers to reach this milestone.
About 80% of the route is open now, with most of the remaining sections expected to be ready by the end of the year.
Neil Constable, who led the project at Natural England, says the real achievement is universal access: you can now reach the coast anywhere in England and simply turn left or right to walk beside the sea for as long as you wish.
He described the project as a career-defining achievement.
The trail rests on a legal framework created by the Marine and Coastal Access Act of 2009.
That law has opened up stretches of shoreline that were previously off-limits and improved access for people with reduced mobility.
Walkers should note there are a few unavoidable interruptions.
Some crossings require a ferry — for example, over the Mersey — and on one south Devon stretch at the River Erme walkers must wade across at low tide because there is no bridge or ferry.
Planners built flexibility into the route to respond to climate change.
For the first time in English law the path can be moved inland if erosion or rising seas make the original line impractical.
That flexibility proved its value when a landslip near Charmouth, Dorset, forced a quick realignment rather than a lengthy closure.
Campaigners for public access have long pushed for a coast-to-coast route.
The Ramblers say the new path is transformational because it creates a ribbon of access from the trail down to the high water mark, letting people explore beaches and shoreline more freely than before.
The English coast path now connects with the Wales Coast Path, which circles Wales for 870 miles, and—together with Scotland’s broad right-to-roam—raises the possibility of a continuous walk around Britain of roughly 9,000 miles.
At an average of 15 miles a day, that would take almost two years of walking.
Route maps and guidance are available via the National Trails website.
