GovWire

This autumn sees another new walking trail for north east Kent residents and visitors to enjoy. The newest section of the England Coast Path will help connect people with nature. It will provide a wealth of health and wellbeing opportunities.

Natural England has opened this section today. The easy-to-follow walking route along the north east Kent coast offers spectacular landscapes. It includes dramatic chalk cliffs, sandy beaches, and popular seaside resorts.

This route will help connect the countrys entire coastline into one long National Trail. The walk will take people through some of the finest landscapes in England. It includes coastal towns, cities and ports which have shaped this island nation.

The new path will secure legal rights of public access to typical coastal land. This includes beaches, dunes and cliffs, allowing walkers to access some places theyve never been before.

Jim Seymour, Natural England deputy director for Kent and Sussex, said:

Its really exciting that this spectacular coastline with it chalk cliffs, wintering birds and popular seaside towns, takes the completed path to 1,018 miles.

At a time when the benefits of connecting with nature are clearer than ever, its fabulous that so much of the King Charles III England Coast Path is open for people to enjoy.

This stretch should also benefit the local economy in north east Kent by bringing walkers past the many local businesses on this route; to shop, for refreshments and to stay.

This stretch starts in the seaside town of Ramsgate, which has the UKs only royal harbour, and the UKs largest network of civilian wartime tunnels. The trail takes you past the entrance to the tunnels as you walk beside Ramsgate Main Sands.

Up to the clifftop via the Grade II listed cliff stairs, you pass beautiful rock gardens. Through King George VI Memorial Park sees the 19th century Italianate Glasshouse and tearoom. Here you will hear the ring-necked parakeets.

The chalk clifftop to Broadstairs is part of the longest continuous stretch of coastal chalk in Britain. Here you can see France across the channel on a clear day.

At Broadstairs, you pass the promenade overlooking popular Viking Bay and go downhill towards the harbour. Here you will see Bleak House, Charles Dickenss holiday home, sitting above the clifftop. At Broadstairs Harbour, you will spot turnstones, a bird well known to this part of the coast, which return each winter.

Carrying along the undercliff promenade beside Stone Bay beach, the trail goes up to the clifftop again. Stone Bay beach is one of the Isle of Thanets 10 award winning beaches.

Walk along the clifftop and you will see the lighthouse built in 1691 as you near Joss Bay. There is a new footpath as you reach Kingsgate, and you will see Kingsgate Castle and Kingsgate Bay with its majestic chalk arch.

The path then follows the clifftops towards Botany Bay, famous for its chalk stacks.

The path continues to Margate, one of the old seaside resorts in the country and home to the Turner Contemporary gallery. You pass one of the oldest-surviving amusement parks in the country which features a Grade II* listed wooden rollercoaster.

The trail passes quieter sandy beaches at Westgate and Birchington and then follows the Northern Sea Wall. This stretch is flat, bordered by shingle beach and grazing marsh. You can see coastal and marshland birds including marsh harriers.

New fencing around the saline lagoons next to the sea wall now provides safer nesting and roosting spaces for birds. These include avocet and ringed plover. New information panels help identify the wildlife. You then you go past Reculver Towers, one of the earliest Roman forts built against Saxon raids.

The path between Reculver Country Park and Herne Bay follows clifftop grassland, providing spectacular views out to sea. You can see sand martins that nest in the holes in the cliffs at Bishopstone, flying above the path.

The trail then reaches Herne Bay with its historic pier, picturesque seafront, and 80 foot Victorian clock tower. Continuing past Tankerton, and the pretty multi-coloured beach huts, you arrive at Whitstable. This is a picturesque seaside town, famous for its oysters.

Clair Bell, Kent County Council cabinet member for community and regulatory services, said:

The opening of the Whitstable to Ramsgate stretch, the latest section of the King Charles III England Coast Path, provides further opportunities for Kent residents and visitors to access the outdoors and connect with the wealth of nature and heritage on their doorstep. It also provides the opportunity for businesses to promote their offer to users of the National Trail.

This section of the coast offers some of Kents finest beaches and heritage including Botany Bay, the remains of St Marys Church at Reculver, the Royal Port of Ramsgate and the Turner Contemporary gallery at Margate. There are a host of opportunities and interesting diversions for residents and visitors alike. The commencement of access rights offers the chance to explore new areas of the coast, boosts the local economy and contributes to the health and wellbeing of residents.

Background

This stretch of coastal path includes over 25 miles of continuous walking route in north east Kent.

It forms part of the 2,700-mile-long King Charles III England Coast Path.

It includes the 19-mile coastline around the Isle of Thanet, which is the longest continuous stretch of coastal chalk in Britain. It is also a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

The north east Kent marine protected area is one of the best sites in Europe for wintering birds, chalk reef marine life and sandy beaches.

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