One of the world’s longest footpaths, the 2,795 mile England Coast Path, will open a new stretch next year and it will begin at Filey.

The Yorkshire Coast is already a magnet for walkers and northwards there is a continuous coastal route from Filey to Newport Bridge at Middlesbrough. Developing a path south from Filey is difficult to bring to fruition due to the high rate of erosion that is suffered on the Holderness coast. It is one of the most rapidly eroding coastlines in Europe with an annual loss somewhere in the region of thirteen feet. 

However, a proposal is currently being considered by Theresa Villiers, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, that allows a ‘roll back’ of the path as the coast erodes. If permission is given, the fifty-nine mile section between Filey and Easington is expected to open in October 2020. 

The new path will link with a route from Easington to the Humber Bridge that is already in development. This will make the entire Yorkshire coastline accessible to walkers for the first time. The northern sections of the route are already enjoyed by walkers, but the challenge of walking the entire Yorkshire coastline is expected to become highly popular.

Natural England are developing the footpath that, in concert with the Wales Coastal Path and the Scotland Coastal Way, will become part of a route that will follow the entire coastline of the British mainland. 

Coastal erosion at Skipsea