East Head to Shoreham-by-Sea provides a 44-mile continuous walking route in West Sussex.
The stretch is mainly open coastal plain with long beaches, seaside resorts and nature reserves teeming with birds. New boardwalks, improved path surfaces and better signage, improves access for residents and visitors alike, and provides a boost for local businesses.
The stretch starts by the sand dunes at West Wittering, near the mouth of Chichester Harbour, a popular spot with a long sandy beach.
The path then follows the open coast eastwards and inland beside the raised seawall bank around Medmerry. This had a recent managed realignment of the coast by the Environment Agency and is now a new RSPB nature reserve. Birds including various wildfowl and birds of prey including peregrines and merlins can be seen here. Geese and waders start to arrive in large numbers, while members of the swallow family gather preparing for their journeys south.
Returning to the open coast, the trail goes around Selsey Bill and from one sweeping bay to another as you walk towards Pagham Harbour. The trail mostly follows the sea wall around the estuary, here you may see little terns, blacktailed godwits and the beautiful common blue butterfly.
Next you will reach Bognor Regis seafront promenade, another popular seaside resort. Along this section, on shingle beaches in places, you pass through Middleton-on-Sea and Felpham.
Between Elmer and Littlehampton Harbour, the trail follows an interesting section of natural coastline including the sand dunes and shingle beach at Climping. Once you reach Littlehampton Harbour, you follow the trail beside and over the river Arun where you’ll see an array of boats. You walk past a theme park near the mouth of the River Arun at Littlehampton, then past the mid-19th century forts.
The trail then uses public footpaths across grassland and along promenades adjacent to the open coast. Taking you through the seaside villages of Rustington, East Preston, Ferring and Goring by Sea, then on to the seaside resort of Worthing, and past the beach huts in Lancing.
Continuing on you cross the swing bridge over the river Adur and follow the board walk on Shoreham beach, with its interesting, vegetated shingle with plants such as sea kale poking through. You then arrive at Shoreham-by-Sea, a seaside town bordered by the south downs, river Adur and the sea.
For more information about the King Charles III England Coast Path, visit the National Trails website.