Charity Challenge 2022 - for Samaritans England Coastal Path Spreading the challenge over 2 days Team AD will complete a 50 mile walk along England's newest National Trail. The AD team will be starting at Grain and ending at The O2 Arena. The challenge will take place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September. About the Path: On 12th January 2022 the England Coast Path from Grain to Woolwich was officially opened at the Woolwich Foot Tunnel, 1.2 miles east of the Thames Barrier. It connects with the Thames Path National Trail there to create a continuous ‘Source to Sea’ National Trail along the length of the River Thames from the Cotswolds to the North Sea. The entire ‘Source to Sea’ trail is 232 miles (374 km) following the south bank of the River Thames in London. In total the Thames Path National Trail is now 185.2miles (298 km) from the source of the River Thames to Woolwich. This new section of national trail, from London to Grain, will allow walkers to enjoy fantastic views, while taking in the natural and cultural heritage of this uniquely diverse and fascinating stretch of the coast. From Woolwich the route follows closely along the south bank of the Thames. The river has long been a busy port, as numerous wharves and jetties – many of them redundant – will testify. In places, new stylish residential developments – with wide promenades, benches, and trees – are springing up to replace derelict industrial sites. Elsewhere, the route passes numerous heritage sites, including the impressive Woolwich Arsenal with a long history of providing armaments and ammunition for the British army and navy. But this is also a working landscape and interspersed with historic sites are busy wharves, industrial complexes, the magnificent Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, and at Swanscombe: the largest pylon in Europe. And there is no shortage of wildlife, even close to the centre of London on some of the more industrialised sections. At low tide a wide variety of birds can be seen feeding on the mud, and it is not unusual to see the occasional grey seal hauled up on one of the many small beaches. Heading eastwards towards the Isle of Grain the industrial landscape fades away. Industrial heritage is replaced by long stretches of remote grazing marsh, and between the Napoleonic fort at Cliffe and the village of Allhallows there is nothing but wildness – twelve miles of sea, sky, and grazing marsh. https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/england-coast-path-south-east/