Introduction
The King Charles III England Coast Path is a new National Trail that stretches all the way around England’s coastline. For the first time, everyone is allowed to walk along the whole open coast. With over 2,700 miles of path completed, the full trail was officially opened in March 2026.
In Somerset, the trail is open along our whole coast, covering 64 miles from Brean Cross Sluice to Minehead and then joining the South West Coast Path to reach the Devon border. You can see which other parts of the path are open by checking the GOV.UK progress map.
Starting at Brean Cross near the border with North Somerset, the trail climbs Brean Down, then passes the sandy beaches of Berrow and Burnham-on-Sea. It follows the River Parrett to Bridgwater, before heading back to the salt marshes at Stert Point and the Bridgwater Bay Nature Reserve. From here a diversion skirts Hinkley Point to reach the clifftops of Kilve, East Quantoxhead, St Audries and Watchet. After Watchet the path takes you through Blue Anchor and Dunster to reach Minehead where it joins the South West Coast Path.
To find out more about walking this stretch of the trail, visit our sample itinerary on the National Trails website and download our short walking guide (PDF).
Anniversary celebrations
This year marks ten years since the Brean Down to Minehead section of the King Charles III England Coast Path opened. To celebrate, the Somerset Trail Partnership has organised anniversary events and walks all along the coast.
Access for all
Somerset’s Accessible Coast is a set of resources to help more people plan and enjoy visits to the King Charles III England Coast Path on the Somerset coast. It highlights accessible routes and provides practical information to support your visit.
It includes virtual tours and leaflets for Minehead to Blue Anchor, Watchet, East Quantoxhead and Kilve, Apex Park and Burnham-on-Sea, and Brean Down.
Circular and short walks
There are over 30 short and circular walks that take in sections of the King Charles III England Coast Path in Somerset. They offer a great introduction to Somerset’s coast and the villages and towns along it.
Circular routes
The 16 circular walks include a range of styles; some take you off the beaten track to discover the wilder sections of our coast and others visit towns and villages and offer the option to stop for a cream tea or pub lunch. There are also longer walks for those wanting to make a day of it.
You can pick up individual pocket guides with maps and directions at coastal Visitor Centres in Somerset or visit the National Trails Circular and Linear Walks page for electronic guides and .gpx files.
To see the locations for all walks on a map, download our Coastal Walks in Somerset leaflet (PDF).
Storywalks
Working with local poet Chris Jelley, we have developed a series of Storywalks for families and small groups on the King Charles III England Coast Path. These walks let you explore the local areas in a fun and interactive way using your phone. To find out more, visit our King Charles III England Coast Path Storywalks page.
Trail Passport
The King Charles III England Coast Path follows the Somerset coast from Brean to the border with Devon (from Minehead it follows the same route as the South West Coast Path). To help you walk this 75-mile (120 kilometre) section of the trail, we have created a Trail Passport so that you can collect stamps and keep a record of your journey along this beautiful coastline.
There are more than 35 passport stamping stations on or near the trail, and some businesses also have special offers or free gifts to people with a passport. To find out more visit Somerset Coast Walking – Trail Passport.
To see the full route and a day-by-day itinerary visit the Somerset and Exmoor Coast itinerary on the National Trails website.
Report a problem on the path
If you encounter problems such as broken or missing signs, blocked routes or other access issues during your walk on the King Charles III England Coast Path, you let us know by using the Explore Somerset map to report it. To access the system, visit our Report a problem with a public right of way page.
Safety and access
As each section of the King Charles III England Coast Path has opened, a Coastal Margin has become available alongside it. Shown in pink on Ordnance Survey maps, it includes everything between the Coast Path and mean hightide and occasionally extends landward of the trail as well.
The Coastal Margin is considered open access land, and you have a right to enjoy activities such as walking and running here and can leave the path to visit areas like beaches. However, access is restricted in some areas to protect nature, because it is unsuitable for access, or because it is excepted land such as gardens, schools or business premises – see below.
Not all activities are allowed in the Coastal Margin; paragliding, hang-gliding, camping, horse-riding, cycling and lighting fires, still require you to seek the permission of the landowner. For more information about what you can and cannot do in the coastal margin visit managing land in the coastal margin.
When entering the Coastal Margin in Somerset, you should be aware that many sections of our coast are steep or unstable, and the shores and estuaries can have fast incoming tides and areas of soft sand and mud. Just because the map says you can go there, does not mean it is safe to do so. Always take note of warning signs on the path.
Where you can go
Some parts of the Coastal Margin are not open to the public. This will not always be clear on Ordnance Survey maps, which show the entire area. Always follow guidance from signage on the ground, which will let you know if, and why and area is not open. This might include:
- Land that has permanent or temporary restrictions to protect sensitive wildlife.
- Land that is not suitable for public access such as areas of saltmarsh and mud flats
- Areas with land management activities or where dangerous operations take place
- Land where local byelaws restrict access, for example on military land
- Excepted land – land where the right of access for open air recreation does not apply, for example crops, gardens, schools, railways. You do not have the right to walk on excepted land. You can view a list of excepted land on the GOV.UK website.
Local restrictions can be seen on Natural England’s Open Access maps website. Remember, when using areas of the trail on the beach always check the tide times and follow on-site signage and the guidance of the Countryside Code.
Dogs on the Coast Path
You can bring your dog along the King Charles III England Coast Path, but you must always keep it under control. This means your dog should either be on a lead, or if not, you need to be able to see it, know what it is doing, and feel sure it will come back quickly when called. When walking near livestock, your dog must always be on a short lead. Sometimes, there may be extra restrictions about where dogs can go, especially during certain times of the year or in specific places. Please pay attention to signs, avoid areas where dogs are not allowed, and put your dog on a lead if asked. These rules are there to protect wildlife and prevent issues with livestock.
Closures and diversions
Bridgwater Tidal Barrier
The King Charles III England Coast Path is closed for two short sections on the east and west banks of the River Parrett: in Bridgwater, at Tuckett’s Clyce near Combwich and at Brickyard Clyce in Pawlett. The closures are to allow for land construction works related to the creation of the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier. During the works, please follow the diversion signs on the ground.
To find more information and maps of the diversions, visit these pages.
- National Trails – Diversion at Express Park
- National Trails – Diversion at Chilton Trinity
- National Trails – Diversion at Brickyard Clyce
- National Trails – Diversion at Tuckett’s Clyce
Hinkley diversion
There is a long-term diversion in place on the King Charles III England Coast Path during the construction phase of Hinkley Point C. While this closure is in place please follow the diversion signs on the ground. Visit the National Trails Hinkley Point Diversion page for more information and access to an online map and .gpx file of the route.
Tidal sections and alternative routes
There are four sections of the King Charles III England Coast Path in Somerset where the route is on the beach and becomes impassable during high tides:
- Minehead to Blue Anchor
- Helwell Bay Watchet
- St Audries Bay
- Burnham-on-Sea to Brean
To find out more, visit our Tidal Alternative Routes page on the National Trails website.
Seasonal diversions
There are two seasonal diversions on the King Charles III England Coast Path that are there to protect sensitive wildlife in these areas:
- The Brean Seasonal Riverside Walk is only open between 16 May and the 15 July each year as it is home to large numbers of migrant waterbirds in passage and overwintering. You can see the alternative route and download a .gpx file from Brean Seasonal Riverside Walk page on the National Trails website.
- The Steart Marshes Summer route is open between 1 April and the 30 September each year. In winter it is closed to protect the many waterbirds that rest and feed there. You can see the alternative route on the Winter diversion at Steart Marshes page on the National Trails website.
Managing the Coast Path
The Somerset Trail Partnership manages and maintains the King Charles III England Coast Path in Somerset. This group brings together local stakeholder organisations to help care for and promote the path. Their main job is to ensure the trail is well maintained, safe, easy for everyone to use, and always open. They also work to protect and improve the beautiful countryside, wildlife, and history along the route, so everyone can enjoy and access this special place.
The partners are:
- Somerset Council’s Rights of Way King Charles III England Coast Path team
- Support Services for Education at Kilve Court
- the Ramblers Association
- Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) at Steart Marshes
- the National Trust at Brean Down
- the Quantock Hills National Landscape
- Somerset Wildlife Trust
- Visit Somerset
Volunteering on the coast path
For those of you who enjoy getting out onto our coastline, you might be interested in the King Charles III England Coast Path Trail Watchers Scheme. This gives volunteers the opportunity to adopt a section of the trail and to help us look after it. To find out more about the Trail Watchers Scheme contact us at ROWvolunteers@somerset.gov.uk.
Useful links
More information about the King Charles III England Coast Path and the services on and around the trail in Somerset.