You can now walk all the way around the coast of England on what is the longest managed coastal walking route in the world. The King Charles lll path stretches almost 2,700 miles and you can now start anywhere on the English coast, turn left or right, and walk as far as you would like to go.
The trail has been overseen by the government body Natural England, after an idea initiated almost 20 years ago. A new law passed in 2009 required future governments both to make the path and to ensure that it can stay open in the future. This is key because England’s coastline feels the full force of extreme weather and coastal erosion and landslides are becoming ever more frequent.
With the new law the path can be moved inland, and therefore diverted away from problem areas, and landowners work with Natural England to ensure that they can make this happen.
Wales opened its coastal paths back in 2012 and there are approximately 5,500 miles of Scottish mainland coast where walkers have had the right to roam for more than 20 years. If you put that all together, there are around 9,000 miles to be walked, which could take you the best part of two years!
Some sections of the path are still being finished, but it was officially opened by King Charles on March 19th 2026, from the iconic chalk downland of the seven sisters in East Sussex. If you’re spending time in England this year, why not make the most of the world’s longest coastal walking trail! You can find out more here.
