SIX new stretches of coastal path across Exmoor will be officially opened by the national park association next week.
Changes have been made to the 35-mile route across Exmoor as it becomes part of the King Charles III England Coast Path.
An opening ceremony will be held in Cobblers Park, Combe Martin, on Wednesday morning (July 17) when guests will be invited to walk parts of the old and the new routes.
The six places on the Exmoor stretch of the coast path where the route is changing in Devon and Somerset are:
North Hill, where four miles have become coast path. The official coast path is now the ‘Rugged Coast Path’ with stunning sea views, while the inland route will remain a public bridleway
Hurlstone Point, where the official coast path now affords scenic views around Hurlstone Point, and the former route down Hurlstone Combe will remain a public footpath and an alternative route in poor weather conditions
Worthy, where two-thirds of a mile has become coast path skirting around Gore Point with spectacular coastal views, as the current, more inland route will remain a public footpath
Glenthorne, where two miles have become coast path taking a more coastal route down towards Glenthorne Beach and then curving through woodland with improved views of the coast before climbing back up through ‘The Towers’ to rejoin the existing route. The former route will remain a public footpath
Lee Abbey, where one-third of a mile is a new off-road coast path. There are two changes to the existing route which will take the official coast path route off the road
Cobbler’s Park, where a quarter-of-a-mile new coast path has been created on the edge of the village, and the official coast path route will take a new line at the top of the park with superb views. The former route remains a public right of way.
The England Coast Path has been renamed the ‘King Charles III England Coast Path’ to celebrate his coronation and leave a lasting legacy to be enjoyed by walkers around the entire English coastline.
For the first time, people will have a right of access around all of England’s open coast, having been created by new legislation.
Everything to the seaward side of the path is designated as ‘coastal margin’ with walkers having the right to walk off the path.
It will be the longest managed coastal path in the world, going all the way around the coast of England and will be about 2,700 miles long when it is complete.
The new National Trail will take people through some of the finest landscapes in England connecting the many coastal towns, cities, and ports which have shaped the island nation.
It will link iconic places and heritage on the coast with the less well-known and will unlock some parts of the coast for the first time.
The South West section runs from Chepstow on the Welsh border around Land’s End to Bournemouth.