Greenwich Meridian Trail
A very long-distance coast-to-coast walk of 285 miles following the line of the Greenwich Meridian from the Meridian Monument at Peacehaven in East Sussex to Tunstall Beach in East Yorkshire. With map, statistics, and GPX route file.
Statistics and Files
Grid Ref: TQ 410 007
Distance: 285 miles (457 km)
Time: 90–140 hours
Duration: 15–25 days
Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps (1:25,000):
OL11 Brighton and Hove, Lewes and Burgess Hill
135 Ashdown Forest, Royal Tunbridge Wells, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Crowborough
146 Dorking, Box Hill and Reigate
161 London South
162 Greenwich and Gravesend
173 London North
174 Epping Forest and Lee Valley
194 Hertford and Bishop’s Stortford
209 Cambridge, Royston, Duxford and Linton
225 Huntingdon and St Ives
227 Peterborough
228 March and Ely
235 Wisbech and Peterborough North
249 Spalding and Holbeach
261 Boston, Tattershall, Billinghay and Heckington
273 Lincolnshire Wolds South, Horncastle and Woodhall Spa
282 Lincolnshire Wolds North, Louth and Market Rasen
283 Louth and Mablethorpe
284 Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham
292 Withernsea and Spurn Head
Summary
The Greenwich Meridian Trail is a long-distance walk created by Hilda and Graham Heap from Lewes, following the line of the Prime Meridian. The trail was inaugurated in 2009 to coincide with the 125th anniversary of the Greenwich Meridian. The walk begins at Peacehaven in East Sussex and ends on the coast at Sand le Mere in East Yorkshire. While the official route guide cites 273 miles, the attached route files show a distance of 290 miles from start to finish. Bearing in mind that five of the route file miles cross the waters of the Humber Estuary, 285 miles is concluded to be the most accurate distance. Heading from south to north, the walk sticks as closely to the Prime Meridian line as possible, taking walkers through the counties of East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey, Greater London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and East Yorkshire.