The prolonged record breaking rainfall has made the cliffs along which much of the Coast Path runs far more unstable than normal. Over the past few months we’ve had an unprecedented number of cliff falls, landslips, and flood damage that have meant that we’ve had to divert many sections of the path – see list below and our route changes page.
Although this looks a long list, these are spread over 630 miles and so the vast majority of the Coast Path is still open, and OK to use, providing you take a bit of extra care.
So if you are out and about on the Coast Path please heed our Safety advice and in particular:
- Stay back from the cliff edges
- Keep your eyes open for signs of cliff collapse, such as cracks in the path or slumping. If you see these do not venture across them. But please let us know, either by email or via our Report a problem page. Whilst the path is inspected by wardens and rangers, with 630 miles to cover along with a huge inland network of paths which have also been hit by flood damage, we rely on the public to highlight problems so that safety measures can be put in place.
- Obey any warning signs, and path closure notices – they are there for your safety.
- The path will be muddy and slippery so have footwear with a decent grip, or stay on surfaced sections of the path
- Even once it stops raining, the cliffs are likely to remain unstable for several months as the ground slowly dries out and settles.
