Proposals to complete the King Charles III England Coastal Path through Rye have been revealed. Last month Natural England submitted a report to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs detailing how it plans to improve access to the four mile stretch of coast / river between Rye Harbour and Camber Sands.
A six-week online consultation finishes in late September. You can read the proposals here.
The plan to formalise the coastal path ground to a halt two years ago when Natural England said the route near Brede Sluice was not safe. The latest plans, which have been discussed with National Highways, suggests safety improvements could be made.
The latest proposals say that “there is a clear local desire for a walked route around the Rother Estuary via Rye”.
The preferred route follows the Harbour Road from the village before joining the footpath through fields behind the industrial estates, crossing the Brede Sluice, following the main road before continuing along the riverside at Rock Channel. After crossing the Monk Bretton Bridge, the route follows the eastern bank of the River Rother, although this part of the path is currently closed due to flood defence works. Once the work on the tidal wall is completed it will run south along a seawall overlooking the estuary and the Environment Agency’s new salt marsh creation scheme.
Near Rye Golf Course the proposals say “this public footpath becomes unusable where it leaves the seawall and crosses eroding mudflats and saltmarsh. South from the Harbour Master’s office to Camber Beach, an informal path continues alongside the river to the mouth of the river.” The route follows the beach through Camber.
The report also notes how Rye Gold Club “is concerned that if this existing riverside path is promoted as part of the King Charles III England Coast Path, increased numbers of walkers between Rye and Camber would lead to heightened public safety risks, significantly disrupt play and affect the commercial viability of the golf course. Increasing amounts of antisocial behaviour and picnicking on the site were also raised as a concern, along with risks to public safety on coastal margin land near the golf course.”
Consultation on completing the coastal path through Rye continues until September 25.
Image Credits: James Stewart , Natural England/Ordnance Survey .
Much hard and skilled work has gone into the report that recommended the proposed route and I sincerely hope it is completed as planned. To have a completed coast path bringing in walkers to Rye, Rye Harbour, Winchelsea Beach and Camber would be a great addition to the area. I sincerely look forward to its completion and (fingers crossed) opening.
This discussion has been going on for 6 or 7 years and the route doesn’t look any different to the original plans, one of the main sticking points was obviously the top of the harbour road, so what’s changed there?
Nothing has changed and this looks very much like another feet dragging exercise by all concerned.
Hear hear Simon. I’ve been much missing the walk on the eastern side of the river, and I feel sure many others feel the same. Making this very special landscape accessible to all should be a priority.
I can’t see why Rye Golf Club is concerned over the path running beside the river to the beach at Camber. A bit ironic, since they refused to allow the permissive path ( the old tramway) across the golf course to be part of Coastal Path.
Seems to me they don’t want anyone to walk anywhere near their precious golf course, it’s a coastal path, it follows the coast!
My Father was born in Rye in 1917, l spent all my school holidays at Granny,’s on Tower Street,
I used to have to walk across fields full of bog and sheep to get to Camber. A Coastal walk would be a Godsend a much long awaited pleasureable, and, environmentally friendly way of life. Rye deserves it being the most sought after town l have ever come across.
Until safety measures are put in place at the top of the harbour road,for residents and tourists crossing this dangerous junction, this route must be delayed, before someone gets killed,it’s woefully inadequate to press ahead,without proper safety measures in place first.
Just out of interest, in all the decades the coastal route has existed, and which has given so many thousands pleasure (not forgetting all the dogs that love the walk too), how many people have been injured or killed crossing the road on the route?
Nobody is disputing this only access to Rye on foot from Rye Harbour into the town has seen no fatalities, but this dangerous crossing with only one footpath on one side,is a serious accident waiting to happen,especially if this walking route is upgraded for even more walkers using it, As traffic increases around the town each year,and with a bypass long forgotten about,it’s time our roadside planners put into place more safe crossings In the town, New road comes to mind,and also South Undercliffe, and the bottom of Rye hill, also why they never put another zebra crossing at the top of the station approach, as all visitors on foot from the station have to cross Cinque Ports street. Over the years there has been too many near misses on this dangerous junction,and it’s time people stopped dismissing these serious issues.
I’m not sure those commenting have read the documents linked in the article. Mention is made of improvements to the A259/Harbour Road junction for the path – the devil is in the detail of course
If Rye Golf Club is concerned about the viability of the England Coast Path going across or even near their land, perhaps they should consult with Dunstanburgh Golf Club in Northumberland about how they manage with the path wandering through their course and how they have overcome problems, if indeed any actually exist. Both the path and the golf course were well-patronised when I walked through there recently and neither activity seemed to impede the other. Nor, I suspect, was the commercial viability of the course threatened, given how well it was being patronised even on a weekday morning. Perhaps there is just more goodwill around in other parts of the country.