Stephen Neale is a multi award winning journalist and author. He was responsible for assessing an Essex section of the path in liaison with Natural England on behalf of the Ramblers. He is the author of Camping by the Waterside and Wild Camping, both published by Bloomsbury. He spends most of his spare time outdoors navigating rivers, setting up camp with his family in the wilderness, and writing about how amazing our country is, on his popular website wildessex.com.

For anyone planning a trip to the coast or a UK summer holiday, the new England Coast Path national trail is a hugely exciting prospect. The opening of the path means that anyone will be able to walk and wild camp along the entire 3,000-mile length of the English coast. As well as being a remarkable national achievement in itself, it's a fantastic opportunity for all walkers, campers, fans of the coast and the outdoors.

In 2018 Stephen Neale spent months surveying the proposed route of the path, and from that experience has written a fantastically detailed and rich guidebook covering the route itself, along with everything from the best places to swim, hunt for fossils and eat seafood to hidden away beaches and canoeing spots. The bulk of the book is divided up into the 16 coastal counties and features 1,000 places to see, explore, camp and adventure around the coast. Each place has map coordinates, basic directions to it from the path and a short description. Walkers can either visit specific places or link highlights together, walking between them along the path.

The England Coast Path is a true embodiment of our national character - at a time when all things English are so often seen in a negative light, this is a wonderful success story. Environmentalists, volunteers, social campaigners, land owners and politicians have all come together to create a 'ninth wonder of the world'. This path represents what makes England so great: a little bit mad, a little bit proud; but mostly a celebration of this nation's most precious asset: the wild coast.

I would encourage anyone with an interest in our open spaces and the campaign for access to read Stephen Neale's England Coast Path.

Thank you for sharing the story of how the path was made.

This delightful guide brings the many wonders of England's coastal path to life - every step of the way.

A very welcome and absorbing book on a long-anticipated and inspiring project which brings us closer to nature. The England Coast Path will leave a positive and lasting legacy for the nation; the story of its creation is almost as inspiring and refreshing as a stroll along the path itself.

A guide that will be of massive interest to the many tourists and walkers who will enjoy the path for years to come.

BOOK OF THE MONTH: Love exploring the English coast? Then this is definitely one for your rucksack. 1,000 mini adventures bring a fresh sense of adventure to your seaside escape.