Issued by: Natural England and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

His Majesty King Charles III launched the England Coast Path at an event at Seven Sisters today

• Renamed as the King Charles III England Coast Path in his honour in 2023 the 2,700 mile-long trail is the longest managed coastal walking route in the world giving unprecedented access to coastline,

• With 1,000 miles of new access and improved infrastructure throughout the path will deliver a boost to the visitor economy and coastal communities.

The King Charles III England Coast Path was officially launched today (Thursday 19th March) by His Majesty the King at an event held at Seven Sisters in Sussex.

His Majesty walked a 2-kilometre stretch of the coast path, taking in the spectacular views of the Seven Sisters and enjoying the sight of the majestic chalky cliffs and the famous coastguard cottages that cling to the clifftop, immortalised in popular imagination through books and Hollywood movies alike.

The Seven Sisters route forms part of the unique King Charles III England Coast Path, which is now the longest managed coastal walking route in the world, to be enjoyed both by visitors and local communities.

Work on the King Charles III England Coast Path began in 2010 with the first section opened at Weymouth so that people could watch the 2012 Olympic sailing events from the nearby cliffs and beaches.

Since then, works have taken place across the country from Cumbria and Cornwall to Northumberland and Norfolk with new stretches giving people access to the big skies and beaches of East Anglia, the rolling dunes of Formby beach, the ancient geology of the Jurassic Coast and now the iconic white cliffs of Seven Sisters that are being celebrated today.

Once completed, 1,000 miles of new path will be created and 1,700 miles improved, allowing people to walk the beautiful headlands, cliffs, beaches, and dunes that make up the English coast. New signage and infrastructure such as bridges and boardwalks are being installed, helping to improve the accessibility of many coastal areas.

All new and existing paths are now of National Trail standard and will help to attract more income from tourism for coastal communities as people come to visit the path.

His Majesty was accompanied on the walk by the Chair of Natural England, Tony Juniper and the Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds.

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said:

“The King Charles III England Coast Path is a testament to how access, conservation, and community can come together to make people’s lives better and is a fitting tribute to His Majesty and his lifelong passion for nature.

“With this national asset, people around the country alongside international visitors will be able to enjoy the natural beauty of the English Coast and the feeling of wellbeing, both mental and physical, that it brings. This will reconnect people with the land, support nature recovery, and create a more inclusive, sustainable future.”

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:

“We have one of the most stunning coastlines in the world and the King Charles III England Coast Path gives people a new way to explore it.

“This is the longest managed coast path in the world, creating amazing opportunities for people to visit spots of natural beauty in our coastal towns and villages.”

Visitors to England’s coastal paths already generate £350 million in spending within local coastal economies each year and support nearly 6,000 jobs. The path opens up new opportunities for growth along its route, with the potential to become part of the fabric of coastal economies by boosting tourism and revitalise coastal towns.

One of the key features of the King Charles III England Coast Path is its ability to ‘rollback’ with coastal erosion. This means that the path can be easily moved inland to adapt to the changing shape of the coast and ensure access rights remain in place for the future.

This launch is the culmination of more than sixteen years of work from Natural England and over 50 coastal local authorities, landowners and others across the country, including Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and access organisations such as the Ramblers Association, Disabled Ramblers and British Mountaineering Council.

The King Charles III England Coast Path has been full submitted to government for approval, while work continues to open remaining stretches around the country. Around 2,100 miles of the path are currently open with full access rights in place. By summer, we expect around 90% of infrastructure works to have been completed.

The event kicks off a year of celebration of our coast with a range of visitor experiences being made available across the year and comes on the same day as the declaration of the Seven Sisters National Nature Reserve, which was also opened by His Majesty the King today.

Named in honour of His Majesty, a lifelong champion of the natural world, both the King Charles III England Coast Path and the King’s Series of National Nature Reserves stand as enduring commitments to protecting nature and public access.

Two commemorative plaques were unveiled by His Majesty to be a lasting legacy of the day.

The England Coast Path became the King Charles III England Coast Path in 2023 to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

NOTES TO EDITORS

• His Majesty’s visit to Seven Sisters today was covered by the royal rota.

• The duty to create an England Coast Path was first placed on Natural England by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.

• The England Coast Path became the King Charles III England Coast Path in 2023, to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

• Scenic images of the path can be found here, please credit to Natural England unless another organisation or individual is named in the image title: KCIIIECP images - Google Drive [https://tinyurl.com/2cymcsfr]

• To check which sections of the King Charles III England Coast Path are currently open, please visit the National Trails website: King Charles III England Coast Path - National Trails [https://tinyurl.com/xmvm3fru]

• More information on the Seven Sisters National Nature Reserve is available via this link [https://tinyurl.com/46ru7myd]

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