King Charles opened his new coast path last month but the first walkers setting out to follow the route will have to take a bus to finish it. The King Charles III England Coast Path, a 2,700 mile trail encircling the English coast, is the longest coastal route in the world.

It runs from the Severn estuary towards Berwick-upon-Tweed and down the western side of the nation, traversing major cities such as Liverpool as well as industrial coastlines and secluded bays. It also incorporates the existing 630-mile South West Coast Path as well as stretches of Cumbria between Allonby and Green Road Station. However, the first walkers to take on the new route will have to take a bus to avoid a ten-mile walk down a busy dual carriageway. It comes as ferry crossings over the Southampton estuary remain suspended.

As reported by The Times, Hythe and Southampton Ferry Company, which operates Hythe Ferry, went into voluntary liquidation on April 9. Bosses had tried unsuccessfully for 18 months to secure funding or a new operator to restore the service.

Without access to the ferry, hikers hoping to complete the King Charles III England Coast Path on foot have to walk ten miles down a dual carriageway and into Southampton. Otherwise, they must take the No.9 bus for 40 minutes.

Zoe Langley-Wathen, 54, and Mike Langley, 73, are currently walking around the British coastline to raise money for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. They reached Hythe earlier his year and were forced to walk along the edge of a busy road.

Langley-Wathen said: "It was really unpleasant, because it takes you along the side of dual carriageways and docks - very industrial areas. If I was walking it solo I would perhaps not feel so comfortable."

She added: "It doesn't feel like we're walking the coast properly if we're taking the ferry across. To us, going up the estuary to the nearest bridge and then back down again is following the coast path more purely."

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: "As an alternative to the Hythe Ferry, continuity of the Coast Path is currently via a bus service, with Natural England supporting this arrangement as suitable for public access.

"We remain committed to working with Natural England to ensure access along the Coast Path, recognising that - like other parts of the country - maintaining continuous access along a dynamic coastline can be subject to change due to natural processes and other factors."