In Somerset, a 13.4-mile stretch of the England Coast Path brings the path to a close.
Highlights of the route include: Skylarks, waders, and otters live at the Bleadon Levels Nature Reserve.
Today (16 June), a 13.4-mile section of the England Coast Path from Beach Road car park (Sand Bay) to Brean Down Fort opens, connecting Somerset to Minehead, where the South West Coast Path begins.
The ceremony was held at Brean Down Sluice, which marks the boundary between Somerset and North Somerset counties.
The walkway will also be a component of the ‘Tidal Trail,’ a circular route that begins at Uphill Beach Car Park and ends at Uphill Beach Car Park.
Natural England has now opened the next part of the 2,700-mile England Coast Path (ECP). The new path runs through Weston-super-Mare, one of the first British seaside resorts, and is the path’s first section to open in North Somerset.
To make the path available and accessible to the public, Natural England collaborated with North Somerset Council, Somerset Council, Wessex Water, the Environment Agency, local landowners, and many other local partners.
Walkers will be able to walk the whole coast of Fiddlers Point, which offers unobstructed views of the Severn Estuary and Birnbeck Pier.
The following are some of the stretch’s local and tourist highlights:
The Bleadon Levels Nature Reserve is a wetlands and saltmarsh area. Skylarks, waders, and otters can often be seen from the lagoon’s bird hides.
Weston-super-Mare beach’s great pier
Walborough Nature Reserve’s limestone grassland is home to nationally uncommon plants such as Somerset hair-grass and honewort.
During the fall and winter, the estuary is home to a variety of wildfowl and waders, including redshanks, dunlins, and black-tailed godwits.
Weston Prom has wheelchair accessible walkways.
Natural England’s Area Manager for Wessex, Rachel Williams, said:
We’re excited to announce the opening of this new part of the England Coast Path, which spans 13 miles and has some of our region’s most iconic species.
We know that spending just two hours a week in nature may dramatically improve our health and well-being.
This walkway is a great addition to both Somerset and North Somerset, providing more chances for locals as well as visitors and tourists from farther away to reach the seaside and engage with wildlife.
North Somerset Council executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, Councillor Mike Soloman, said:
I am overjoyed that this first part has been formally recognized, allowing our residents and tourists to more readily enjoy our magnificent shoreline.
It’s fantastic that this project, which was carried out in collaboration with Natural England, is nearing completion, as it bodes well for future tourists and our economy.
Somerset County Council’s Rights of Way Service Manager, Peter Hobley, explained:
The award of National Trail designation across the whole Somerset coastline is the newest segment of the England Coast Path, establishing a great, nationally recognized resource for Somerset residents and visitors alike.
The Somerset coast is beautiful and diverse, and walking the Trail is a terrific opportunity to see it while also reaping the numerous advantages it offers, such as improved mental and physical health and support for the local economy.
Waterbirds such as redshank graze and roost in this location during the overwintering period, hence the path along the west bank of the Axe is only available from 16 April to 15 July each year.
Natural England took the tough choice to block the walkway while the birds are there to save their energy and limit disruption, giving them the best chance of survival. During the closures, other routes will be available.
When finished, the England Coast Route will be the world’s longest continuous coastal path.
This National Trail will run the length of the English coast, going through some of the most beautiful, dynamic, and well-known terrain on the planet.
The England Coast Path will allow more people to enjoy the natural environment, as part of the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan’s goal of connecting people with nature. Coastal areas are a great place to live.