English Heritage has blocked a proposed stretch of the King Charles III England Coast Path from crossing Osborne House grounds on the Isle of Wight, forcing a two-mile diversion inland onto the A3021 and nearby lanes.
The charity, which manages the former royal residence favoured by Queen Victoria, said allowing the path to run across the estate would "negatively impact" its conservation work and pose an unacceptable security risk to Osborne's irreplaceable collection of some 10,000 royal items. Natural England, the government agency overseeing the project, unveiled the proposed route between East Cowes and Wootton last month after seven years of discussion.
Campaigners and walking groups criticised the decision, saying the diversion forces walkers, including families and visitors, onto "unpleasant and dangerous pavements" beside a busy A road miles from the sea. Jack Cornish, director of England for Ramblers, said the charity must "rethink its stance" and indicated the group could seek a judicial review if agreement is not reached.
Kate Ashbrook, vice president of the Ramblers, described the proposed inland route as "abysmal" and said it contains stretches with little or no footway. Local Ramblers staged protests outside Osborne House last year and have urged English Heritage to consider mitigations such as fencing or restricting access at night to keep a coastal alignment.
Natural England has launched an eight-week public consultation on the plans and said the overall King Charles III England Coast Path, when finished, will run about 2,700 miles — a route the government agency says will be the longest managed coastal path in the world. The agency's proposal for the Isle of Wight section places the path on the A3021 and on country lanes where access across Osborne's grounds is not permitted.
English Heritage said in a statement that although Osborne House is exempt from the coastal path scheme as a registered park and garden, it sought to find a solution. "The unique security and conservation challenges couldn't be overcome," the organisation said, adding that the risk to the security of the site and its collection "was just too great." The charity said it appreciated that the decision would disappoint some and said it wanted to explore other ways to open elements of Osborne to walkers.
Supporters of a coastal route argue that allowing the path across Osborne's historic beach would be consistent with how other major heritage sites manage public access while preserving security and conservation, citing examples such as Blenheim Palace, Stourhead and Balmoral Castle. David Howarth, a former area chair of Isle of Wight Ramblers, said the new National Trail "is a gift to the Island" and warned that an inland diversion would squander an opportunity to showcase the coast and benefit both users and landowners by reducing the need for additional public access areas.
Campaigners say the completed trail could bring an estimated £60 million in annual visitor spending to the Isle of Wight's economy. Mike Slater of the Isle of Wight Ramblers pointed to the 2009 legislation that established the England Coast Path as a facility for tourism, recreation and nature appreciation and urged a "smart approach" to balancing access, heritage and safety on the crowded island.
Natural England's consultation closes on Oct. 22. The Ramblers is urging members of the public to contact English Heritage, local councillors and Members of Parliament to support keeping the route as close to the shoreline as possible. English Heritage said it remains open to discussions with walking groups about alternative ways to improve access to Osborne for walkers while protecting the site and its collections.