The legal precedents for the Cliff Walk date back to 1663, when the
charter granted by
King Charles II promised Rhode Island colonists the right to fish along the shoreline. This right of public access to the shore was later guaranteed in the
Rhode Island state constitution. The coastline remained undeveloped until around 1880, when owners of the Gilded Age mansions started building a simple path along the coast, in sections. Over the decades, many disputes have erupted between landowners and the public about access to the walk, with wealthy owners sometimes erecting fences, boulders, or walls along the route. ==Damage and repairs==