The South West Coast Path Association is celebrating 50 years of creating, protecting and promoting a stunning national trail, as KIRSTIE NEWTON discovers
Think of the South West, and what do you imagine? The chances are your mind has flown instantly to the coast, perhaps influenced by fond memories of family holidays. Think rolling seas, towering cliffs, lighthouses, beaches stretching for miles, fossil-hunting, the whiff of salt in the air, the cry of gulls on the wing.
Maybe you’re wearing a pair of hiking boots and setting out on a mission, following the acorn fingerposts of the South West Coast Path? If so, then it’s all thanks to a dedicated band of walkers who, in 1973, determined to fill in the missing links and create an uninterrupted national trail skirting the entire peninsula from Somerset to Dorset via the most westerly reaches of Cornwall.
The resulting 630-mile route, from Minehead (the official starting point) to South Haven Point via Land’s End, is right up there with the world’s greatest. The South West Coast Path Association (SWPCA) celebrates its 50th anniversary this year to great fanfare, with a programme of fun events.
First out of the gate is the Trailblazer Walk, which covers the entire length of the path. Participants will leave Minehead on May 12, and South Haven in Dorset on May 27. Each day will be split into a morning and afternoon walk; it’s free to join the walks, but spaces are limited, and booking essential.
On June 3, World Trails Day will be celebrated with a special event at the Jubilee Pool in Penzance, followed by one of the path’s most accessible stretches towards Marazion, with fabulous views of St Michael’s Mount.
The two parts of the walk will meet at the SWCPA headquarters in Plymouth’s historic Royal William Yard on June 15. This is also the launch date of the inaugural South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year exhibition (judges included Coast editor Andy Cooper) in Ocean Studios. Expect to see beautiful images of the coast path that explore personal connections, nature, urban and industrial heritage and climate change; and images by the winner of the first Young Photographer of the Year Award.
Such is the path’s appeal that it attracts nine million users annually. Some walk a short distance, others the whole shebang; many walk the entire 630 miles over several years, while the ambitious tackle Minehead to South Haven Point in one go. Those who succeed are known as “completers”, and can receive a certificate to mark their achievement.
They include authors Raynor Winn, whose memoir The Salt Path recalls a life-changing walk with her husband Moth at a time
