This year, England’s Coast (englandscoast.com) – the clever tool that allows users to browse and book over 2,000 coastal businesses, including accommodation, restaurants and attractions – is excited to announce the launch of its Pledge for the Coast, encouraging all those who love our glorious coastline to promise to Respect, Protect and Enjoy our many amazing coastal playgrounds for generations to come.
The coast is changing, and it is on the frontline of climate change; we have all seen the images of massive floods and coastal erosion, and many of us really want to play our part to protect it and to support coastal communities. England’s Coast seeks to raise awareness of the ever-pressing need to look after our fragile coastline – now more important than ever – and to invite everyone to commit to being a more thoughtful visitor by signing the Pledge and committing to its three pillars:
- Respect: make sure you know what to do if you or someone else is in danger when sea swimming – RNLI offers advice on some simple points in order to avoid emergencies
– check tide times and stick to sandy parts of the beach;
– look after wildlife and respect natural habitats;
– keep dogs on a lead;
– keep your distance from seals and dolphins.
- Protect: Leave only footprints and take your litter home; join local community beach clean-ups; clean up after your dog; use BBQs only where allowed; park in designated spaces.
- Enjoy: Plan ahead and find quieter times and places to explore; enjoy the best our epic coastline has to offer and support local communities by buying local products, eating locally-sourced food and drink and embracing new experiences.
Make your promise to the coast by signing the pledge, and encourage friends and family to do the same.
Across the English coastline, there’s a whole raft of exciting new experiences and activities happening in 2024, from a glittering new entertainment museum in Blackpool to the launch of a south-west electronic music festival in Plymouth. So put your pledge into action with England’s Coast’s pick of the best:
Blackpool: New entertainment venue on Blackpool’s seafront – opening March
Blackpool’s seafront Showtown is a brand-new, all-singing, all-dancing entertainment museum showcasing the dancers, comedians and entertainers who’ve showered the resort in glittering showbiz glory. Tickets are on sale now, and the opening date is 15 March 2024.
Cumbria: New coastal activity centre – opening Spring 2024
The Edge will be a new multi-purpose activity centre opening in Whitehaven in Spring 2024, with opportunities for visitors to get out on the water, explore bike and hike trails, and immerse themselves in the stunning scenery.
North Yorkshire: Dark Skies Festival in February and Autumn
Not much beats the thrill of Dark Sky gazing: head to the North York Moors National Park, where the night skies are mesmerising. Its Dark Skies Festival in February and October/November are the perfect tonic for a winter’s night. New this year is a permanent Constellation Rubbing Trail at Danby Lodge National, happening on 22 November. Explore the grounds at this drop-in event, find constellation rubbing plaques and discover no less than 10 different hidden constellations!
Plymouth: New electronic music event in May, the 200th anniversary of The Royal Navy, and exciting arts and culture events
Plymouth sees the arrival of a new electronic music event: ALIVE will draw together some of the world’s biggest dance artists on stage at the Home Park Stadium on 25 May 2024. Marking a new era for electronic music in the south-west, ALIVE will feature some of the biggest DJs and artists, and low-cost tickets will be available to ensure that this major new festival affordable for all.
2024 is also the 200th anniversary of The Royal Navy at Devonport, Plymouth. Its Heritage Centre is to reopen on 20 March after a shiny new refurbishment. Explore the relationship of Devonport with the Royal Navy, the Dockyard and the people of this waterfront city.
The Box in Plymouth has also unveiled an ambitious programme for 2024, with a focus on climate change. Visit Planet Ocean, plus works by JMW Turner and major collaborations with the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery.
Isle of Wight: the Walking Festival’s 25th anniversary in Spring & Autumn, and The Albion Hotel’s refurbishment
Spring 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the Isle of Wight’s Walking Festival, from 11th to 19th May. Run by volunteers, this is a great opportunity to meet the locals and join other visitors; in 2016, a speed-dating walk resulted in numerous weddings and babies! And, if you can’t make it in spring, there’s another walking festival in autumn.
If you’re planning a visit to the Isle of Wight, The Albion Hotel at Freshwater is undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment following new ownership, and is expected to re-open in May.
Thanet: New Lancaster flight experience in Margate, and the 10th anniversary of the Ramsgate Tunnels
Margate offers a unique new Lancaster Bomber experience at the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, in Manston. Book a 30-minute ‘flight’ and sit with an instructor in a replica Avro Lancaster cockpit, fire-up its four Merlin engines (the roaring sound is pumped into the cockpit on this simulated flight); it’s the only fully-functioning Lancaster cockpit that can be ‘flown’ in this way. Flights can be booked from early 2024.
2024 is also the 10th anniversary of the reopening of the Ramsgate Tunnels, the UK’s largest network of civilian wartime tunnels. To celebrate, a wave of events is planned for the year, including the History month of May, plus volunteer talks using the Tunnel’s archives in June, and Explorer Tours running year-round.
West Sussex: New Coast Path sections opening, walking itineraries and cold water swims
The Coast Path in West Sussex has taken another step forward! This largely open coastal plain route takes in wide beaches, seaside resorts and nature reserves teeming with birds. To make walking easier, Experience West Sussex has highlighted a number of walks of different lengths, including Pier to Pier, from Bognor Regis to Littlehampton (approx 2.5 hours), and Estuary Southwick to Arun Rivermouth (approx. 6 hours).
If you fancy a sea dip while on this new Coast Path stretch, winter sea dips can be taken with the Bluetits Chill Swimmers in Worthing, plus? Littlehampton, Bognor Regis, Selsey and Bracklesham Bay. To warm up, head to Horsebox saunas available at The Nomadic Sauna on Kingston Beach, Southwick, and Fire Salt and Sea Saunas, on Worthing beach.
Looking for a cool coastal stay while exploring this new Coast Path stretch? Try the new Eco Sleep Hotel in Worthing, powered entirely by electricity, with online concierge and light and heating sensors used to conserve energy. Alternatively, check-out the cool East Beach Guest House, Littlehampton, Beachhut Hotel, Felpham, or The Coast Yard in Selsey.
The National roll-out of the King Charles III Coast Path
Throughout 2024, new sections of the King Charles III Coast Path will be rolled out. Some of the newest have been the 33-mile path from Gretna to Allonby in Cumbria, releasing new stretches of this remote and beautiful northwest coast for the first time.
For more ideas on Pledge for the Coast and 2024 coastal breaks, visit englandscoast.com.
