King Charles has been hit with a setback after safety concerns have arisen regarding the coastal path allowing walkers to travel around the English coast for the first time.
The concerns have emerged regarding rapid erosion threatening portions of the recently inaugurated King Charles III England Coast Path in Holderness, East Yorkshire.
The King officially opened the route last week, yet experienced rambler Alan Tharratt has raised alarm about the deteriorating clifftop sections.
“I’ve been mountaineering all my life and there’s a level of risk you have to accept… but I wouldn’t walk close to this cliff,” Mr Tharratt warned.
The King Charles III England Coast Path has been hit with erosion concerns by walkers taking to it
|
GETTY
Natural England has acknowledged the challenges, stating the path was “designed to move in response to coastal change” and pledging to “maintain a usable route” for walkers.
The Holderness coastline ranks among the fastest eroding in Britain, with East Riding of Yorkshire Council data showing approximately 4.5 metres disappearing annually on average.
Although the trail incorporates a “roll back” mechanism to adapt when land falls away, Mr Tharratt expressed serious reservations about its effectiveness.
“It’s eroding very, very quickly and it’s unpredictable. You just don’t know when it’s going to go,” he said.
Walkers attempting to use the path near Mappleton have already been forced to abandon the official route entirely, instead crossing through a farmer’s field to maintain a safe distance from the crumbling cliff edge.
Fellow walkers have echoed these frustrations about the trail’s condition.
The official route has had to be abandoned in certain areas
|
GETTY
Chris Hine observed: “It just doesn’t seem very defined for a new footpath.”
Dave Bower offered a mixed assessment: “It’s a good idea generally, but it’s a bit hit and miss. There’s obviously bits fallen in and there’s no guidance as to where’s safe to walk and where isn’t.”
Beyond the erosion problems, Mr Tharratt highlighted that signage and supporting infrastructure remain unfinished in certain areas.
Near Skipsea village, a diversion around a holiday park lacks the promised tarmac pathway along the roadside.
“They’ve said it’s open, but it clearly isn’t,” Mr Tharratt told BBC Look North.
Natural England explained that the path would evolve “through a process known as rollback, which is particularly necessary in fast eroding coastal sections like Holderness”.
The organisation confirmed temporary diversions would remain in place while new routes are negotiated with landowners and necessary works completed.
The route is not set to be completed until the end of the year
|
GETTY
Trail Partnerships, a consortium of local authorities, national park authorities and other bodies, maintains the route across various landholdings.
Spanning 2,689 miles, the King Charles III England Coast Path represents the world’s longest managed coastal walking route, according to Natural England, which devoted 18 years to its creation.
Currently around 80 per cent of the trail is accessible, with remaining sections expected to open by year’s end.