As a coastal village, Uphill is (of course) in the England Coast Path project. It’s a genuinely big idea: it will go all the way around the coast of England and measure roughly 2,705 miles once it’s complete – the longest coastal path in the world. To put it into perspective, if you set out walking and didn’t stop to sleep, eat or anything else, you could complete the whole thing in around two months – give or take.
The project isn’t complete yet, but last month we got the exciting news that work on one of the remaining sections, northwards from Uphill to Woodspring Priory, is getting underway. It’s going to be called the Tidal Trail and, once everything is connected, it will let walkers see local landmarks like Uphill boat yard, the Nature Reserve and Uphill Quarry before going on to Weston Beach, Birnbeck Pier and Sand Bay. There’ll be signage, sections being surfaced, ramps and new gates to make sure everything is safe, accessible and sustainable.
Nationally there’s a lot of excitement about this path, because it won’t just help get people out and about to appreciate their local landmarks. It’s expected to have a positive impact for local economies and communities, as well as making us all a bit fitter and more aware of how important it is to protect the environment and heritage sites along the walks.
The goal is for 24 miles of the 32 mile Tidal Trail to be finished by the end of this year or early next year. Time to get those walking boots on!