Isle of Sheppey, King Charles III England Coast Path

Описание: Starting on the mainland the trail passes Swale railway station and crosses Kingsferry Bridge on the footway onto the Isle of Sheppey. Kingsferry is a vertical-lift bridge, which allows large boats access along the Swale estuary which separates the island from mainland Kent. To the west you can see the more modern 35m high Sheppey Crossing bridge. Once on the island, going clockwise (i.e. heading west) - the trail follows the raised flood defence bank through grazing land to the west coast at Rushenden. There are views here across the Swale and Medway estuaries. The trail then turns inland to the picturesque and historic harbour at Queenborough.

The route follows the sea wall northwards to then turn inland of the industrial Port of Sheerness. It passes along the Sheerness streets of 'Blue Town' (a residential area next to the Port, where the inhabitants in Napoleonic times, pilfered blue paint from the dockyard to paint their houses), before returning to the seawall on the north coast of the island, to the east of the Port. The trail then follows the seafront promenade to Minster, past beach huts, and gradually ascends the sloped cliffs - for excellent views across the Thames to Southend.

The trail then passes inland to Oak Lane. Between Oak Lane and Warden Bay, the trail is not yet open, so walkers are advised to catch a bus from the nearby bus stops. They can resume their walk heading south along the coast, through the bustling beach town of Leysdown-on-Sea. The trail then continues south before turning west into The Swale National Nature Reserve, at Shellness. The trail along the south coast of the island mostly follows the coastline, as it passes through the Nature Reserve, Sayes Court; past the old Ferry Inn (now a wedding venue); inland around Bells Creek and through Elmley National Nature Reserve and along the seawall towards Kingsferry Bridge. The Swale estuary is a haven for wildlife, as it supports thousands of migratory wintering birds (dark-bellied brent geese, oyster catchers, curlew) and summer breeding birds (redshank, shelduck, lapwing). Great views of the wildlife can be seen from sections where the path follows the seawall - and from hides within Elmley National Nature Reserve. West of Elmley, the trail returns to the Kent mainland over Kingsferry Bridge, via Ferry Road and Sheppey Way.

For more information about the King Charles III England Coast Path, visit the National Trails website: https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/