Nature is set to provide a key attraction for visitors walking the latest stretch of the King Charles III England Coast Path through Lincolnshire, from vast flocks of migrating birds to one of the UK’s largest breeding colonies of grey seals.
A new 50-mile route has just opened connecting Mablethorpe to the Humber Bridge taking in expansive dune systems and nature reserves along with popular seaside resorts and the industrial heritage of the Humber estuary.
Joining the existing Sutton Bridge to Skegness and Skegness to Mablethorpe routes, this new stretch of the national coastal path means that there is now an almost continuous route around the whole Lincolnshire coast.
Officially opened on 16 May, the final link follows on from the 16-mile trail between the traditional seaside resorts of Skegness and Mablethorpe, which was the first stretch of England’s Coast Path opened in Lincolnshire.
Leaving Mablethorpe, the path now threads through Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes National Nature Reserve – a wildlife haven known for dune flora and migrant birds – and passes Donna Nook Nature Reserve, where each year around 2,000 seal pups are born between October and December.
And although perhaps one of Britain’s less well-known birding destinations, Lincolnshire is one of the UK’s premier birdwatching counties, with its coastal reserves offering spectacular sights (www.visitlincolnshire.com/birdwatching).
While the whole path is now open, there are two small gaps with diversions, one at Gibraltar Point where a new bridge will create a year-round dry route, and the other at Immingham, where additional works are also still needed.
Construction of the bridge can only happen between bird nesting season and the seal breeding months to ensure there is minimum impact on the county’s nationally important wildlife habitats, but is expected to be completed by the autumn.
Lincolnshire’s section of the King Charles III England Coast Path – a 2,700-mile trek around England which, once completed, will be the UK’s longest national trail – begins at Sutton Bridge in the south of the county.
Skirting The Wash – the UK’s largest and most important estuary for birds – this remote walk is largely dominated by sea embankments, with salt marsh and flat farmland reclaimed from the water.
The path then heads to one of Britain’s most popular seaside family destinations, Skegness, mostly following along sea defences, with the occasional beach section, before reaching Mablethorpe.
This final stretch now means that walkers can reach another of Lincolnshire’s popular resorts, Cleethorpes, as well as Grimsby, with its historical fishing heritage. After passing the industrial and port developments around Immingham, walkers will ultimately arrive at the Humber Bridge.
For more on the coastal path, see www.visitlincolnshire.com/things-to-do/king-charles-iii-coast-path/
For tourist information about visiting the county, see www.visitlincolnshire.com
Photo: Little Egret rookery, King Charles III England Coast Path, Lincolnshire
