King Charles III England Coast Path - North West Map and Trail Information

Much of the North West Coast is accessible by train.

In many places the train line runs close enough to the coast for you to use it to get back to the start of your walk.

There are also many bus routes calling at coastal locations.

For public transport information and journey planning visit the Traveline website or call them on 0871 200 22 33.

Carlisle Lake District Airport, flying from Belfast, Dublin City and London Southend. It also has a shuttlebus to Carlisle train station.

The King Charles III England Coast Path is open all year but at times there may be restrictions and diversions. Some sections of the King Charles III England Coast Path pass through areas that are very important for wildlife. In these places there may be restrictions such as requirements that dogs are on the lead or even diversions to avoid particularly sensitive sites for periods of time.

The King Charles III England Coast Path passes through private land; in some places land management activities or safety concerns may affect the path.

Please check the website before you set off. All significant diversions are shown on the interactive map below and will be signed on the ground. Significant restrictions will also be shown on Natural England’s CRoW & Coastal Access Maps website.

The King Charles III England Coast Path has been designed to be as accessible as possible with minimal use of barriers such as stiles. However the nature of the coast means that there are steps in places, often long flights of steep steps. In other places the King Charles III England Coast Path may follow paved promenades or other land suitable for wheelchair users, including people using most types of mobility vehicles or people with reduced mobility. Other motor vehicles are not permitted.

Your local authority should be able to advise on which stretches are barrier and step-free.

We have trialled some new accessible signage on more recent stretches. These signs have Braille stickers and QR codes, allowing access to a digital version of sign text for use with mobile phone screen-reading software.

If you prefer to plan ahead, you can view the sign content here for the following two stretches:

Silecroft to Green Road, Cumbria

Tarleton Lock, Lancashire to Pier Head, Liverpool

The King Charles III England Coast Path is being created for walkers. Some sections do follow existing public rights of way and some of these may have bridleway rights. These will be shown as public bridleway on the OS maps. You can ride a horse or a bike on a bridleway. Some sections may also have existing access for horses and cycles, where these rights exist they will be signposted.

No – the King Charles III England Coast Path is a walking route. In some places it may follow quiet country lanes, roads or private tracks for short distances, but it is not designed for use by motor vehicles.

There are campsites along the Trail and they can be viewed on the Interactive Map below.

If you plan to camp please note in England and Wales, there are normally no rights for national trail users to wild camp along the way – so seeking the landowner’s permission is recommended.

There are several companies that will arrange to move your bags for you, help you plan your trip, or arrange a full package.

View a list of these here: Trail Holiday Companies.

We recommend that you take a map and/or guidebook with you, or a copy of the walk leaflet if you are doing a shorter walk. You may also find a compass useful.

If you are walking solo you may want to tell somewhere where you are going as there can be mobile black spots along the Trail. Ensure your phone is fully charged before setting off.

Weather in the UK can be changeable so it’s wise to be prepared. You’ll need good footwear, waterproofs and warm layers. Take plenty of water, make sure you pack sun cream and a first aid kit and you may want to consider insect repellent and a tick remover.

Phone reception can be patchy along the Trail, don’t rely on being able to use your phone to help you navigate. Wi-Fi is available at some accommodation and pubs/cafés along the route.

Once open, the King Charles III England Coast Path will be well signed. Look for the National Trail Acorn logo, and/or signs for the King Charles III England Coast Path.

Some sections follow long established coastal walks, and may be signed for these walks. In these areas you will usually be following local signs, but will also see signs telling you that the route is part of the King Charles III England Coast Path.

In most places you don’t have to stick to the path. Land to the seaward side of the trail, shaded pink on Ordnance Survey Maps is Coastal Margin. Much of this land has public access. However, within the Coastal Margin there is land where access rights don’t apply, for example:

• cropped land, buildings and their curtilage (the land immediately surrounding them), and gardens. This land is called ‘excepted land’. You don’t have the right to walk on excepted land. You can see a full list here: Excepted Land.
• land that is subject to local restrictions including many areas of saltmarsh and mud flats that are not suitable for public access.

Although you have the right to explore away from the path please use common sense – the King Charles III England Coast Path includes land that is steep, unstable and not readily accessible. Just because the maps says you can go there doesn’t mean it is safe to do so.

Saltmarsh and mudflats can be unsuitable to walk on. Where this is the case they will be restricted and have no coastal access rights. You are responsible for your own safety.

You can plan ahead and check the Open Access land here: CRoW & Coastal Access Map.

The English coast doesn’t stay still, some sections change very fast. If part of the King Charles III England Coast Path erodes the local authorities may need to put temporary diversions in place for safety reasons – but they will reinstate the path.

One of the unique features of the legislation that has created the King Charles III England Coast Path is the way it handles coastal erosion. Unlike a public right of way that is lost if the land it is on erodes, the King Charles III England Coast Path will be able to ‘roll back’ to a new position negotiated with land owners.

There may be periods when eroded sections are closed until a new path can be put in place. If that happens diversions will be in place and will be shown on the interactive map below.

If you find a section of erosion without a safe diversion, you can notify the relevant authority here: Contact Trail Managers.

A GPX file can be downloaded from the Create Your Own Trip page (the button is below the map).

A full guidebook for the King Charles III England Coast Path in the North West is yet to be published. Other books and maps for the National Trails are available from the The Trails Shop along with a wide range of gifts and other merchandise.

You can find a list of Ordnance Survey maps for the Trail here: Maps for the Trail.

There are various Trail Leaflets available for parts of the King Charles III England Coast Path.