King Charles III England Coast Path: Silecroft to Silverdale
Find out about the progress of improving coastal access – including maps, process and timing – in Cumbria.
Map of the stretch
Natural England is working to improve coastal access along a 69 miles (112 km) stretch of the Cumbrian coast from Silecroft to Silverdale. The route will start at Silecroft Beach car park and finish just outside Silverdale at Cove Well.
Officers from Cumbria County Council are providing Natural England with expert local advice and helping to make sure there is full consultation with local interests during the development of the route.
Stage 5: Open
Beach car park, Silecroft to Green Road railway station
This 18.6km (11.5 miles) stretch of the King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP) is now open to the public. Coastal access rights came into force along this section of the Silecroft to Silverdale stretch on Wednesday 9 February 2022, by order of the Secretary of State.
The route is available to view on the National Trails website.
If you are planning a walk on the KCIIIECP, check our interactive access maps for details of local access restrictions and coast path diversions which may apply at certain times.
Coastal access rights normally apply to all land that is coastal margin - including any land seaward of the route - unless it falls into a category of excepted land.
Use the links below to see details of the Secretary of State’s decision to approve Natural England’s proposals and for guidance on your rights and responsibilities if the KCIIIECP passes through your land.
Stage 5: Open (not yet available for public use - work to establish the route is being planned or currently taking place)
Kents Bank to Cove Well, Silverdale
This section has been approved but is not yet available for public use. Work to establish the route is currently taking place.
Stage 4: Determine
Green Road railway station to Kents Bank
On 8 January 2020, Natural England submitted a collection of reports to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, setting out the proposals for improved access to the coast between Silecroft and Silverdale.
The period for making representations and objections about the reports closed at midnight on 4 March 2020. The reports are still available to view.
Objections are forwarded for consideration by an independent planning inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. The inspector will make recommendations to the Secretary of State in respect of each one.
Natural England may not make any further changes to the reports as a result of the representations and objections, but will make comments about them for consideration by the Secretary of State and, in the case of objections, the appointed person (an inspector from the Planning Inspectorate).
The Secretary of State will consider all the representations and objections before making a decision about Natural England’s reports. The reports in the collection may get approval at the same time. Some of them may need further consideration.
You can see the current status of the collection in the table.
| Report number and title | Stage 4 | Stage 5 (approved) |
|---|---|---|
| SCS 1: Beach car park, Silecroft to Green Road railway station | 12 November 2020 | |
| SCS 2: Green Road railway station to Jubilee Bridge, Vickerstown | 20 October 2022 | |
| SCS 3: Jubilee Bridge to Newbiggin | 20 October 2022 | |
| SCS 4: Newbiggin to Greenodd footbridge | 20 October 2022 | |
| SCS 5: Greennodd footbridge to Kents Bank | yet to be determined | |
| SCS 6: Kents Bank to Cove Well, Silverdale | 16 July 2024 |
Variation reports on approved sections
Sometimes it’s necessary to change sections of an approved route. The proposed changes are published as variation reports. Anyone can comment (make a representation) on these proposals. Affected landowners and occupiers can make an objection.
Proposals to change the approved route at Dunnerholme, Askam-in-Furness (VR18)
On Wednesday 17 July 2024, Natural England submitted a variation report (VR18) to the Secretary of State setting out proposals to change the approved route of the England Coast Path in Cumbria at Dunnerholme, Askam-in-Furness.
The change affects report SCS 2: Green Road railway station to Jubilee Bridge, Vickerstown, at the location of Dunnerholme Golf Course. It seeks to realign the King Charles III England Coast Path with a newly created Public Rights of Way (PRoW) footpath in the area.
You can now read the report.
Representations and objections must reach Natural England by midnight on Wednesday 11 September 2024.
Next steps
Stage 5: Open
Once the Secretary of State has approved 1 or more of the reports, Natural England will start work with Cumbria County Council on preparing the route for public use.
The first step will be to contact owners and occupiers of the affected land to discuss the design and location of any new infrastructure which is required such as signs and gates.
When preparations are complete for the stretch as a whole, new access rights will be brought into force along the route and adjoining spreading room.
Find out more about the King Charles III England Coast Path
See information about all stretches in preparation around England’s coast.
The coastal access scheme gives details of the process being followed to improve access to the coast.
Contact the coastal access team
Contact Natural England with any comments, suggestions or queries you have about improving coastal access.
Coastal access (North west)
Natural England
Murley Moss Business Village
Oxenholme Road
Kendal
Cumbria
LA9 7RL
Email northwestcoastalaccess@naturalengland.org.uk
Telephone 0300 060 3900
See the map below for information about progress on improving coastal access in other parts of the north west.
Updates to this page
Last updated 17 July 2024 + show all updates
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Added information about variation report 18, concerning Dunnerholme, Askam-in-Furness.
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Page updated with information about the approval of SCS6 - Kents Bank to Cove Well, Silverdale.
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Page updated to show that reports SCS 2, SCS 3 and SCS 4 have been approved.
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Page updated to show that the 'Beach car park, Silecroft to Green Road railway station' section of this stretch is now open to the public.
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Added table showing the reports which make up the collection. Page updated to show that 1 of the 6 reports have received Secretary of State approval.
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Length of the stretch amended from 142 km to 112 km (69 miles). The reduction is because the route proposal doesn’t go up the estuaries.
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Page updated to show the opportunity to comment on the reports has ended.
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Page updated to show this stretch is now at stage 4.
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Changed expected date for publication of the reports to early 2020.
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Removed the sentence giving a date for when access is expected to be ready. Publication of the report is expected in autumn 2019.
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Dates amended: publication of report now expected in first half of 2019. Access expected to be ready in 2020.
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Updated page to show that work has moved to stages 2 and 3: develop and propose.
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First published.