Walking the Path for the Love of Anna
Thank you Phil, for sharing your story.
My South West Coast Path walk in memory of my wife Anna. Completed in 31 days in June 2025. My Beautiful wife Anna passed away on the 30th January 2025 having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November 2024. We had been together for 45 years. It was a brutally difficult time for me and my family that was made manageable by the extraordinary care provided by The Sue Ryder Hospice in Leckhampton (Cheltenham). Anna and I loved Devon and Cornwall, we had our honeymoon at Saunton Sands Hotel where we holidayed with our children every year for 20 years. After children we loved to go down for weekends and walk. We had always planned to do the SWCP over our retirement years.
When Anna died I decided to walk the entire path to raise money for The Sue Ryder Hospice. To make it a challenge I decided to start on the day I qualified for my state pension, 31st May, and finish on my daughters birthday, 30th June. That would be about 21 miles a day and would mean an average climb of 4,000ft a day. I dedicated the walk to my wife and so my children, Max and Alex, designed a website, and set up Facebook and Instagram. The website is www.fortheloveofanna and the same tag for the social media sites.
Between us we organised all the accommodation, 31 hotels, air bnb’s and B& B’s. Trying to position them 21 miles apart and as close to the path as possible was quite a challenge. Mostly we achieved it but there were times when I had an extra mile or so to do at the end of the day. It was also quite amazing just how many of them were up another hill! I had a number of friends join me on some of the sections of the walk mostly in North and South Devon.
I walked all of the Cornwall coast alone. The scenery constantly changed, from the stunning rugged and wild north coast of Devon and Cornwall to the quieter more serene South coast with its beautiful estuaries.
We read and hear so much bad news and sometimes feel we are losing faith in our fellow humans. I have always found the walking community to be outgoing and friendly and during my walk had this more than re-affirmed. I walked wearing a t-shirt stating what I was doing and why and have been deeply moved by the love and support I received during my walk. Every night when I wrote my daily blog I would look at my just giving page. I would see that strangers I had met during the day had donated and left the most wonderful messages of love for me and my lovely wife.
At the time of writing this I have raised just over £30,000 for The Sue Ryder Hospice in Leckhampton. I look back on the walk with of course a sense of achievement and pride but also realise how cathartic it was for me. It was physically and emotionally draining but also memorable.
Every day was an adventure, every day I experienced something different, every day I met people who moved me and every day I experienced beyond stunning scenery on what must be one of the world’s most beautiful walks.
Thank you The South West Coast Path
Phil Brown,
in loving memory of Anna
National Grief Awareness Week
- This year the theme is ‘Growing with Grief’
- The campaign is organised by The Good Grief Trust and raises awareness of 1000 + UK bereavement services under their umbrella.
- Every year on the final day of the campaign landmarks across the country are lit orange to remember those who have died and support those bereaved across the UK.
- Look for local landmarks and buildings that will light up orange or simply light a candle at 6pm, on the 8th of December.
- Find out more at The Good Grief Trust
If you’d like to JOIN the South West Coast Path Association and show your support for the Path go to: https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/join
If you’re planning a FUNDRAISING WALK on the South West Coast Path consider giving a percentage back to the Trail that will make your journey possible. Find out more: https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/fundraise
The South West Coast Path 