Route Description

The King Charles III England Coast Path is opening in sections. The open sections in the south west are described here. The path aims to stay as close to the coast as possible. In many places that means you will be walking right alongside the coast. In some places the path heads inland, usually only for short distances. The open sections of the path are well signed, look out for the distinctive acorn waymarkers. Away from towns and villages you will usually find the path has a natural, unmade surface, some areas will get muddy in wet weather. Closer to where people live you might find smooth surfaced paths, and in towns and villages you may be walking on promenades or pavements alongside roads. Much of the path in this region will follow the existing South West Coast Path, but there also new sections with extended rights of way opening for you to enjoy.

Old Passage, Aust to Wain's Hill, Clevedon

The trail passes through continuously changing and contrasting scenery. At the northern end of the stretch views over the Severn Estuary to Wales and its two spectacular river crossings walking south soon give way to the industrial landscape of the Port of Bristol with its rich maritime history. After crossing the mouth of the River Avon on the motorway bridge the trail follows the mudflats and salt marsh of Portbury Wharf and its nearby nature reserve, host to important birdlife such as Redshank.  After passing the seafront of the rapidly expanding town of Portishead and its vibrant Marina the trail follows a rocky and tranquil coastline through to the historic seaside town Clevedon and its famous Victorian pier. The open length of trail ends just beyond the town at Wains Hill, home to an ancient Bronze Age and early Iron Age hillfort.

Sand Bay to Brean Cross Sluice

This is the first section of the trail in North Somerset to be opened. The local name for this part of the King Charles III England Coast Path is the North Somerset Tidal Trail. The route begins in Beach Road car park at Sand Bay and takes you through the edge of Weston Wood to reach Weston-super-Mare where the trail joins the beach front promenade. Leaving Weston-super-Mare, the route goes through Uphill Boat Yard to reach the sandy beaches and salt marshes of of Bleadon Levels before reaching Brean Cross Sluice where the trail crosses the River Axe in Somerset.

Brean Cross Sluice to Minehead

This section takes in 62 miles of the beautiful and diverse coast of Somerset. On clear days the fortified promontory of Brean Down offers panoramic views back to Brean Cross Sluice and ahead to Minehead, enabling you to view the entire King Charles III England Coast Path in Somerset. From Brean, the path takes you past Berrow Dunes to Burnham-on-Sea, along the flood-banks of the River Parrett to Bridgwater and back to Steart Point and the Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve, before heading along the open coast to Hinkley Point. At Hinkley look for diversion signs while development work is taking place.

Once past Hinkley Point, the diverse beach and cliff formations from Lilstock to Blue Anchor are classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and offer an outstanding series of sections through our geological past. On reaching the old port town of Watchet, the route shadows the West Somerset Railway through Blue Anchor and Dunster to end in Minehead, where it joins the South West Coast Path.

For more detailed information head to our Brean Down to Minehead itinerary.

At Brean, Burnham, St Audries and Helwell Bay, please check tide times as the path can be flooded during high tides.

At Brean Cross Sluice and Steart Marshes, please check the Seasonal closures section for route diversions put in place to protect local bird populations in these areas.

Minehead to Combe Martin

The trail runs along the 35 miles of Exmoor’s coastline between Minehead and Combe Martin.  From the heights of the highest sea cliffs in England, Great Hangman, to sea level at Porlock Marsh and Lynmouth.   The route of the King Charles III England Coast Path now follows the Rugged Path along North Hill and drops down via Hurlstone Point, past the former coastguard lookout to Porlock Marsh.  The route carries on through Porlock Weir, where there are many local services (as there are at Lynmouth and Lynton further along the trail) onto the shingle ridge at Gore Point before beginning to gain height at Worthy and traversing the oak woodlands westward.  Beyond Desolation Point the landscape opens out across the coastal heaths of Exmoor, particularly at Foreland Point, Valley of the Rocks, Trentishoe Common, and Holdstone and Girt Down.  Towards the west of the stretch the route drops down to Combe Martin via Cobblers Park with great views across the bay.

The video below, created by Exmoor National Park, shows enhancements to six popular Devon and Somerset sections along 36 miles of Exmoor South West Coast Path as part of the King Charles III England Coast Path. Walkers can now enjoy revived ancient paths and more scenic views following the coastline more closely between Minehead and Combe Martin, at spots such as ‘Hurlstone Point’, Cobbler’s Park, ‘North Hill’ and ‘Glenthorne’. Please note that there is no sound on this video.

Kingswear to Lyme Regis

This 68 miles (109 km) section of the King Charles III England Coast Path offers a contrast of estuarine and coastal walking, lively seaside towns and expansive farmland.  From Kingswear the trail follows the existing route of the South West Coast Path to Lyme Regis.  There is an alternative route around the Exe Estuary when the ferry is not running.  The trail takes in the estuaries of the Dart, Exe and Otter, the Jurassic Coast between Exmouth and Lyme Regis and the entire length of the 7 mile Undercliff National Nature Reserve between Axmouth and Lyme Regis.  A good proportion of the route is on relatively flat ground particularly alongside much of the railway line between Starcross and Teignmouth, and around Torbay, but there are also challenging sections particularly between Shaldon and Babbacombe.

Portland to Lulworth Cove

The very first section of King Charles III England Coast Path to open was the section from Portland, past Weymouth to Lulworth Cove. This section was opened for the 2012 Olympics to allow people access to the coast to watch the sailing competitions.

Weymouth is famous for its beautiful sandy beach which slopes gently into the sea making it perfect for families. It’s the ideal place to enjoy a day of sun and swimming and of course, the sand is perfect for making sand castles. If your sandcastles are in need of a bit of inspiration you could visit Sandworld and see the amazing sand sculptures on display.

When you have had enough of sand you could explore the lovingly restored Nothe Fort with its stunning view across the Jurassic Coast (quick look for fossils on the way). No trip to Weymouth would be complete without a visit to Portland, via the natural phenomenon of Chesil Beach with its new visitor centre. There are great walks to experience on Portland with fantastic views all round.