The SWCP Association

Pawesome adventures on the Path

Look out for original content from the South West Coast Path Association whenever you see this logo!

Stay Safe with Your Dog

The Coast Path is a great place for a dog with lots of exciting smells and things that they would love to chase. Sadly however, we hear of many incidences where dogs go too close to the edge, or chase something over a cliff. That’s why it’s really important to keep your dog on a lead. To find out more about staying safe on the Path and get advice about walking your dog near livestock and other people, visit southwestcoastpath.org.uk/dogs

The nights are drawing in and the weather is turning colder, but even so, many of us are still dreaming of days at the beach. Yes, it’s that time of year again when dog owners and their four-legged friends get to reclaim access to beaches, and with that comes a plethora of coastal walkies to be enjoyed.

The South West Coast Path Association caught up with their newest volunteer, Rudy the Ambassadog and his owner Laura to find out more about their favourite stretch on the Coast Path….

Rudy was absolutely thrilled to become this year’s South West Coast Path Ambassadog and we celebrated by adventuring along his favourite section of the SWCP between Zennor and St Ives. This section is a challenge, with rock clambering in places and varying terrain, but makes for a great day trip, with dog and human friendly things to stop and experience along the way.

You can join the Coast Path from various points, but Rudy likes to start in Zennor and make his way along to The Carracks. This gets the most challenging rock clambering part completed first. Along this stretch, we like to pause at Zennor Head and take in the stunning views. It is quite close to the edge in places though, so Rudy is always kept on a short lead. There is, however, good access to a small cove in one section where he enjoys some freedom to run and a swim in the sea.

The Carracks is a beautiful mid-point to stop at. The name comes from "carrek", meaning 'rock' in Cornish, which highlights the focal points of the scenery very well. For a slightly shorter walk there is an option of turning in land here and heading back to Zennor. If you’re in it for the long haul, keep following the SWCP towards St Ives. This section is easier than the first with flatter terrain but continues to provide dazzling views. Rudy loves to spot the boats moving around this part of the coast doing short day trips from St Ives. He secretly wishes he could swim that fast!

When you reach St Ives, there are plenty of dog friendly places to eat and drink - you can even find dog ice-cream! There are many gorgeous beaches that Rudy likes to explore, and with most dog bans lifted by September or October, it’s the perfect time to check them out.

There is a nice easy return route inland, which offers a change in scenery and terrain. It is easy-to-follow, across the countryside and farmland, with excellent wildlife waiting to be spotted. Rudy, being an athletic dog, likes jumping over the styles. This can be problematic however due to him being much quicker than me, which does tend to provide some laughs to others who join us on our walks. There can be lots of cattle in some of the fields here so we find that it helps to pause slightly before walking past to ensure Rudy is calm first. Once you’ve made it back to Zennor there is a choice of pubs and cafes to reward yourself in! Follow in Rudy’s pawprints with one of our free walks on this beautiful stretch of Coast Path.

• Challenging: Zennor - 5.0 miles (8.0 km) • Challenging: St Ives to Pendeen - 13.7 miles (22.0 km) • Moderate: Clodgy Point - 3.3 miles (5.2 km) • Easy: St Ives Town Trail - 1.9 miles (3.0 km)

Shop and Show your Support for the Coast Path

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas as the crisp autumn weather leads us into festive December. The South West Coast Path online Shop has a range of gorgeous gifts to purchase. Show your support and grab a gift for loved ones or treat yourself! We love the new bespoke Coast Path tea towels made from ethically sourced superior cotton and designed by From Land and Sea. Christmas card packs show photographic wintry scenes along the Coast Path, and the Charity’s 2022 Calendar will provide you with beautiful images and inspiration to explore our magnificent coastal landscape. If you or a friend are a keen walker then the Coast Path Gift Pack may be the ultimate gift to get you motivated on your 2022 adventure along the Path. It includes the 2021-22 Guide, Reverse Guide, Personal Log Book, and a wooden pen.

Every Mile Matters’

By The South West Coast Path Association

‘Every Mile Matters’ has never been truer - Make a Difference

With the world’s focus on the climate crisis during G7 and COP 26, the importance of trails and climate change is an important issue for the Coast Path. This year, the charity has co-hosted two global events this year to discuss the impacts, mitigations and challenges of how trails and trail organisations address climate change. At COP 26 we saw commitments made around reforestation, green finance and stopping coal. However, there is still much more that needs doing if we’re going to hold the line at a 1.5 degree rise in global temperatures. The flagship ‘Every Mile Matters’ campaign is used to persuade trail-users to think more deeply about how the Coast Path is cared for and why access to the coastal landscape is so vital. It’s also an important platform to fundraise for the National Trail’s future and communicate about how we as a charity are playing our part to address the big issues affecting the Coast Path’s communities: namely health and wellbeing, our local economy, and perhaps most importantly of all, the environmental crisis.

Every Mile Matters is gaining momentum and over £100k has been raised less than a year after launch. Thousands of individuals have engaged with the campaign online and over 150 individuals have donated or fundraised in support of one of the world’s great trails. Given that over 9 million people use the Trail each year though, there’s still a long way to go before reaching everyone with these important messages. One of the key ways that you can help the campaign to grow is using the hashtag #EveryMileMatters and sharing the links to the campaign when posting about your Coast Path adventures on social media. Thanks so much to everyone who has done this or supported in some way already. >

2021 has been another of extreme weather and sobering climate change predictions, but also inspiring and creative solutions from our partners. So, in this year of G7 and Cop26 being hosted in the UK, a conscious effort is being made to bring environmental messaging to the campaign’s fore. As keen walkers and runners we all need to take action, both individually and collectively, for the future of the Trail and the planet. As the charity that looks after the Trail, this primarily means funding and championing as many environmentally-focussed projects along the Coast Path as we can and sharing how Coast Pathusers can make a difference – through their behaviour and spending. So far this year the charity has been involved in a wide range of environmentally focussed work including: • Funding several coastal-erosion mitigation projects on the Trail, including at Rinsey and the Lizard, both in West Cornwall. • Co-hosting a virtual Trails Summit and COP 26

Forum with the World Trails Network to shine a light on the big issues affecting trails globally. • Engaging users of the Path on the issue of public transport access through an online survey. • Supporting the Million Mile Beach Clean along the

Coast Path with Surfers Against Sewage. • Launched a climate change trail app for Slapton,

South Devon using augmented reality to bring to life the changing coast in this particularly fragile environment. • Supporting the production of Living on the Edge a documentary film about the climate change impacts along the coast in Cornwall, by Cornwall

Climate Care. • Reviewing the environmental footprint of the Coast

Path Association and looking for ways to reduce, re-use and then recycle.

EMM Environment. West Bay by James Loveridge

Piece of the Coast Path Given to World Leaders

A small piece of the Coast Path was given to World leaders at the G7 Summit earlier this year. Hand crafted pens carved from an old South West Coast Path fingerpost were presented along with a message on why this world class trail needs support.