Kent County Council (KCC) has worked with the National Trust, Natural England and the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to deliver the £150,000 footpath upgrade and to restore the fragile chalk grassland at the top of the cliffs. The project was delivered using grants from the Inter Reg - Experience Project, a funding scheme set up to boost off-season tourism, and King Charles III England Coast Path National Trail.
The White Cliffs of Dover are the only UK destination to feature in Lonely Planet’s Best Travel Guide 2022 and listed fourth in the world.
An iconic landmark, the White Cliffs of Dover are at one end of the Kent Downs designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The cliffs also have a special place in our national history, and they were used for defence in both World Wars.
This 2.2km stretch of the path also forms part of the new King Charles III England Coast Path which will be the UK’s longest coastal path at 2,700 miles when complete.
Works at the Special Area of Conservation, which were completed in March, include a surfaced footpath, making the walk along the cliff tops safer by greatly reducing the risk of slipping.
They are also easier to access with most steps being replaced by ramps and improving gradients.
This has all been done with the aim of reducing the impact on the site’s protected status.
“The White Cliffs are symbolic of our nation and this project also serves to emphasise the benefits of partnership through the joint working...”
KCC’s Chairman, Gary Cooke, who officially opened the path, said: “It gives me great pleasure to be able to return today to the White Cliffs and to formally cut the ribbon to open the new and refurbished walkways.
“The White Cliffs are symbolic of our nation and this project also serves to emphasise the benefits of partnership through the joint working of those teams that came together to make this possible.”
“Looking out across the cliff top is extraordinary and now with better accessibility, more people will be able to take in the view this Site of Special Scientific Interest offers.”
KCC’s Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, Mike Hill said: “The £150,000 upgrade of our White Cliffs of Dover Public Right of Way has meant the footpath here now has a suitable surface for all times of the year.
“Looking out across the cliff top is extraordinary and now with better accessibility, more people will be able to take in the view this Site of Special Scientific Interest offers.
“An important part of this work, which we have led with the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Natural England and the National Trust, has been to protect the site for the future and minimise impact on the surrounding landscape.
“Overall, this work has made the countryside easier to access for people all year around, encouraging walking as part of a healthier lifestyle in this enchanting part of the county.”
Turf removed to create the 1.8-metre-wide footpath has been relocated to previously eroded areas to help restore the protected Chalk Grassland.
National Trust General Manager at The White Cliffs of Dover, Virginia Portman said: “We’re delighted that KCC have been able to upgrade the surface of the England Coast Path which will support our work to protect this fragile landscape whilst providing improved access for the hundreds of thousands of visitors we welcome every year.”
The Experience Project is a cross channel programme, co-financed by the European Union and the European Regional Development Fund, involving partners from England and France to promote off season tourism in the channel area.
It supports the development and delivery of sustainable projects across the county that enable the improvement and enjoyment of the Kent countryside, focusing on outdoor tourism activities and opportunities which can be used by visitors during the winter months.
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Notes to editors
About the EXPERIENCE Project
Improving access to the North Downs Way National Trail and Kent Downs AONB is part of the €24.5m EXPERIENCE project to promote off-season experiential tourism and sustainable economic growth. It is co-funded by the European Union Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg France (Channel) England Programme under the Natural & Cultural Heritage objective.
Of the €24.5m ERDF committed to the total project, €3.6m is allocated to Kent County Council who invest in countryside access to support wellbeing, tourism, and an understanding of biodiversity, landscape and natural beauty.
About the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and aspiring Cross-Channel UNESCO Global Geopark
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is an exceptional landscape whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so precious that they are safeguarded in the national interest. The Kent Downs AONB is the eighth largest of 46 AONBs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland which cover one fifth of the UK. The Kent Downs offers dramatic views, vibrant communities, a rich historic and cultural heritage and diverse wildlife and habitats making it a worthy landscape for national protection. It is home to the North Downs Way National Trail which stretches 153 miles from Dover into the Surrey Hills AONB via the ancient pilgrim route, The Via Francigena, and the historic city of Canterbury.
The Kent Downs offers a wealth of opportunities for people to explore, enjoy and benefit from this outstanding landscape. The Kent Downs AONB Unit works in partnership with many organisations on the ground across the AONB to conserve and enhance the landscape, as well as support a sustainable local economy and the health and wellbeing of its residents and visitors. It champions positive, proactive, and urgent nature-based approaches for climate change mitigation and adaptation which support the landscape character and ecosystem of the AONB.
The Kent Downs is working to secure Cross-Channel UNESCO Global Geopark status for the Kent Downs AONB together with neighbouring protected landscape in France; the Parc Naturel Régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale. The AONB forms a key part of the geodiversity and natural and cultural heritage of Kent. It is also a special part of England. With one of its best-known natural icons being the White Cliffs, we are currently seeking recognition as a UNESCO Geopark. Together with the Parc Naturel Regional des Caps et Marais d’Opale which sits on the opposite side of the English Channel in France, both areas are joined by the layer of chalk that traverses the famous stretch of water between the two coasts.
