Natural England has today opened the latest stretch of the England Coast Path in Norfolk – 21 miles from Hopton-on-Sea to Sea Palling – as statistics reveal people make more than 300 million visits a year to England's coastline.
With walking the most popular activity at the coast the opening of the route in Great Yarmouth, by Lord Gardiner of Kimble and Natural England chairman Andrew Sells, means many more people can enjoy this stunning shorelines. Mr Sells said: 'The England Coast Path is a fabulous legacy for our great island nation.
'The latest section opening here today is a wonderful showcase for Norfolk's varied coastline, from historic towns and villages to stunning wildlife and beautiful beaches.
'Opening up the route will also bring huge benefits to the regional economy – our evidence shows walking is the most popular activity at the coast and we spend more time and money when we visit.'
The route includes three new miles of access between Horsey and Sea Palling, where walkers and wildlife watchers will enjoy a beautiful section of Norfolk's coastline-some of it for the first time.
They will also be able to explore towns and villages along the way, including Gorleston-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, Caister-on-Sea and Hemsby, benefiting local economies.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble, parliamentary under-secretary of state at Defra, added: 'I am delighted even more miles of our beautiful coastline will be open for people to enjoy, giving everyone a chance to take in even more of our breath-taking scenery. The England Coast Path is a stunning location for people to visit, and has many benefits, including improving our physical and mental wellbeing.'
Jonathan Stratford, general manager at Haven's Hopton Holiday Village said: 'We are delighted to hear of the opening of the England Coast Path between Hopton-on-Sea and Sea Palling as it is a project that we have been actively supporting over the last couple of years.
'We encourage all our guests to explore the local area and this coastal path gives everyone the chance to discover more of this picturesque and unique coastline.'
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