Walking the King Charles III England Coast Path: North West

NATIONAL TRAIL – Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside Coast

Ange Harker

TO mark the King’s coronation in May of 2023, it was announced that the England Coast Path would be renamed the King Charles III England Coast Path and will include exciting new stretches of the route.

At around 2,700 miles long when complete, the National Trail will go all the way around the coast of England and is set to be the longest managed coastal path in the world. And it doesn’t end there because, in many areas, walkers will also have the right to explore the beaches and coastal margin alongside the path as they pass by the many coastal towns, cities and ports which have shaped our island nation.

The North West coast offers up a spectacular 367 miles between Gretna and Chester, taking in many lengths of newly created public access around the spectacular eastern shores of the Irish Sea, and to mark a new era for the trail, Kendal-based Cicerone Press – an enthusiastic publisher specialising in outdoor activities guidebooks – have an impressive new full-colour trail guide to the Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside stretch of coast.

Written by one of the path’s creators, qualified walking guide Ange Harker (pictured left) who has a special interest in accessibility, this book is not just a guide to the route and how to plan your journey, but a definitive insight into the new National Trail and an exploration of how the newly created Coastal Access rights work in practice on this unique and under-represented stretch of coastline.

The guide covers the walk in 28 stages, taking in stunning beaches, Lake District mountain views and estuaries, the Solway Firth, Morecambe Bay, Blackpool and Wirral, and includes a link route to the Wales Coast Path, as well as facilities, accommodation and public transport details to help plan your trek, which is suitable for all year round walking.

The trail along the Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside coast – best walked in spring and summer for the longest days – takes around one month to hike, is described from north to south in stages between eight and 18 miles in length, contains a step-by-step description of the route alongside 1:50,000 OS maps, and provides refreshment information for each route stage. Public transport by stage is also listed for those wanting to break the trail into shorter sections.

Highlights include the Solway Firth, Hadrian’s Wall, Lake District mountain views, Morecambe Bay and Lancaster, the longest dune system in England at Sefton, Merseyside’s arts and musical culture, Wirral’s heritage and Cheshire’s coastal reed beds.

Also available from Cicerone Press are two accompanying route mapping booklets… Walking the King Charles III England Coast Path: North West – Lancashire & Merseyside Map Booklet and Walking the King Charles III England Coast Path: North West – Cumbria Map Booklet.

The map booklet to the Lancashire and Merseyside section of the coast path contains detailed mapping for walking the route in either direction. With easy access at many points along the way, the section can be enjoyed as a trek of around 12 days or in shorter sections. The full route shown is on 1:25,000 OS maps and covers the coast path from Arnside to Chester.

The Cumbrian map booklet contains detailed mapping for walking the route in either direction. With easy access at many points along the way, this section can be enjoyed as a trek of around 15 days or in shorter sections. Again, the full route is shown on 1:25,000 OS maps, and this time covers the coast path from Gretna on the Scottish border to Grange-over-Sands. Conveniently sized for slipping into a jacket pocket or top of a rucksack, both booklets are priced at £12.95.

With links to both the iconic places and heritage on the coast and the less well-known corners of interest, this complete set of three beautifully produced guides – packed with Cicerone’s trademark expertise and stunning photography – provides all the information walkers need to unlock some areas for the very first time… and makes our glorious coastlines available to so many more people.
(Cicerone Press, paperback, £17.95)