The South West Coast Path to fun, friendship and fitness

Finding out about Cornwall

I moved to the county at the end of 2018, knowing nobody and precious little about the area. I hadn’t even heard of the Path until I relocated to Falmouth but, intrigued by the acorn signs I kept seeing, I quickly discovered this long-distance trail.

I didn’t set off to complete the whole thing but rather to explore local areas, improve my fitness and meet like-minded souls along the way.

Reading up and getting started

When Covid hit, my plans for the Path were reduced to reading up on what I was taking on, so I bought three Trailblazer guide books covering the whole thing, from Minehead to Poole.

Reading of crumbling cliffs and precarious paths made me question my sanity, but once lockdown was lifted I decided to take my first steps along the way.

Friends make the difference

My early ventures covered a couple of miles out and a couple back, using public transport as much as possible. In fact, working out the logistics of, for example, bus into Falmouth, train to Hayle, bus to Gwithian and walking the SWCP back to Hayle has been part of the exploration and the fun.

Between Portreath and Hayle
Photo by Stefania Obialero

As I walked further, however, I started looking for groups to join, and about 18 months ago I discovered the South West Coast Path Associations’ Coast Path Connectors’ Project, found a good group of friends to walk with, and now I do most of my mileage in company. I’ve just about completed Padstow to Plymouth, and am poised to go further afield.

Wildlife and walkers

For me, the Path has turned into a focus for friends to meet up and get out in all weathers. Challenges are much easier when a few of you are tackling them together, and we also enjoy the chance to marvel at the wildlife away from the stress of everyday life.

Highlights have been many: they include seeing dolphins and blue-fin tuna off the coast near Cadgwith Cove, and watching fulmars showing off over the cliffs near Polly Joke. And there’s also the joy of meeting fellow walkers from all over the world, and having something in common to talk about.

Advice on getting started

Just do it! Start small with just a couple of miles, and try to link sections together as you do them. I always colour in my route in my guidebook so I can see that the miles are adding up.

I’ve still got 300-plus miles to go, but discovering the Coast Path and the people who care for it has helped me discover this wonderful county and some fantastic friends.

Find more information about the Coast Path Connectors programme of walks at Coast Path Connectors – South West Coast Path. Regular walks are planned every week, to suit different levels of ability and fitness – they’re free, and all you have to do is sign on and meet up.

Author Jane Leigh mixes Coast Path walking with bird-and-wildlife-spotting and occasional geocaching. A semi-retired table tennis coach, she’s aiming to finish off Cornwall then move on to the other sections: some will be challenging, but pals Sharon and Julie assure her she can do it………..