Along the English coast, a new hiking trail was inaugurated by the king on March 19th, as announced by the BBC. Spanning 4,327 kilometers, the “England Coastal Path Charles III” is “the world’s longest waymarked coastal hiking trail,” according to Natural England, the government agency that created it, as stated by the British public group on their site. Enacted in 2009, the law on coastal access paved the way for this route. But it took eighteen years for the project to come to fruition, notes journalist Justin Rowlatt.
After years of planning, establishing “over 1,000 miles [around 1,600 kilometers] of new paths” and improving existing sections, factoring in “increased precipitation and sea-level rise that climate change may cause,” the construction is nearing its end. “The trail is now 80% accessible and should be fully open by the end of the year,” the BBC reports on their site.
Marshes, beaches, and coastal towns await hiking enthusiasts along a continuous path that traverses salt marshes, beaches, and coastal cities, with highlights including “the famous chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters in East Sussex,” writes Justin Rowlatt. The only interruptions are in northwest England, where a ferry must be taken to cross the Mersey River, and in southern Devon, at the Erme River, where walkers will have “only an hour of low tide to cross.”
Another notable feature of the route is that “a legal provision requires the trail to be ‘moved’ inland based on erosion or changes in the coastline,” according to the BBC. The objective is to adapt to coastal changes and ensure hikers have a passable route, especially in case of landslides. By complementing the “Wales Coastal Path,” a 1,400-kilometer route along the Welsh coast, and Scotland’s approximately 8,850 kilometers of coastline, the “England Coastal Path Charles III” will offer walkers the opportunity for a “continuous coastal walk around Great Britain” of nearly 14,500 kilometers.
