Walk the entirety of the King Charles III England Coastal Path, and you’ll hike a weary 2,700 miles – that’s roughly the length of Chile, the Mekong River, or the legendary Cannonball Run from New York to Los Angeles. Unfortunately – or perhaps, fortunately, depending on how fit you are – you can’t actually walk the whole length of the path just yet. The route, formerly known simply as the England Coast Path, but wreathed with the regal moniker a year ago to celebrate the Coronation of the new King, isn’t fully open.
When it is, it will be the longest managed coastal path in the world, and will go round the entire English coastline, unlocking some parts of the coast to the public for the first time (you’ll have to make alternative travel arrangements to traverse Wales). The plan is that the completion date – originally slated for 2020 but stymied, as were so many things, by Covid – will be later this year, possibly early next. Big views at Filey Brigg on the coastal path.
(Image: Tony Bartholomew) But the section that concerns us – from Filey Brigg to Newport Bridge in Middlesbrough, so taking in the entire North Yorkshire coast, and beyond – is already open for business. Tackle those rather more manageable 68 miles – the longest stretch of the path to be opened so far – and you’ll come across some of the most breathtakingly beautiful coastal scenery to be found anywhere in the world. Glorious Filey, with its seemingly endless sweep of sandy beac.