The 2,700-mile King Charles III England coast path, inaugurated in March, is almost complete. We explored less trodden sections rich in scenery and history, starting with a circular walk of Lindisfarne (4 miles) and a stretch from Budle Bay to Bamburgh (5 miles).
On Holy Island, accessible only at low tide via a causeway or the Pilgrim's Way, the path winds through mudflats, dunes, beaches and whinstone cliffs. Wildlife includes ringed plovers, grey seals, skylarks and stonechats. Highlights include Lindisfarne Castle, designed by Edwin Lutyens, and the 12th-century priory ruins. Pilgrims Coffee offers refreshments, and bus 477 from Berwick-upon-Tweed serves the island.
From Budle Bay, a new year-round path leads south to Bamburgh. Wading birds, salt marsh, ruined lime kilns and gorse line the route. The Walled Garden cafe serves crab sandwiches, and Bamburgh Castle, a Norman keep, overlooks golden sands. Berwick-upon-Tweed, with good rail links via LNER, is an ideal base.
Another walk around the Wash, from King's Lynn, offers solitude across vast horizontal landscapes of green, brown and blue. The path requires inland detours to cross rivers feeding England's largest multiple estuary system. King's Lynn, a medieval port, provides a historic starting point.
