Overview
The new King Charles III England Coast Path will be completed in 2026. It was renamed on 1st May 2023, as I was walking the route for the coronation of our new King. I walked much of what had opened between 2021 and 2024, taking public ferries mostly, but returning later to walk estuaries and islands as the formal paths opened: Essex estuaries, the Solent Way, and other small sections unwalked. I walked 2,300 miles in 110 days, yet the KCIIIECP should be 2,687 miles (it changes slight all the time) when fully open. The Natural England overview map below gives current status, and I will update this from time to time. The definitive status can be found on the www.gov.uk website.
I have written about my journey. The Coast is Our Compass, will be published in March 2026, at which time I will update this page. For now my journey experience is described in a series of blog posts, and of course, full detail can be found in the book. I am building a digital experience map to accompany this book, and this is available to view now.
This map reflects current status of the path opening and shows the overlay with the route I actually walked. I shows geology, art, nature, news, and much more – the objective being to show the interplay between these elements and points of interest. The map has been built with ESRI’s ArcGIS and will develop further over time to show all the National Trails and other journeys I have taken. Click on the links below to open a new window for this map, one version is made specifically for use in the field on a mobile phone, but is not for navigation.
EXPERIENCE MAP – full version with interactive panels and clickable links to resources, geology, stoical quotes and detailed maps, best viewed on a desktop/laptop.
EXPERIENCE MAP – MOBILE version, which can be used in the field with a mobile signal, allows clickable detail on every element displayed. Use in conjuntion with you navigation maps and apps.
Please use my LinkTree for further developments as I am extending these maps to Wales and Scotland, and Ireland over time.
I also display this map here. Its is dynamic, and changes as I add new points of interest.
Embedded map, but please open full screen with the links above, and let me have your comments below.
The status of the KCIIIECP from Natural England is slightly in advance of the map update, usually by a few weeks. Detail on each section and its status is changing constantly, and the latest information can be found at the gov.uk site, which has more detail than you could possibly digest.
I encourage you to explore the Natural England government website for the latest information. Regional Maps can be found with this link, and usefull Leaflets are available too. It is not long before it will be fully open, and it is definitely walkable today.
I started walking the path from Cromer in September 2021 (where I completed the 19 National Trails in 2016, using intevening years for cycle touring) and finished in June 2024. A total of 2,400 miles in 110 days (116 not counting half-days). I like ferries, so I used public services unless the inland estuary seemed pleasant enough – specifically in Suffolk and Essex. I crossed the Thames at Gravesend to avoid central London (a ferry service now cancelled) and I caught the hovercraft to Ryde on the Isle of Wight, returning to the mainland at Lymington and then to Bournemouth and the start of the SWCP.
Read my blog posts for a more detailed description of my experiences, I have listed these below. My new book The Coast is Our Compass, has 18 chapters that cover the entire path, and explores what it feels like to walk such a long path. These journeys change you.
My experience
Lastly, I would really welcome feedback on this new map, and I am seeking collaborators who would like to help me build a rich picture of what it is like to walk a National Trail. This is my Contact link.
Time of year
All year round, taking into account the weather conditions. Winter months can be magical. I walked it in almost every month except January and February.
Length of walk
At the time of writing, 2,689 miles when finished. With 556 miles to finish, and 78 yet to be determined. See the status page for updates. Natural England are really getting a move on now. It was scheduled for 2020 opening, and the first section opened (in Portland) in 2012. The pandemic didn’t help.
However, a lot of the paths awaiting completion are very walkable. For example, Section 47, is an open Norfolk Coast Path section. Unfortunately, Natural England have a few bridges to put in place, so this makes life difficult at times, but credit to the progress being made.
Accommodation and Transport
I made extensive use of transport to base myself in key locations and use rail or bus services. This can have a significant impact on reducing cost, as you can feed yourself, secure cheap hostels, AirBnBs, etc.. I wildcamped a few times, and used campsites whenever I could find them, but at times this was very difficult, due to the urban nature of some sections.
So a hybrid approach is needed. I carried a tent, unless it was clear I could use transport and cheap beds. I used my campervan for the Kent sections, using Canterbury as a base.
My itinerary
2,300 miles, if you take public ferries. I have also completed most of the estuaries I missed, and I write about these experiences in my blog. Over 120 days of walking. Therefore, if you are not too concerned with estuaries such as the Solent, and those in Essex, this trail is approximately four times the distance of the South West Coast Path – that makes it very do’able if you have already walked that path, as you are a quarter of the way there!
Notable sections I have completed in addition to my original journey:
- Orwell and Stour Estuaries, the Deben has opened and it is on my list
- Woolwich to Gravesend
- Isle of Grain
- Wallasey, Canvey, and Two Trees Islands
- The Broomway (not on the KCIIIECP)
- The Solent Way (in part)
- Sheppey (to be completed)
- Other sections, as yet incomplete
Resources
National Trails King Charles III England Coast Path – formal site, divided into sections
Loved reading this thaank you
I want to walk the whole coastline in England and Scotland
The distance is nothing, only the first step is difficult. Make a start.