The England Coast Path will form the world’s longest walking route when finished in 2020, according to the body responsible for completing it.
Work is now under way on all unfinished parts of the 2,700 route, says Natural England, the public body supervising the construction.
300 miles of coast path have already been opened by Natural England in their mission to open one continuous route around the coast. The new routes link existing paths and create new ones – sometimes moving paths nearer to the sea.
The work connects long-established national trails such as the 630-mile South West Coast Path, completed in 1978, with newly opened sections such as the 58-mile stretch between Minehead and Brean Down in Somerset, opened in spring 2016.
A further 386 miles have also been proposed, including the first stretches in Lincolnshire, Essex and Exmoor.
Around 300 million people a year visit England’s coastline.
Rural Affairs Minister Lord Gardiner said: “The England Coast Path is a hugely significant project – helping people across the country to access our stunning coastline and providing a significant boost to the economy of our coastal communities.”
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