European Long Distance Path under development: Southern/Southwest England
Total planned length: Capo de São Vincente, Portugal - Narva-Jõesuu, Estonia 5000km/3125 miles approx
British section: Plymouth - Dover 711km/444 miles (719km/449 miles via Isle of Wight)
A lengthy walk along or near to the south coast of England, visiting classic coastal features such as Purbeck, the Solent, the Seven Sisters and Shakespeare Cliff, as well as the region's two future National Parks, the New Forest and South Downs, where the route turns inland to avoid busy roads. An optional loop visits the Isle of Wight.
The British section provides an alternative to the mainland route of the E9 in France, with which it connects by ferry at several points. It also opens up new possibilities for British walkers, linking the Saxon Shore Way and South West Coast Path to create a continuous waymarked route of almost 1,000 miles around the coast of southern England from Gravesend to Minehead.
The E9 is mainly made up of sections of existing paths and is generally only signed in its own right at junctions. However, new waymarked linking routes are being created in the Bournemouth/Poole area and on the Isle of Wight. The sections are summarised below, with Explorer map numbers. Where a hyperlink is shown, please see the individual path page for more information.
From Plymouth
- South West Coast Path to Poole 343km/214 miles
Maps 108, 110, 115, 116, OL15, OL20
Connects with Channel to Channel, Dart Valley Trail, East Devon Way, Erme-Plym Trail (for Two Moors Way), Exe Valley Way, GR24 (E9, via ferry Poole-St Malo), GR223 (via ferry Poole-Cherbourg), GR34 (E9, via ferries Plymouth-Roscoff and Weymouth-St Malo), Hardy Way, Jubilee Trail (Dorset), Liberty Trail, Macmillan Way, Monarch's Way, South West Coast Path from Minehead, Templer Way, Wessex Ridgeway - Bournemouth Coast Path toMilford on Sea 30km/19 miles
Maps OL15, OL22
Connects with Avon Valley Path, Stour Valley Way (Dorset)
See Solent Way - Solent Way to Lymington 11km/7 miles
Map OL22
Alternative route via Isle of Wight
Map OL29
Main route
- Solent Way to Portsmouth, rejoining Isle of Wight alternative 60km/37.5 miles.
Maps 119, OL22, OL29
Connects with Chemins de saint Michel (via ferry Portsmouth-Cherbourg), GR2 (via ferry Portsmouth-Le Havre), GR223 (E9, via ferry Portsmouth-Cherbourg or Ouistreham), GR23 (E9, via ferry Portsmouth-Ouistreham), GR24 (E9, via ferry Portsmouth-St Malo), GR34 (E9, via ferry Porstmouth-St Malo), GR36 (via ferry Portsmouth-Ouistreham), Pilgrim's Trail (see North Downs Way), Test Way (via link) - Solent Way to Langstone Harbour, Havant 16km/10 miles
Maps 119, 120
Connects with Wayfarer's Walk. - Staunton Way to Queen Elizabeth Country Park 19km/12 miles
Map 120
Connects with Hangers Way, Sussex Border Path.
A route from the coast to the South Downs via Staunton Country Park, with two shorter circular options in the Staunton area. Free leaflet from Hampshire information centre tel 0800 028 0888.
www3.hants.gov.uk/walking/longdistance/staunton-way.htm - South Downs Way to Jevington 111km/69.5 miles
Maps 120, 121, 122, 123
Connects with Downs Link (for North Downs Way E2), GR21/GRP des Forêts de Haute-Normandie (via local footpaths and ferry Newhaven-Dieppe), Mid Sussex Link, Monarch's Way, Socratic Trail, Sussex Border Path, Vanguard Way, Wealdway, Wey-South Path - 1066 Country Walk to Rye 56km/35 miles
Maps 123, 124, 125
Connects with Royal Military Canal Path, Saxon Shore Way
This walk between Alfriston and Rye, with spurs to Pevensey, Bexhill and Hastings, has a total signed length of around 90km/56 miles, passing many sites connected with the Norman invasion of England.
The 1066 Country Walk by Brian Smailes (ISBN 1 903568 00 5, Challenge £4.95) has detailed route description, accommodation and other useful information but, oddly, no maps. Free leaflets are available from Tourist Information Centres at Battle (tel 01424 773721), Bexhill (tel 01424 732208), Hastings (tel 01424 781111) and Rye (tel 01797 226696).
See also www.1066country.com and www.southeastwalks.com. - Saxon Shore Way to Dover 65km/39 miles
Maps 125, 138
Connects with Elham Valley Way, GR128 (via ferry Dover-Calais), GR5A (E2/E9, via ferry Dover-Oostende), GR du littoral (E9, via ferry Dover-Calais), Greensand Way, North Downs Way (E2), High Weald Landscape Trail, Royal Military Canal Path, Sussex Border Path
E9 in mainland Europe
The sections of coastal path along the Portugese and Spanish coast are still under development. In France, there are sections of continuous path between Sare and and Contaut, via ferry Arcachon to Cap-Ferret (GR8). A link series of GRs then begins at le Tour-du-Parc in southwest Brittany, providing ferry connections with the British alternative route at Roscoff, St Malo, Cherbourg, Ouistreham, Le Havre, Dieppe and Calais. The path then follows the coast of Belgium, the Netherlands and into Germany, where it continues inland to avoid the Jutland peninsula, joining the Baltic coast into Poland to the Russian border at Braniewo. There is currently no link through Russia, Latvia and Lithuania but much of the route through Estonia is now complete.
Contacts
