Portsmouth–South Hayling coast path opens 12 Nov

From today, Wednesday 12 November 2025, new coastal access rights switch on between Portsmouth and South Hayling. In practice, that means the King Charles III England Coast Path here is now open to the public, offering just over 22 miles on foot from Old Portsmouth to the beach at South Hayling. Natural England confirmed the opening and highlighted improvements such as a new boardwalk at Southmoor Nature Reserve.

What made today possible is a short legal order made under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. It is called a statutory instrument - a quick way for ministers to set a start date or fill in the practical details of an Act. Think of Acts as the main rules and statutory instruments as the switches that turn parts of those rules on.

Two Acts sit behind coastal access in England. First, the CROW Act 2000 created modern open‑access rights. Later, the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 set a duty for government and Natural England to create a continuous coastal route with a strip of land beside it for public enjoyment - the “coastal margin”. Today’s order marks the moment those rights start on this stretch.

If you walk the route, you begin at Old Portsmouth by the Round Tower and head along Southsea and Eastney before the scenery shifts around Langstone Harbour. Highlights include Farlington Marshes for birdwatching and the Southmoor boardwalk, which uses recycled materials and will reach 400 metres after winter works.

Approval for this stretch has been years in the making. Natural England submitted its reports on 19 July 2017; after consultation and consideration of objections, the Secretary of State approved the route (including a modification at Eastney Peninsula and Kendalls Wharf) on 6 March 2024. The “access preparation period” then allowed time for signage and works before the new rights began today.

What “coastal margin” means for you is simple: a strip of land beside the path, usually including foreshore and beach, becomes available for open‑air recreation on foot. Some land remains off‑limits - for example private gardens, buildings and certain working sites - and there can be local restrictions to protect wildlife or for safety. Follow on‑site signs.

Rules of use are straightforward. Access is on foot; cycling or horse riding only where those rights already exist. No camping or fires. Dogs should be under effective control at all times in the coastal margin, and on a short lead near livestock. Local notices may add seasonal or site‑specific rules.

For landowners and site managers along the route, your property stays yours and Natural England funds the necessary signs and gates. Liability for natural coastal features is limited, and if the shoreline moves through erosion, the path can “roll back” without starting the whole process again, so the route can be kept usable.

Teachers and students can use this as a live case study of how laws become everyday rights. The sequence runs like this: proposals submitted (2017), ministerial approval after scrutiny (March 2024), on‑the‑ground preparation, and then an order appointing the start date - today. It’s a clear example of secondary legislation shaping how we use places.

The bigger picture matters too. The King Charles III England Coast Path is opening in sections around the country and, once finished, will be the longest managed coastal walking route in the world. In the south, neighbouring stretches such as South Hayling to East Head are also moving through approval and establishment. That’s useful context for planning fieldwork or a multi‑day walk.