Various
4498 km / 2795 miles
(click to enlarge)
The England Coast Path (ECP) is a major project with committed Government funding of some £5 million to develop a new National Trail around the full coastline of England. The ECP has been made possible because of the 2009 changes in the right of access that gives everyone the legal right to explore England's coast for the first time. Its completed length was originally estimated by Natural England to be around 2795 miles (4500 kms), but by 2023 this appears to have been adjusted to 2700 miles (4345 km).
The ECP will give access to beaches, cliff-tops, and most of the habitats around the English coast, as well as former industrial and maritime areas that were significant in Britain's history. In 2023 it was re-branded by Natural England as the ‘King Charles III England Coast Path’.
The route is being developed to meet National Trail standards, involving consultation and agreement with numerous landowners. As well as a current track, the newly designated sections have been negotiated to provide for the concept of 'spreading room’. This involves an extension of the route down to the foreshore and inland to the next boundary, thus allowing for coastal erosion. This was not part of the remit of the original National Trails, requiring more complex stakeholder agreements than have previously been the case.
Defra Minister Rory Stewart confirmed in a written parliamentary answer in November 2015 that funding to complete the Path by 2020 was to be protected. But by the end of 2023 less than half of the Path’s 67 developmental sections (what Natural England call ‘sectors’) had been fully opened, with no completion date as yet advertised.
A map of the so far completed sectors (being updated in December 2023) appears below. The individual sectors names are also listed under ‘Connected Paths:’ Click on either of these to open a Path Page for the relevant sector. Alternatively, go to Search by Path, enter England Coast Path and click on Show as Map. For descriptions of each sector see the relevant Path Page.
New Sectors opened in 2014 were:
Allonby to Whitehaven in Cumbria 21 miles (34 km)
Durham, Hartlepool and Sunderland adds 33 miles (53 km)
Sea Palling to Weybourne adds 23 miles (41km)
Portland To Lulworth Cove adds 19 miles (30 km).
New Sectors in 2016 were:
Brean Down to Minehead 58 miles (93 km)
Filey Brigg to Newport Bridge, Middlesborough 68 miles (109 km). A short section north of this (Newport Bridge to North Gare) links to the Durham, Hartlepool and Sunderland section above.
Ramsgate to Camber 68 miles (109 km). This part comprises two sections that in December 2015 the Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss had approved the route for, covering Camber to Folkestone and Folkestone to Ramsgate, while a third adjoining approved route section from Ramsgate to Whitstable was being prepared for public use.
Hopton-on-Sea to Sea Palling 21 miles (34 km)
A further route section being prepared for public opening in 2016 was from Whitehaven to Silecroft.
New Sectors in 2018:
South Bents to Amble 44 miles (71 km)
Strider News - April 2024 (Publication Update)
Details:
