King Charles III England Coast Path – South West
From the Welsh Border to Southampton this dramatic stretch of coast is bound to impress
From the Welsh Border to Southampton this dramatic stretch of coast is bound to impress
Find useful facts and learn more about the King Charles III England Coast Path in the South West below. Select the blue tabs below for more details.
The King Charles III England Coast Path is a new walking route that will follow the entire coast of England. For the first time people will have the right of access around all our open coast. This includes – where appropriate – any land, other than the trail itself, which forms part of the Coastal Margin, (typically the land between the trail and mean low water). The path is being opened in sections but will, when completed, be the longest managed coastal path in the world.
At the moment you can only walk some sections. In the South West, the following sections are open to the public (updated January 2025):
You can find out more about each of these sections on the Route Description page and view the map on the Trail Information page.
You can also see open sections and find out about progress on other sections on the gov.uk website.
The King Charles III England Coast Path has been created under new legislation. In parts it follows existing public rights of way, but many sections are completely new and use a new right of access. Because of this it has different rules to public rights of way. Please make sure you obey any on-site signage.
In most places you don’t have to stick to the path. Land to the seaward side of the trail, shaded pink on Ordnance Survey Maps is Coastal Margin. Much of this land has public access. Although you have the right to explore away from the path please use common sense – the King Charles III England Coast Path includes land that is steep, unstable and not readily accessible. Just because the map says you can go there doesn’t mean it is safe to do so.
The England Coast will be the longest managed coastal walking route in the world when it is complete.
The King Charles III England Coast Path is much more than just a path. It has been created under new legislation. It allows access to the coast including the cliff tops and the beach. Everything to the seaward side of the path is designated as Coastal Margin. This gives you the right to walk off the path. You can see where this land is – it is shaded pink on the 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey maps.
But, although the land is shaded pink, you don’t have the right to walk everywhere – the Coastal Margin includes land:
Existing coastal National Trails will retain their distinctive branding but become part of the King Charles III England Coast Path, for example the South West Coast Path, Norfolk Coast Path and the coastal part of the Cleveland Way. In this case you will see signs on the ground for the existing Trail, but also some ‘part of the King Charles III England Coast Path’ signs.
There are benefits to the existing National Trails becoming part of the King Charles III England Coast Path as it makes it much quicker for the Trail managers to resolve any problems due to erosion. It also means that you are able to walk in the Coastal Margin.
You might find in some places the line of the existing National Trail is different to the line of the King Charles III England Coast Path – in that case you can choose which one to take.
Visit our News Page for the latest interesting and exciting news on the King Charles III England Coast Path National Trail
You can find further details, watch videos and browse photos on the trail's route description page
Discover something new to explore every step of the way, from natural icons and historic attractions to coastal towns and villages…
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