King Charles III England Coast Path

The England Coast Path is the most ambitious footpath project in English history. When complete, it will create a continuous walking and running route around the entire coastline of England — from the Solway Firth in the north-west to the banks of the Tweed in the north-east, taking in every beach, headland, cliff and estuary along the way.

The route was renamed the King Charles III England Coast Path in 2023. It is managed by Natural England and opened in sections from 2016 onward. As of 2025, most of the route is open, with a handful of short sections still in negotiation or under development.

The total length varies by counting method but is around 4,345 km — roughly four times the South West Coast Path and the longest National Trail in the world. The total ascent across the whole route is formidable; the north Cornwall and north Devon sections alone exceed Everest in cumulative height gain.

For trail runners, the completed sections already offer extraordinary running, and the route is being used in stages by adventurous runners working their way around the country. The full through-route, when complete, will likely take eight to twelve weeks at a running pace.

The path runs clockwise from the Solway Firth. Key sections currently open include:

North West coast (Cumbria): The Cumbrian Coast Path follows the Solway Firth and the Irish Sea south to the Lake District periphery.

North East (Yorkshire coast): The Cleveland Way connects to the England Coast Path along the dramatic North Yorkshire cliffs.

South East: Kent, Sussex and Hampshire sections are largely open and well-developed.

South West: The South West Coast Path forms the majority of this section and is fully open.

North Wales connection: The England Coast Path terminates at the Welsh border; the Wales Coast Path continues around Wales.

Check the National Trails website for the current status of each section before planning.

Planning a complete through-run of the England Coast Path requires significant logistics — it crosses dozens of counties, hundreds of towns, and several areas where accommodation is sparse.

Approach it in sections: the Natural England website divides the route into manageable stages with waymarking and accommodation guidance for each. The route is best treated as a multi-trip project rather than a continuous through-route until all sections are fully open.

Best starting point: Most runners start from a major transport hub — Newcastle for the north-east, Minehead or Poole for the south-west coast, or London for the south-east.

For the latest on which sections are open: nationaltrail.co.uk/king-charles-iii-england-coast-path