The All Wales Coast Path and the North Wales Path

I have just come across details of the All Wales Coast Path which is due to open officially in May 2012. Provisional route maps have been published here.

I had been under the impression that the All Wales Coast Path would follow the route of the North Wales Path across North Wales. This was clearly mistaken. The All Wales Coast Path  follows the principle that "It will be as near to the coast as legally and physically practicable, whilst fully taking into account the needs of health and safety, land management and conservation.". In the case of Anglesey, a similar principle must have been applied for its Coastal Path, because both paths follow the same route as far as I can see. But when it comes to the east-west North Wales section, this results in All Wales Coast Path being more truly coastal than the North Wales Path - although there are still substantial overlapping streches.

This explains the slight confusion I had in Colwyn Bay, where I had found a North Wales Path sign and an All Wales Coast Path sign pointing in different directions.

So what does this mean for walkers? The All Wales Coast Path, being more truly coastal, is going to be flatter and therefore more suitable for those who haven't the energy for hills. A good deal of those stretches are also going to be along sea walls etc., and suitable for those with pushchairs or wheelchairs (and for the pushchair clientele, no doubt the beach itself will have its attractions). However, I have to admit that the inland excursions were in general the most interesting bits of the North Wales Path for me, and I think I made it clear that walking miles along a sea wall was the dullest bit.

It also confirms the potential of circular walks as I had mooted  in my review, taking the inland part of the North Wales Path and doubling back along the All Wales Coast Path.