Erosion sparks safety fears on King's coast path

12 hours ago

Amanda WhiteIn East Yorkshire

News image — The path crosses the crumbling clay cliffs near Mappleton, Holderness

Amanda White / BBC The silhouette of a man walking a small dog on a lead on a clay and grass clifftop above the sea. The tide is in with white surf rolling up the beach. The sky is blue. — The path crosses the crumbling clay cliffs near Mappleton, Holderness

Concerns have been raised about rapid erosion affecting a stretch of the new King Charles III England Coast Path.

The route covers the entire coastline of England and was inaugurated by the King last week.

But rambler Alan Tharratt said sections in Holderness, East Yorkshire, were eroding "very quickly". He added: "I've been mountaineering all my life and there's a level of risk you have to accept... but I wouldn't walk close to this cliff."

Natural England said the path was "designed to move in response to coastal change" and it would always try to "maintain a usable route".

Holderness has one of the fastest eroding coastlines in the UK, with about 15ft (4.5m) lost on average per year, according to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

While the path is designed to "roll back" when erosion occurs, Tharratt said: "It's eroding very, very quickly and it's unpredictable. You just don't know when it's going to go."

Amanda White / BBC A head and shoulders shot of a man smiling at the camera. He has short grey hair and is wearing large glasses and a green waterproof coat. He is standing on a path on a cliff near the coast and green fields can be seen behind him. The sky is blue. — Dave Bower says there is no guidance on where is safe to walk

Some of those using the path near Mappleton have had to walk over a farmer's field, away from the cliff edge.

Walker Chris Hine said: "It just doesn't seem very defined for a new footpath."

Dave Bower added: "It's a good idea generally, but it's a bit hit and miss.

"There's obviously bits fallen in and there's no guidance as to where's safe to walk and where isn't."

The King Charles III path runs for 2,689 miles (4328 km), making it the longest managed coastal walking route in the world, according to Natural England, which spent 18 years creating it.

It passes through some of the country's most beautiful and varied landscapes, from salt marshes and sandy beaches to cliffs, dunes and historic coastal towns.

While the route has been inaugurated, only about 80% is open, with most of the rest due to be completed by the end of the year.

Amanda White / BBC A man standing on top of grass with the sea in the background. He is walking a small black dog on a lead and is wearing black trousers, a green rain jacket and a black bobble hat. — Alan Tharratt says parts of the route are incomplete

Tharratt said some of the route's signposting and infrastructure was incomplete, including a section near the village of Skipsea, which diverts around a holiday park.

"There's supposed to be a tarmac path along the roadside as part of the diversion," he told BBC Look North.

"They've said it's open, but it clearly isn't."

The route is maintained by Trail Partnerships, incorporating local authorities, national park authorities and other organisations through whose land the trail passes.

Natural England said the path would evolve "through a process known as rollback, which is particularly necessary in fast eroding coastal sections like Holderness".

It added: "There will be some temporary diversions in place until a new route can be discussed with landowners and works can be actioned, but we will always endeavour to maintain a usable route."

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