Woman completes British coastal walk challenge

Linzi Bell started her 298-day challenge in Greenwich on 1 March

A keen explorer believes she has become the first person on record to navigate the British coastline entirely on foot.

Linzi Bell, from Brightlingsea, Essex, started her 298-day challenge in Greenwich on 1 March and completed the 7,178 mile (11,552 km) walk on Monday.

She did it without travelling on any ferries and said as a result she had walked up "many estuaries".

Ms Bell said she had raised £13,000 for the mental health charity Mind and National Trails, which maintains trails across England and Wales.

Ms Bell started and finished her hike in Greenwich

The 46-year-old said she had been blown away by the kindness of the hundreds of people she has met on her adventure, many of whom have offered her a safe place to stay for the night.

She said: "I have met so many beautiful people who have treated me with nothing but kindness every single day".

Ms Bell started hiking more after the lockdowns during the pandemic and has walked from France to Spain, but this was her biggest challenge yet and saw her walk the equivalent of more than 270 marathons.

Ms Bell wanted to support Mind after seeing how spending time outdoors can improve the mental health of others

Ms Bell said she had allowed herself three "rest days" per month, which had involved "being horizontal and eating a lot of lovely food".

She said the "truly remarkable" West Highlands of Scotland were her highlight, adding it was a place where "nature is thriving".