King Charles III has officially opened the King Charles III England Coast Path, the world's longest managed coastal walking route, at the Seven Sisters cliff walk. However, large sections of the 2,689-mile (4,328km) path remain closed to the public due to landowner disputes, coastal erosion, and a disused ferry.
The project, initiated by Gordon Brown's government and legislated by then environment secretary Hilary Benn, has taken 18 years and involved seven prime ministers. Natural England has added 1,000 new miles of paths and improved existing ones with resurfacing, removed stiles, and new boardwalks. But about 20% of the route is not yet open, with no date set for full public access.
Natural England chair Tony Juniper called the milestone a testament to how public enjoyment, conservation, and community can come together. However, the process has been slow due to negotiations and objections from landowners, including farmers concerned about marauding cows and hotels opposing public access to their grounds.
In the south-west, parts of the Jurassic Coast remain closed due to objections over wildlife impacts and coastal erosion. The Hythe ferry, which connects Southampton and Hythe, was suspended in August 2024 after damage to its pontoon, leaving that section of the path closed indefinitely. In north Norfolk, a section from Weybourne to Hunstanton is off limits while Natural England negotiates with a hotel; dogs have been banned from parts of the path to protect seals.
In Cumbria, the route between Gretna and Allonby is being redrawn after landowners objected, citing dangers from stampeding cattle and marshland drowning. On the Isle of Wight, most of the path is not open due to erosion and a dispute with English Heritage over the Osborne estate, which houses treasures and raises security concerns.
Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, criticised the project as flawed and alienating landowners, contrasting it with the simpler Wales Coast Path completed in 2012. Natural England aims to open much of the remaining path by the end of the year.
