The trail, which Natural England says is the longest managed coastal walking route in the world, is only about 77 per cent complete. The project has faced 18 years of delays caused by funding cuts, legal requirements, the COVID-19 pandemic, and global shortages of building materials. Rising sea levels and coastal erosion have forced parts of the route to be changed, requiring environmental adaptations and wildlife considerations.
At Southmoor Nature Reserve, storms in 2020 broke a sea wall and flooded the land, turning former pasture into a salt marsh habitat for birds. To keep the path open, a raised boardwalk made from 75,000 recycled plastic bottles was built. Neil Constable, a Natural England official, said the path opens up the coast responsibly while protecting the natural environment. There are seasonal restrictions on areas with birthing seals and wintering birds, according to Constable.
Creating the path required discussions with more than 25,000 landowners. Natural England dealt with over 25,800 owners and occupiers around the entire coast of England, Constable said. The objection rate to Natural England's proposals was just 2.5 per cent, he added. However, in 2024, the coastal path was diverted by English Heritage, which manages the Osborne House estate, blocking the route from crossing the property's grounds. In Dorset, some landowners have failed to reach agreements about the path crossing their land.
Parts of the King Charles III England Coast Path are currently inaccessible because of recent landslips. Land slips and erosion have led to parts of the trail being rerouted or closed for safety reasons in the south west and along Dorset's Jurassic coast. In Hampshire, the path stops abruptly at Southampton Water because the Hythe Ferry has been out of service for 18 months. The Hythe Ferry was suspended in August 2024 after damage was found to its pontoon and supporting structure, and in April 2025, the ferry service went into voluntary liquidation.
By summer 2026, more than 90 per cent of the path's infrastructure works will be complete, according to Natural England. One hundred per cent of the proposals for the coastal path have now been submitted to the Secretary of State. Jack Cornish, a representative from the Ramblers Association, expressed some frustration, saying they would love to see the path go all the way around the water to be truly continuous. He noted that this is a significant piece of national infrastructure that will be here for generations, so it must be done right, but the Ramblers are keen to see it open and continuous as soon as possible.
Uncertainties remain about the exact opening date, which sections are currently inaccessible due to landslips, and how the Hythe Ferry gap will be resolved. The long-term management of coastal erosion and sea level rise also poses ongoing challenges. Constable noted that public footpaths follow very fixed legal lines, and if a path falls into the sea, it is gone, requiring new negotiations with landowners. However, going forward, if that path falls in the sea, the right remains, and they can find a new route that strikes a fair balance.