Essential Kit for Walking Cliff Tracks in Britain

Why a cliff path asks more of you than a country stroll

Britain's coastline is one of the great walking pleasures. The chalk headlands of Kent, the granite cliffs of Cornwall, the stacked sandstone of Pembrokeshire and the long, folding edges of the Cleveland Way all offer something a footpath through a field never can: a horizon that keeps moving. But a cliff track is a different beast from a towpath or a woodland trail.

The ground is rarely level for long, the surface changes from grass to loose shingle to slick clay within a hundred metres, and the weather can turn in the time it takes to eat a sandwich. Add exposure to wind and salt spray, and the fact that the nearest road might be an hour behind you, and it becomes clear why a bit of kit planning pays off. None of this is about spending heavily. It is about carrying the right few things and knowing how to use them.

Start with your feet: boots, not trainers

If you get one thing right, make it footwear. Coastal paths are famous for ankle-turning terrain: buried rocks in the grass, cobbled slipways, wet wooden steps, eroded staircases cut into the cliff. A pair of sturdy walking boots with a stiff midsole and deep lugs gives you grip on wet chalk, mud and seaweed-covered stone, and supports the ankle when a step gives way underfoot.

• Fit over fashion. Try boots on with the socks you will actually wear, and check your toes cannot slide forward on a downhill — that is what causes blackened nails days later.
• Waterproof, but breathable. A membrane lining keeps out puddle splash and dew; without it, feet stew and blisters arrive early.
• Break them in. Two or three shorter walks before a long coastal day.
• Consider poles. On steep, stepped descents to a cove, a pair of walking poles saves knees and adds a third point of contact on loose ground.

Pack blister plasters and a roll of zinc oxide tape. Treating a hot spot at the first twinge is the difference between finishing the route and hobbling back to the car.

Waterproofs and the art of layering

Coastal weather is changeable by nature. You can leave a car park in sunshine, walk into a sea fret twenty minutes later, and be buffeted by a headwind on the headland beyond. Dress in layers you can add or shed without stopping for long.

• A waterproof jacket with taped seams and a wired hood peak. Wind-driven rain comes sideways on exposed cliffs, so a hood that stays put matters more than you would think.
• Waterproof trousers. Lightweight ones live happily at the bottom of a pack and turn a miserable squall into a minor inconvenience.
• A warm mid-layer — fleece or synthetic. Even in July, a stiff northerly on a north-facing cliff can feel like March.
• A hat and thin gloves. Cheap, light, and disproportionately effective against wind chill.
• Sun cream and sunglasses. The coast is bright. Sun off water and pale rock burns necks and noses surprisingly fast.

What belongs in your day pack

A day pack of 20–25 litres is plenty for most coastal routes. The contents should let you navigate, hydrate, eat, and cope with a delay.

• A paper map and compass at 1:25,000 scale, plus the knowledge to read them. Phone batteries die, screens crack, and signal vanishes in coves.
• A fully charged phone with offline maps downloaded before you set out, kept warm in an inside pocket — cold drains batteries fast.
• A power bank of around 10,000mAh, charged the night before.
• Water: at least a litre per person, more on hot days. A flask of tea is a genuine morale boost in winter.
• Food: more than you think you need. Nuts, oatcakes, fruit, something sugary for the last climb.
• A small first aid kit: plasters, tape, painkillers, antiseptic wipe, tweezers for ticks, and any personal medication.
• A whistle and a torch or headtorch. Both tiny, both invaluable if a walk takes longer than planned.

Tell someone your route and expected return time, and check the tide table before you go. Some of the loveliest sections — causeways, beach cut-offs, low-tide crossings — are only passable at certain states of the tide.

Reading the coast as you walk

Cliff edges are not as solid as they look. Soft cliffs of clay and sand crumble, and even hard rock develops cracks and undercut turf. Keep a good few metres back from the lip, particularly on grassy tops where the edge is hidden, and never sit on an overhang for the view. Wind is the other quiet hazard: a gust on an exposed headland can knock you off balance mid-step, so crouch low and move deliberately when it pipes up.

Watch the ground underfoot too. Wet clay on a sloping path is the single most common cause of slips on coastal routes, and wooden boardwalks grow algae that behaves like ice.

Small habits that keep the coast worth walking

Close gates behind you, give livestock and grazing animals a wide berth, especially with a dog, and keep dogs on a lead around cliffs and nesting seabirds between spring and midsummer. Carry out everything you carry in, including fruit peel and, yes, that soggy tissue. Stick to the marked path where erosion is a problem; shortcutting a zigzag is what turns a path into a gully.

Finally, know how to call for help. Dial 999 and ask for the coastguard, then give your location using a grid reference, a named feature, or a clear description of what you can see. Stay put once you have made the call. With decent boots, a good jacket, a charged phone and a little foresight, a day on the cliffs becomes what it should be: bracing, beautiful, and entirely your own.