King Charles III England Coast Path: Lulworth Cove to Highcliffe
Find out about the progress of improving coastal access – including maps, process and timing – in Dorset.
Introduction
Natural England is working to improve public access along a 48 mile (77km) stretch of the Dorset coast between Lulworth Cove and Highcliffe.
Officers from Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council are providing Natural England with expert local advice during the establishment of the route.
Some sections are still under development, some are yet to be determined.
This page has information about the stage of progress for each section of the stretch.
Information about open sections of the route
You can view open sections of the King Charles III England Coast Path on the National Trails website .
You can see the status of all sections of the route in the table.
The section from Lulworth Cove to Kimmeridge was separated from the wider proposals due to its complexity. For Kimmeridge to Highcliffe, the proposal’s published chapters referred to in the table are for the purposes of determination and approval only. The start and end points of these chapters are shown in the stretch map.
| Report | Stage 4 | Stage 5 (approved) | Open to the public |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lulworth Cove to Kimmeridge Bay (LCK) | |||
| - LCK 1: Lulworth Cove to Lulworth Ranges Gates West | 23 July 2025 | ||
| - LCK 3: Lulworth Ranges Gates East to Gaulter Gap, Kimmeridge Bay | 23 July 2025 | ||
| Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe (LCH) | |||
| - LCH Chapter 1: Kimmeridge Bay to Winspit | 6 April 2022 | Yes | |
| - LCH Chapter 2: Winspit to Peveril Point | 6 April 2022 | Yes | |
| - LCH Chapter 3: Peveril Point to Shep’s Hollow | 6 April 2022 | Yes | |
| - LCH Chapter 4: Shep’s Hollow to South Haven Point | 6 April 2022 | Yes | |
| - LCH Chapter 5: Sandbanks to Southbourne | 6 April 2022 | Not yet | |
| - LCH Chapter 6: Southbourne to Mudeford Quay | Not yet determined |
6 April 2022 Approval quashed by High Court Order |
Not yet |
| - LCH Chapter 7: Mudeford Quay to Chewton Bunny | 6 April 2022 | Not yet |
If you’re planning a walk on the King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP), check our interactive access maps for details of local access restrictions and coast path diversions which may therefore apply at certain times.
Coastal access rights normally apply to all land that is coastal margin - including any land seaward of the route - unless it falls into a category of excepted land or if an access restriction applies to the land.
The maps in Natural England’s original proposals for Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe to the Secretary of State are still available to view. They show the route of the KCIIIECP along this stretch of coast as it was proposed at that time. They also show the adjoining land that is coastal margin.
Any variation needed after a stretch has been proposed, approved or opened is achieved through rollback or a modification or variation report that you can comment on. Modification and variation reports are published on GOV.UK and details will be added to this page.
Use the link that follows for guidance on your rights and responsibilities if the KCIIIECP passes through your land.
Stage 5: Open to the public
Kimmeridge Bay to South Haven Point
This 21 mile (34km) section of the King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP) is now open to the public. Coastal access rights came into force along this section of the Lulworth Cove to Highcliffe stretch on 4 June 2025, by order of the Secretary of State.
Stage 5: Open (not yet available for public use - work to establish the route is being planned or currently taking place)
Sandbanks to Southbourne and Mudeford Quay to Chewton Bunny
On 6 April 2022, the Secretary of State approved these sections of the King Charles III England Coast Path.
Natural England will publish further details of the approved routes in due course.
Stage 4: Determine
Lulworth Cove to Kimmeridge Bay
On 23 July 2025, Natural England submitted a report to the Secretary of State setting out proposals for improved access to the coast for this section of the route between Lulworth Cove and Kimmeridge Bay.
You can now read the report
Representations and objections must reach Natural England by midnight on Wednesday 17 September 2025.
Anyone can comment on the proposals (make a representation). Landowners and occupiers can make an objection.
Objections are forwarded for consideration by an independent planning inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. The inspector will make recommendations to the Secretary of State in respect of each one.
Natural England may not make any further changes to the report as a result of the representations and objections, but will make comments about them for consideration by the Secretary of State and, in the case of objections, the appointed person (an inspector from the Planning Inspectorate).
The Secretary of State will consider all the representations and objections before making a decision about Natural England’s report.
Southbourne to Mudeford Quay
On 21 June 2017, Natural England submitted a report to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs setting out the proposals for improved access to the coast between Kimmeridge Bay and Highcliffe.
On 6 April 2022, the Secretary of State approved Natural England’s proposals. Since then, a deficiency was identified in the determination process relating to Chapter 6, Southbourne to Mudeford Quay. As a result, the Secretary of State consented to the quashing of the approval of Chapter 6 by means of a High Court Order.
The Secretary of State will make a decision regarding the determination of Chapter 6 in due course.
Next steps
Stage 5: Open
When the Secretary of State approves a section of the report, Natural England works with officers from Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council on preparing the route for public use.
The first step is to contact owners and occupiers of the affected land to discuss the design and location of any new infrastructure which is required, such as signs and gates.
When preparations are complete, new access rights will be brought into force along the route and adjoining spreading room.
Find out more about the King Charles III England Coast Path
See information about all stretches in preparation around England’s coast.
The coastal access scheme gives details of the process being followed to improve access to the coast.
Contact the authority managing sections that are open to the public
If you need to contact the authority managing open sections of this stretch of the KCIIIECP, use the contact forms on the National Trails website contact us page.
Contact the coastal access team for sections not yet open to the public
Contact Natural England with any comments, suggestions or queries you have about improving coastal access.
Coastal access delivery team (Somerset, Avon and Dorset)
Natural England
Horizon House
Deanery Road
Bristol
BS1 5AH
Email westcoastalaccess@naturalengland.org.uk
Telephone: Natural England enquiry team - 0300 060 3900
See the map below for information about progress on improving coastal access in other parts of the west of England.
Updates to this page
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Page updated with information about the publication of the reports for Lulworth Cove to Kimmeridge Bay (LCK).
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Page updated to show that parts of this stretch are now open to the public.
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Page updated to show that approval of Chapter 6 - Southbourne to Mudeford Quay - has been quashed by High Court Order.
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Page updated to show the Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe section of this stretch has been approved.
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Removed the sentence giving a date for when access is expected to be ready. Publication of the report for the Lulworth Cove to Kimmeridge section is expected in winter 2020.
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Dates amended: publication of report for the Lulworth Cove to Kimmeridge Bay part of the stretch expected in 2019. Access to both parts of this stretch expected to be ready in 2020.
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Page updated to show that the opportunity to comment on proposals for the Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe section has ended.
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Page updated to show that the report for the Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe part of the stretch has been published.
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Text updated: 2 reports now being produced for this stretch. First covers Kimmeridge to Highcliffe, second covers Lulworth to Kimmeridge.
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Updated page to show that work has reached stages 2 and 3: develop and propose.
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First published.