The Monarch's Way is a 625-mile (1,006 km)[1] long-distance footpath in England that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester.

All of the route is waymarked,[3] using a logo with a drawing of the ship Surprise above a Prince of Wales three-point feathered crown on a silhouette of the Royal Oak tree (which is at Boscobel House).

There is then a short section along the Dorset coast before turning north again to Yeovil, before turning east and following much of the escarpment of Cranborne Chase, the Hampshire Downs and South Downs to Shoreham-by-Sea where it has a short extension to neighbouring Brighton and Hove, being its historic port and today a main yachting centre in Sussex.

The Monarch's Way is an approximation of the King's route using available public rights of way and visiting places noted in the historic records.

Most of the route has been radically changed in the intervening centuries by enclosure, mining, urbanisation and the building of roads, canals and railways.

Use of canals and disused railways allows a more pleasant walk than taking to the public highway and provides an insight into industrial history particularly of the Black Country.

The King watched the battle unfold from the tower of the cathedral before fleeing with Colonel Charles Giffard of Chillington and others.

Leaving the railway the northerly route continues passing Pendrell Hall and Boscobel to White Ladies Priory.

Leaving White Ladies and the nearby Pendrell home at Hubbal Grange the route turns west via Tong to Evelith Mill and Kemberton.

Reaching Madeley it became apparent that the river crossings were well guarded and the King spent a night in the 'Royal Barn' before beating a hasty retreat.

Retracing the route through Norton and Beckbury to Boscobel House where the King hid in an oak tree to avoid capture.

Following the west bank of the River Avon south and passing Holy Trinity Church, with its connections to William Shakespeare.

[6] Leaving the Centenary Way in a south westerly direction it enters Gloucestershire and passes Hidcote Manor Garden, owned by the National Trust, before rejoining the Heart of England Way.

South of Wells the Monarch's Way crosses the River Sheppey and passes through Twinhills Woods and Meadows before entering North Wootton,[8] continuing across the Somerset Levels and the A361 and A37 roads, through East Pennard, to Hornblotton.

Crossing the A350, the path continues east to Hindon, Berwick St. Leonard, Fonthill Bishop and through part of Grovely Wood to reach Great Wishford.

Entering Hampshire, the Monarch's Way and Clarendon Way continue to run together over the chalk through Broughton, crossing the River Test at Houghton.

From here eastwards for many miles the route skirts the northern rim of the Tertiary sediments of the Hampshire Basin, alternating between chalk downs to the north and heaths and woodland to the south.

From here it continues east across the parish of Patching to Findon, passing near Cissbury Ring and climbing to meet the South Downs Way above Steyning for a short distance.

After crossing Beeding Hill and Thundersbarrow Hill the path approaches the northern edge of the built-up area near Mile Oak, before doubling sharply back to the north of the A27 to continue east across the downs, before heading south down the former route of the Devil's Dyke railway towards West Blatchington.