Start your adventure on the world’s longest shore walk

The new Coast to Coast Path includes three national parks and some of the most impressive scenery in the country and links the north west and north east stretches of the England Coast Path.

In addition to the England Coast Path, the Coast to Coast path officially became England’s newest national Trail in March. Stretching from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire, this 190-mile route has undergone a £5.5m makeover and encompasses the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks, giving walkers some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. 

The Cumbrian section of the England Coast Path itself runs from Gretna Green in the north to Silverdale in the south, this 188-mile section boasts Roman sites, nature reserves and stunning red sandstone cliffs and incorporates the Cumbria Coastal Way. 

Step-by-step you’ll be rewarded with incredible sunsets and sea views to Dumfries and Galloway coastline and the Isle of Man. Stroll along superb beaches at Silecroft, Seascale, Ravenglass, Allonby and St Bees with the chance to soak up inspiring maritime and Roman history in Whitehaven and Maryport, check out the Rum Story, the Beacon Museum and the Senhouse Roman Museum, dramatically perched on cliffs overlooking the Solway Firth. 

If you’re not looking for a full-on hike, Grange-over-Sands, Maryport, Allonby and Silloth all have accessible proms allowing everyone to enjoy the path. Along the way are plenty of pitstops, some of the best with local produce include Sunset Café at Silecroft Beach, Howling Wolf Artisan Bakery and Café in Whitehaven, Beach Road Bakehouse in St Bees, Seaglass Coffee in Allonby and Solway View Café in Maryport. 

Three RSPB reserves dot the coast; watch the tern colony in full swing from May to July at Hodbarrow near Millom, thousands of seabirds fill the skies in spring and summer at St Bees and further north a patchwork of habitats fill the wetland reserve of Campfield Marsh near Bowness-on-Solway. 

On the north east coast, the 14-mile stretch from Bamburgh to Lindisfarne showcases Northumberland’s stunning castles and crags. Starting at Bamburgh Castle you’ll track beach after beach along Budle Bay, look out for seabirds, waders, otters, seals and dolphins all the way to Lindisfarne Castle from where you can cross to the Island with its medieval priory, just beware of tide times or you’ll be stranded. 

Just south, the Durham Heritage Coast is internationally recognised for its rare plants and wildlife, its limestone grasslands are some of the UK’s most protected habitats, couple that with its rugged cliffs and imposing headlands and it’s a stunning 11-mile part of the England Coast Path. 

Inland are hidden denes with remnants of ancient yew and ash woodland, Castle Eden Dene is the largest with 550 acres and 12 miles of footpaths.  It is home to more than 450 species of plants and wild flowers. 

The newest stretches of the Coast Path offer a superb mix of bird-rich saltmarshes, forts and lighthouses. Stroll for a couple of hours or a couple of days, there are walks for all abilities.

In 2026, the latest sections of the England Coast Path saw the Wallasea Island to Burnham-on-Crouch and Mersea Island in Essex, South Hayling to East Head in Hampshire and a third part of the Isle of Wight (from Culver Down to Binnel Bay) open to the public. 

In Essex the best trails of the Path offer a great mix of maritime towns, bird-rich saltmarshes and sandy beaches. Top highlights include Frinton-on-Sea to Walton-on-the-Naze, the wildlife of Cudmore Grove on Mersea Island and the Harwich Maritime Trail which passes the old port, Redoubt Fort and lighthouses. 

On the south coast, the 95-mile Dorset part of the 630-mile South West Coast Path is lined with dramatic sites including Golden Cap, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove as well as fossil-rich beaches.  

Although some of this is steep such as the climb to Golden Cap, the highest point on the South Coast, you’ll be rewarded with outstanding views. Highlights include Lyme Regis to Seatown, Abbotsbury to Weymouth, which includes the 17-mile Chesil Beach, and the Purbeck Coast, Lulworth to Studland stretch where you’ll see Kimmeridge Bay and the chalk white stacks of Old Harry Rocks. 

On the Camber to Ramsgate 66-mile route you’ll be walking through the unusual shingle landscape of Dungeness with its rare birds, insects and plants. make time to visit the Old Lighthouse and take a ride along the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. Folkestone and Hythe also have plenty of cafes and tea rooms for a pit-stop. 

Further along, Dover Castle sits majestically on the White Cliffs then follow the path to South Foreland Lighthouseand St Margaret’s Bay and Pines Garden. Don’t miss the fascinating resorts of Deal and Sandwich or the huge birdlife of the Sandwich Flats. 

Following the Path on through Thanet, you’ll find Pegwell Bay near Ramsgate. 

This part of the path is mostly flat and the entire 20-mile stretch takes around eight hours to walk. It features the longest continuous section of coastal chalk in Britain and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, home to wintering birds, chalk reef marine life and sandy beaches. 

Ramsgate offers the only Royal harbour in the country, ideal for a refreshment stop and features Ramsgate Tunnels opposite the main beach. Broadstairs boasts seven sandy beaches and impressive chalk cliffs, where turnstone birds can be spotted, don’t miss Viking Bay. 

Continuing along the clifftop you’ll find North Foreland Lighthouse near Joss Bay then the chalk arch at Kingsgate Bay followed by the chalk stacks at Botany Bay. 

Continue round to Margate, one of the country’s oldest seaside resorts offering a huge choice of places to eat and rest. The path then heads on to the sandy beaches of Westgate and Birchington before continuing to the Northern Sea Wall and the towers at Reculver, one of the earliest Romans Forts built to repel Saxon raids.